PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

Philosophy of Education
Joanna Vasquez
California State University Dominguez Hills

PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

From a very young age, we are taught that if we would like to be successful in life, the
way to achieve this is through education. Education has been around for many years. Before,
education was primarily for the elites in society; it was more of a privilege. Now education is
accessible to everyone in the United States. This has given everyone the opportunity to benefit
and become more knowledgeable citizens.
The purpose of education is to educate our future generations to become a productive
member of society. In the school setting, students have the opportunity to discover who they are
as individuals. Students find out what their strengths and weaknesses are through the work they
complete in groups or individual work. They learn new skills and learn how to socialize with
their peers. These everyday tasks teach students about democracy because they learn that they
have a voice and a choice. The report Guardian of Democracy, by The Civic Missions of
Schools, seems to agree with this notion. They state, young people who know more about
government are more likely to vote, discuss politics, contact the government and take part in
other civic activities than their less knowledgeable counter parts (2003). In turn because of all
this acquired knowledge, students will hopefully apply their gained awareness of who they are
and what they are capable of to be productive members of society. Another purpose for education
is to build on old knowledge. What I mean by this is that we all interpret information different. It
only takes one person to apply this old information in a different manner to create new
technology, new medicine, and many other new discoveries. Rosenshine (2012), discussed the
importance of reviewing prior knowledge, he states the review of previous learning can help us
recall words, concepts, and procedures effortlessly and automatically when we need this material
to solve problems or to understand new material. This is the reason why education is valuable
to human society. We educate our children for this reason because without it our future children

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will be limited to what they can do in life. They will not be able to grow and prosper into
productive generations.
How effective education will be depends on promoting a safe and healthy learning
environment. Safety is key in the classroom because if this need is not met, the child will not be
able to focus on anything else. When referring to safety, it is not just referring to physical aspects
but also emotionally. When a child is in a negative setting where the teacher is not being helpful
or understanding then, the child does not feel comfortable in asking questions or talking to the
teacher. A teacher who is caring and understanding and builds that relationship with a child
allows the child to feel comfortable to express his/ her feelings regardless of whether the child is
right or wrong will allow that child to succeed. Fulfilling these needs goes right along with
McLeods (2014) explanation of Abraham Maslows hierarchy of needs chart. Besides having the
essential needs to survive like water and food be the first need on the chart, fulfilling the needs of
being safe and loved are the next two on the list of importance.
Diversity is around us all the time, so why would it be any different in the classroom?
There will always be diversity in the classroom. Although I believe that teaching children about
treating everyone equally begins in the home, some children may not get that lesson there and it
is our responsibility as teachers to teach children about it. There is no better way than to teach
children than to set the example ourselves. One of the ways to address diversity can be by
celebrating everyones differences instead of shaming every child who is different. Children with
special needs or learning disabilities can be grouped with other children who do not need the
extra attention. Together these children can learn to co-habit in their differences because that is
what the world around them will require them to do so. Geneva Gay (2002) also believes that

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teaching children about diversity is important but it begins first with educating the teachers on
how to approach the subject.
What is taught in the classroom are subjects which will carry on with students for the rest
of their lives. I believe the curriculum being taught should be based on the common core. From
the reading, Inquiring Into the Common Core, written by Nancy Fichtman Dana, it explained
why the common core was developed. It basically stated that the common core was developed
because the United States has fallen behind. The world around us has changed and the United
States school system has not, so the Common Core was developed so we as a nation can
compete. Not following the Common Core will rob our children from their education. How the
curriculum should be taught is in different manners so each child has the ability to see it in
different ways. For example some children can learn the material covered in class by just looking
or reading what has been taught while other children are more visual learners. They need visuals
to explain what is being taught. Teaching in these various styles will be of benefit for the
children so every child understands the material. Finally, the curriculum should be fun. This
makes children forget that they are learning and keeps them engaged.
Teachers are the key to the students success. This was clearly expressed in the reading
title; Preparing Teachers for a Changing World: What Teachers Should Learn and Be Able To
Do written by Linda Darling-Hammond, Pamela LePage and John Bransford. In this article, it
talked about how crucial a teacher is in education. Teachers need to be aware of new learning
styles and new technology; they need to keep up with a changing world. This is the reason why
teachers need to continually learn and develop professionally. There is always something new to
learn. Teachers should also be role models. If teachers want their students to behave like model
citizens, then teachers have to set the example.

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Education is the key to success. As a society, education has helped us develop into
complex beings. Without education, we would probably be in the caveman days with very little
knowledge of the world around us.

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Reference
1. Burns, J., Dana, N., Wolkenhauer, R. (2013). Inquiring into the common core.
2. Bransford, J., Darling-Hammond, L., & LePage, P. (2005). Introduction. In DarlingHammond, L.& Bransford, J. (Eds.). Preparing teachers for a changing world: what
teachers should learn and be able to do (pp.1-39). San Francisco. Joscey-Bass
3. Gay, G. (2002). Journal of teacher education. Retrieved from
http://mrc.spps.org/uploads/preparing_for_crt-_geneva_gay-2.pdf
4. McLeod, S. (2014). Maslows hierarchy of needs. Retrieved from
https://d3jc3ahdjad7x7.cloudfront.net/rx9Wb7OU8R83rfYAdYUsKScg85FnHrnW2qPSv
PSLbO9Ugo4R.pdf
5. Rosenshine, B. (2012). Principles of instruction research-based strategies that all teachers
should know. Retrieved from
http://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/periodicals/Rosenshine.pdf

PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION