POSITION CONCERNING

EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY
PAPER
EDU 622

SPRING 2018
BRITTANY CRAWLEY
 Position Concerning Educational Philosophy

Introduction

“In the earlier times, education was primary for survival” (Ozmon 1). While it was used as a
means to teach children the skills necessary for everyday living, we now use this practice for
many human purposes and as a distinct human activity. Thus, with the revolution of this
practice of education, there has since been theories about education that has developed which
nevertheless encounters differences in philosophical viewpoints about teaching. “Educational
philosophers, regardless of their particular theories, suggests that solutions to problems can be
achieved best through critical and reflective thought about the relationship between unsettling
changes and enduring, effective, and thoughtful ideas” (Ozmon 2). As learned in the course of
this class via the readings, we discovered that “Educational philosophy is not just a way of
looking at ideas, but also how to use ideas in better ways...”, and a philosophy of education
becomes significant only when educators recognize the need to think clearly about what they
are doing and to see what they are doing in the larger context of both the individual and
society” (Ozmon 3). Consequently, in every school and in every teacher, there are a set of
related beliefs; a philosophy of education which influences what and how students learn.
Throughout the course of this paper, I will reflect on my proposed philosophy of education and
examine the specific metrics assigned to discuss in this assignment while addressing the
purpose of my philosophy of education, various roles that impact the educational environment
(teachers/ school) and what should be taught and by what means.

Philosophy of Education
[“Learning is a work of art: As teachers, instructors and educational professionals, we must
inspire students to learn. The primary position of an educator should be to fill the primal needs
of the learner by creating authentic, engaging and relevant learning experiences each day. One
of the greatest gifts a teacher can give a single student is the motivation and burning desire to
experience learning at an unmeasurable level. We must understand as teachers, students need
to be active participants in their learning environments. Students deserve to be awarded the
proper tools and resources in their journey to conquer learning goals, no matter their walk of
life. Thus, students should have the freedom and guidance to learn in a manner that promotes
self-sufficiency and creativity. In addition, students should be challenged to their full potentials
in and out of classroom settings. Be the change you want to see as an educator. However, think
of and see that every student is unalike and has a separate need, therefore your teaching should
reflect the necessity and desire of each individual, despite the trials.”] -Brittany Crawley

As I examined and researched other philosophers’ viewpoints while exploring my own

distinctive approach to a philosophy of education, I kept this idea in mind: “Educators need to
see that philosophy of education can make a difference in their outlook or activities regarding
education, and they should use philosophical ideas and thought patterns in ways that can lead
to more consciously directed practices”. (Ozmon 3) Thus, developing a considerate
philosophical perspective on education helps one see more clearly the relationship of ideas to
schooling such as the aims of education, methods; curriculum and the role of the teacher.

Philosophical Position Concerning Education

Though there are many routes to approach and different ways to view philosophies of
education learned in the text this course such as Idealism, Realism, Reconstructionism,
Behaviorism, Existentialism, and Marxism, I believe one’s own stance stems from their own
personal beliefs, morals, experiences and experienced learning styles even. Thus, my
philosophy was designed to reflect what I believe in, in conjunction with the many influences of
other philosophes and philosophers researched and studied for a Philosophy & Epistemology
course. My philosophical position mirrors some of the ideas of philosophies such as
Reconstructionism, Existentialism and Marxism, and a few views in Pragmatism of education.
Interpretation Analysis and Connection with Text and Philosophical Concepts

From a Reconstructionism interpretation, as written in my philosophical statement, I believe

educators participate in a critical role of being advocates for change in the schooling systems
and that if we want to experience that change, educators must first be the “change they want
to see” and to do so, they must understand that “social change and social action are needed”
(Ozmon 169). Educators and school systems must continue to look forward instead of
backwards in their methods to provide effective education with aims of unity rather than
destruction. I also take a firm position in the belief of the Existentialism views as stated in my
philosophical view of education which states “… think of and see that every student is unalike
and has a separate need, therefore your teaching should reflect the necessity and desire of each
individual, despite the trials.” Like many of the philosophies presented in this platform, I agree
that “students should be first looked at as individuals and that they should be allowed to take a
positive role in the shaping of their own education and life (Ozmon 233).

There is no worse experience as a student than to be forced to learn isolated and undesirable
materials that provide little or no relevance and connection to a student’s everyday life and
need. This view urges that schools be a free place where students are stimulated to do things
because they want to and if educators could adopt this idea and apply other pieces to the
puzzle as stated in my statement, education could be on the way to reform. Philosopher and
theorists John-Paul Sartre’s states, “We have choice, therefore we have freedom”. This is
important to understand as educators when allowing our students to have this freedom of
individualism and creativity in their learning environments.

From a Marxism point of view, a great portion of my philosophical statement reflects this
theory much like the section that states “Students deserve to be awarded the proper tools and
resources in their journey to conquer learning goals, no matter their walk of life. Thus, students
should have the freedom and guidance to learn in a manner that promotes self-sufficiency and
creativity.” This statement and view alone is very powerful considering that the reality of life is-
every student does not share the same equality in pursuits of education. Whether the cause be
due to financial disadvantages, demographics, or non-present motivating factors, the fact
remains that the platform of education should be fair for all. I have applied this theory and have
advocated it throughout my philosophical statement of education because it aligns with many
of the other theories that advocate for similar causes in educational systems. Those such as the
emphasis of social power for the lower classes, strong views on social transformation and
promotes positive human activity.

Though I didn’t share and agree with many of the Pragmatism theories and theorists, on the
most basic level, I would agree in their belief that “education is a necessity of life” (Ozmon 131).
Hence, the views I shared here and analyzed in relevance to my philosophy shares one thing in
common: the advocacy for change and independence. My approach, inspired by all my
influences, appeals to those who have dreams and aspirations to have a free destiny and
ultimately, human freedom, especially in education. One of the more critical views presented
here is that we should all as a human society, be open to the world’s resources and that
education should be a social good, thus promoting the need to bled theory with practice and
promote the need for rational activity coupled with the sense of social responsibility.

How Philosophy can Guide Instructional Design and Planning

The distinctive features of my philosophical position would most definitely be present in my

walk of life as an educator in the most practical and transparent way as stated in my
pedagogical approach to the way teaching should be. Whether an administrator in the field or
simply a teacher, my approach to education would be no different in aims to strive for the
finest degree of education for students. Though we have reviewed many different and
interesting approaches to instructional designing and planning in the classroom, Harry Wong’s
style has inclined my method the most. In short, Wong’s politics in the classroom are fairly
simple and communal: “A successful teacher is ready, the classroom is ready, and the student’s
work is ready” along with his wealthy knowledge of the understanding that “the number one
problem in the classroom is not discipline but yet the lack of procedures and routines” (Wong,
2002). My style would most reflect Wong’s views since I believe so strongly in the theory of a
teacher being consistent, having clear expectations, giving constant feedback, being well
organized and detailed while providing students with transparency and fairness across the
board. What best relates Wong’s views in the classroom and my own would be maintaining
consistency at all times in instruction, classroom routines and procedures and transparency in
general. As stated in my philosophical statement of education, “…students should be
challenged to their full potentials in and out of classroom settings. The primary position of an
educator should be to fill the primal needs of the learner by creating authentic, engaging and
relevant learning experiences each day. One of the greatest gifts a teacher can give a single
student is the motivation and burning desire to experience learning at an unmeasurable level”.
With that being said, I would employ my philosophical view in corporation with my theory of
instructional design and planning that would consist simply of every student being awarded
fairness in their goals of education, providing them with consistent routines and procedures
(assignments, expectations), giving them feedback on an ongoing basis and always being
organized and ready for the intended lesson and classroom experience that demonstrate the
following:

A). Designs Instruction for Students to Achieve Mastery

My instruction would be designed to give students the most transparent means of

accomplishing their intended goals from the teacher’s perspective, their own perspective in
addition to the school’s mission and vision. While applying concepts from human development
and learning theories, my effective curriculum would consistently align instruction with state-
adopted standards at the appropriate level of rigor while also incorporating creativity in the
classroom. Students will have the opportunity to learn by building upon prior knowledge and
their relevance to materials presented. My instruction would present the foundation before
anything else. Once the foundation is presented, the teacher can build upon that allowing
students to potentially take ownership of their own learning experiences through supportive
guidance, clear expectations and operative instruction.

B). Appropriate Formative Assessments to Monitor Learning

Students would also need to participate in learning achievement measures to test their
knowledge of their true understanding of curriculum, not primarily through testing but a form
of assessment that can determine their degree of learned knowledge and how well they can
apply the new-found knowledge. I would integrate project-based assignments to measure and
monitor learning. I would also use behavior analytics, group and independent presentations to
promote formative assessments within the classroom environment, allowing students to
measure themselves and other students’ creativity and thus adopt diverse methods of learned
materials so that they can apply them in real-word settings, inside and outside the classroom
setting. To summarize this approach, I found a quote from the readings that share this theory
as stated: “People need a democratic value of orientation, an orientation in which man believes
in himself, in his capacity to direct himself and govern himself in relation to his fellows” (Ozmon
157). Students will have that opportunity in my theory of classroom settings to test and
monitor learning in the most creative way possible.

C). Classroom Culture and Learning Environment Implementation

Students will be encouraged to participate in classroom activities, assignments, group

discussions, and independent studies. The culture of the classroom environment will be
initiated by the teacher promoting an environment of consistency in every way possible.
Whether the idea echoes routines, procedures and continual feedback, students will be
provided the right to have a heathy and stable learning atmosphere. Theodore Brameld
advocated that “humans must establish clear goals for survival” (157). In essence then,
educational settings should have the same approach, especially if educators intend to provide
effective learning environments. In addition to organization and uniformity, the culture of the
classroom must be engaging, fun and endorse comfort for students. I believe and have learned
from various experiences that if a classroom has all these listed metrics tied into its setting,
learning can be beneficial to all those in participation. Much like David Thoreau, my classroom
culture could not be mandated to standardized oppositions, but instead the culture would have
to consist of out-of-the box activities and engagement projects. This environment must be one
of a kind and a place that students will not only learn, but take all learned materials and
experiences with them, wherever they go in life!

How to Approach Classroom Teaching

To simply approach classroom teaching as summarized through the course of this paper, an
effective educator would need to:

Deliver engaging and challenging lessons that deepen and enriches students’ understanding
through content of the subject matter. Teachers would need to Identify gaps in students’
subject knowledge promptly by being observant and proactive, versus reactive. If there is a
need, instructors should immediately modify instruction to respond to preconceptions or
misconceptions. While employing ways to relate and integrate the subject materials with other
disciplines and life experiences, educators would employ higher-order questioning techniques
to encourage critical thinking beyond the initial approach to teaching materials. Educators
should apply varied instructional strategies and resources, including appropriate technology,
provide comprehensible instruction, and find ways to teach for student understanding. The
effective approach would also mirror differentiation among instruction based on a creative type
of assessment based on student learning needs while recogniting individual differences in
students. Ultimately, the goal as functional to my philosophical aim of education connects
consequently to provide the overall support, encouragement, immediate and specific feedback
to students that will enable student achievement at the highest level.

Impact of Philosophical Position

My philosophical position allows that of more than a few ways of impact for the cause of effective

education towards educational remedies. It provides truth to the methodology of the “individualism”

approach and gives unbiassed options to those students who have a unique way of learning and

mastering educational needs, so this point of view provides no limit on students’ education and allows

for further opportunities to learn and grow in learning environments.

My view also aligns with the idea that students shouldn’t be afraid to express themselves and be

who they are in their learning environments to conform to what educational institutions feel they

should only know and take from learning. I take firmly in the stance that teachers should advocate the

purpose of education to explore possibilities. I believe that, being authentic in teaching and learning in
educational settings are important and should be taken in consideration to its highest degree. I would

agree that educators must be truthful, make students feel valued and learning should be made to be

inclusive to the students’ own needs. Since educators are considered leaders in their field, they must

understand that they are the bridge point and connection between students and their learning. Based

on some of the metrics of my approach, I feel the impact could share “caring” attributes as advocated by

Nel Noddings as I believe all educators should pose a spirit of caring, “it is not just enough to say we

care, but to actually show we care in our actions” (Noddings 1984).

To conclude, teachers as leaders should be in constant touch with their students. Remembering that

engagement with their students give a clear picture of how they are doing and developing without

necessarily using structural methods to measure goals. Instructors must realize that students and

learners, no matter the environment cannot be shaped how we “do pottery”, in fact, they must learn to

customize each learning experience so that each individual takes something out of it. Another thing we

must promote is the “fear of competition” in learning environments as it can replace the anticipation

and delight in students’ learning. No one wants to feel defeated, every learner wants to feel

accomplished. Hence, every student deserves the right to the desertion of limitation in learning and

shall be encouraged to be who and what they believe!

References

Ozmon, Howard. Philosophical Foundations of Education. 9th ed., Pearson, 2012

“Caring in Education.” Infed.org, 4 Apr. 2013, infed.org/mobi/caring-in-education/.

Robinson, Ken. “Changing Education Paradigms.” TED: Ideas Worth Spreading, 1 Oct. 2010,
www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_changing_education_paradigms.

“The Heart of Teaching: What It Means to Be a Great Teacher.” Edutopia,

www.edutopia.org/discussion/heart-teaching-what-it-means-be-great-teacher.

Gill, Eric. “Harry Wong: Why Teachers Need Classroom Management.” HotChalk Education
Network, www.hotchalkeducationnetwork.com/harry-wong-interview/