PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION; PROGRESSIVISM
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Introduction
The fundamental nature of knowledge, attitude, and behavior are different at the human scope of existence (Cohen, 2017). Therefore, we have different philosophies that abide by our nature of thinking and style of doing things. The world education systems are currently embracing reality and breaking the old bulky education formula to a simple active process. This stance explains my progressivism philosophy, which embraces education focused on the child, rather than on the content or the teacher (Dewey, 2016). The nature of schooling, under my philosophy, provides that ideas should be tested through active experimentations.
My aligning of thinking stems from the nature of the current developing worlds or economies (Dewey, 2016). Their prowess mechanism and education systems strictly seek at molding children at the initial stages of their career path. Emphasis on these kids is made on subjects that they demonstrate interest and capability.
Further, I was exposed to a similar education structure, which embraces more practical-based subjects. At the primary level, our education systems were skewed in a manner that one’s career was dictated by his/her practical based experiences from the teachers. Growing up, you’re then exposed to the dimensional lines of your childhood interests on practical based platforms. Therefore, active performance is enhanced by seeing, learning, and practicing in solving your problems and teaching others through observations. As such, the learner is exposed to a world where he is the problem solver, and it is through much of his work that makes meaning to his contextual life. According to John Dewey in his book “Experience and Education,” he quoted, “traditional education tended to ignore the importance of personal impulse and desire as moving springs. But this is no reason why progressive education should identify impulse and desire with purpose and thereby pass lightly over the need for careful observation, for a wide range of information. Judgment is students are to share in the formation of the purposes which activate them” (Dewey, 2016). John’s quote recaps the philosophical nature of progressivism as It molded my persona to date. From such a curriculum, I developed a keen interest in sciences and practical technical subjects like mechanical studies and physics. I plan to teach college physics and mechanics at the college level.
Nature of schooling
In a democratic world, the purpose of schooling can be diverse. As far as the prime aim is to impact knowledge, democracy allows different perspectives and approaches to schooling based on various contexts. I believe that the purpose of education is to mold a career and shape up someone’s future. As such, the progressivism perspective lays a solid foundation for career prowess and shaping at the initial stages of the student. It emphasizes learning through doing rather than just being theoretical on everything. According to Marcus Washington, teachers are much responsible for ensuring that their students are doing quite well in the real world. It encourages reading through seeing or observations and practical demonstrations (Sadker & Zittleman, 2016). Marcus Washington explains that in his 8th grade, they went on a trip by a train, and before this, they had researched much and planned where to go. At the same time, they figured out how to read train schedules, use maps, and understand locations. At the end of the trip, they had learned a combination of history, mathematics, geography, and writing. This is a practical based curriculum taught through creating experiences and learning by doing (Sadker & Zittleman, 2016). I want students to learn how to solve real-world problems, not through answering theoretical tests or discussion books, but via engagements as they interact with real-world situations.
Through the above philosophical perspective, it evident how best research-based, practical, and experimentations can mold a student. My teaching structure will encompass experiences and more of field works. As a teacher, my significant role will entail giving directions and ensuring that the students are responding well to through their practical assignments. My main aim is to model career takers that are well prepared to take off in the job market and compete favorably through exemplary skills and experience. In my class classroom, students will learn through practical experiences and understanding of the real world on the subject. For instance, the learning environment of mechanics must blend that of a garage an automotive industry. I will ensure that each student can comfortably disjoint, assemble, and repair engines from different automotive lines.
Nature of the learner
A learner is like an empty tin that needs to be filled. Tins do not perfectly fit everything or anything that you put on it. The substance must be of the sizing equivalent to that of the container, in liquid form, or even in solid. When such content is forced, it can easily break, damage, or disfunction the container. Therefore, it can fit different substances provides they are shaped to fit in. This can be likened to a learner in the sense that learners are open to getting anything. Whatever things they are taught, it equals their capability to grasp and adapt quickly. If such a student is taught or exposed to something else, it might divert his or her focus on career prowess.
