Lately, we've been discussing the issue of introducing philosophy to children. In class, I brought up the idea that perhaps the reason why teachers and administrators oppose the addition on philosophy into their curricula is because they feel ill-equipped to tackle the subject themselves.
What if philosophy became a required course for all educators? In my situation, I am currently taking this course on the philosophy of teaching and learning to fulfill an education elective. I could have easily chosen a different course to take to meet the elective requirements, but I chose philosophy having never taken a course in this area previously. Philosophy courses are not part of the education requirements, but perhaps they should be. In this class, I have learned quite a bit about some of the most controversial issues in education, as well as some of the hottest topics in the field, while also evaluating the material from a philosophical standpoint. My experience with this course has taught me a lot about my own philosophies and views of education that will ultimately make me a more conscientious and open-minded teacher. In many ways, the foundation of education is philosophy, and this subject should not be ignored in any classroom, high school or college level.
Do you think that philosophy should be a mandatory course for all future educators?
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Stephanie's Question
Stephanie's Question: If philosophical discussions are evidentally worthwhile to the student, should a teacher utilize them in their curriculum themselves?
In my opinion, I think a good teacher would incorporate philosophical discussion into his/her classes. A good teacher would see the benefit philosophical discussions were having on the students' learning, and therefore would not hesitate to implement a tool, even if it is not included in the curriculum. The overall goal of (almost) every teacher is to teach their students. In my experience, when students are having difficulty learning the material, many teachers reflect on what they are doing wrong and what they can do to help the kid, rather than what the student is doing wrong. If a teacher knows that discussion is increasing learning, comprehension, understanding, and retension, then he/she would be a fool to ignore the method and probably should not have a teaching license. I think philosophical discussion can easily be incorporated into any subject, and most often, discussion has the added effect of breaking up the monotony of the day and introduces new things to the lesson. Discussion encourages diversity and understanding, and should be a daily part of classroom learning.
In my opinion, I think a good teacher would incorporate philosophical discussion into his/her classes. A good teacher would see the benefit philosophical discussions were having on the students' learning, and therefore would not hesitate to implement a tool, even if it is not included in the curriculum. The overall goal of (almost) every teacher is to teach their students. In my experience, when students are having difficulty learning the material, many teachers reflect on what they are doing wrong and what they can do to help the kid, rather than what the student is doing wrong. If a teacher knows that discussion is increasing learning, comprehension, understanding, and retension, then he/she would be a fool to ignore the method and probably should not have a teaching license. I think philosophical discussion can easily be incorporated into any subject, and most often, discussion has the added effect of breaking up the monotony of the day and introduces new things to the lesson. Discussion encourages diversity and understanding, and should be a daily part of classroom learning.
Education and Extracurriculars
In class on Monday, we discussed the highly controversial issue of elongating the school day. By making the school days longer, students would spend more time in classrooms and presumably completing much more school work in one day. While I was quick to correct these expectations stating that students learn just as much, if not more, from extracurricular activities, which lengthen the school day, Becky brought up an excellent point that while extracurricular activities may benefit high schoolers, they do not apply to elementary-aged children.
Why is it that elementary schools do not offer after-school programs for their students? Aside form MCAS tutoring sessions that are common in Mass schools, most elementary schools offer little to no opportunities for their students to be involved in sports or reading groups or clubs after school. It is true that many child sport leagues exist, but is this enough? I personally think children would benefit from science clubs or math clubs, or even reading clubs. Students may even develop a newfound enthusiasm for different subjects and enjoy the socialization provided that is typically regulated in the normal school day. Instead of making the school day longer, why not have after-school clubs where students can apply what they've learned in their classrooms all day to increase their understanding and improve the school climate?
What sorts of activities do you think elementary schools could adopt to increase learning without implementing a longer school day?
Why is it that elementary schools do not offer after-school programs for their students? Aside form MCAS tutoring sessions that are common in Mass schools, most elementary schools offer little to no opportunities for their students to be involved in sports or reading groups or clubs after school. It is true that many child sport leagues exist, but is this enough? I personally think children would benefit from science clubs or math clubs, or even reading clubs. Students may even develop a newfound enthusiasm for different subjects and enjoy the socialization provided that is typically regulated in the normal school day. Instead of making the school day longer, why not have after-school clubs where students can apply what they've learned in their classrooms all day to increase their understanding and improve the school climate?
What sorts of activities do you think elementary schools could adopt to increase learning without implementing a longer school day?
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