Progressivism encourages that we train the appropriate content and not many abstract theories (Dewey, 2016). Therefore, I’m bound to being a practical based teacher that will concentrate much of my sharpening skills and building experience. That is the best way to churn out problem solvers in society. During my college days, we conducted our lessons on the schools’ motor vehicle garage chambers.
My main target from these lessons was primarily based on practical works leaned from the tutors. After graduation, 80% of the class members have all started their garage assemblies from their different homes. This is the system that I advocate for. Considering the current disequilibrium in the job market, my students will be able to put their skills upfront in creating jobs not only for themselves but also for others. Therefore, observatory learning and practical experiences form the best structure to address the current unemployment problem. According to Sadker and Zittleman (2016), most teaching is based on tried and true practices. It is thus through such experiences that we build a career.
My style of teaching will be flexible and all accommodative. Teaching should not be a totalitarian process; each student has his/her scope of understanding concepts. I expect that they remain attentive and more into practice. From such, I will be much happy when I churn out fully baked graduates that can be independently resourceful to the economy. It is no doubt that the best education structure entails learning through doing. I believe my students will be career takers, but at their junior level in practice. My teaching scope will significantly inspire their level of practice and understanding of the concepts in my subjects.
Nature of teaching and learning process
Teaching and learning processes should be able to not only impact knowledge but also work on the skills. Therefore, leaning based on practice or doing will ever remain productive in the lifetime of the learner. Such a learning process equips the learners with to face the world more confidently than any other based system. It reconnects the third world’s countries to the fastest-growing markets, hence moving the economy in a fast-approaching speed to the 1st world rank.
The teacher has the role of impacting the skills, and the student has the task of keeping in practice of the teachings. I believe teaching or acquiring knowledge is not about cramming. It is about understanding the steps, processes, and procedures. Mastering them and repetitively applying them in your practices (Sadker & Zittleman, 2016). That’s how things can be retained in our minds.
My classroom setting will be majorly based on practical work. I will ensure that each student has access to a modeled structure of the real reality setting in mechanics. I will give assignments through projects on assembling engines or automotive.
Conclusion
Progressivism is a perspective that primarily seeks education gratification through experiences, skills, and learning through doing (Cohen, 2017). The philosophical nature of this education finds that students will read and acquire processes or steps systematically. It is also founded on the fact that the system allows students to interact with the 1st hand information from the source. The disposition I want to have as a young teacher is confidence and charisma in my teaching profession and practical skills. Through observatory and practical learning, a character is also part of what students copy and embrace. I want to instill confidence and charisma to my students to face their career market in full energy and succeed. I want my students to be competitive in the job market and not challenged due to a lack of prime skills. Confidence and charisma are a paramount virtue and disposition that every student should harbor around to face the economy. I believe the two characters are my dispositions that shapes career and way of practice in and out of the classroom.
Progressivism has greatly helped me to be the kind of educator I had wished and dreamt about. Through my experiences, I have been able to gain diverse skills and quality approaches to impacting knowledge. I have also leant that books should be tools and not authoritarian tools to impact knowledge and skills. Books offer a guideline to the real-life example of doing things.
Teaching is an excellent course, but it usually comes with a lot of commitment and inner-self-understanding. I believe a teacher should be in a class just to cover a syllabus. The main gist of appearing before students are to impact knowledge. With syllabus coverage being as necessary, the best part of it should be the process to use in influencing knowledge. How exposed are your students in real-life situations? How often do you test their skills and practical endurance rather than theoretically based cramming and passing exam tactics? I guess I desire to be a different teacher.
References
Cohen, L. (2017). PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES IN EDUCATION. Oregonstate.edu. Retrieved 29 June 2020, from https://oregonstate.edu/instruct/ed416/PP3.html.
Dewey, J. (2016). Schoolofeducators.com. Retrieved 28 June 2020, from http://www.schoolofeducators.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/EXPERIENCE-EDUCATION-JOHN-DEWEY.pdf.
SADKER, D., & ZITTLEMAN, K. (2016). Teachers, Schools, and Society. Dl.booktolearn.com. Retrieved 29 June 2020, from http://dl.booktolearn.com/ebooks2/education/9780078110436_Teachers_Schools_b117.pdf.