Why Pragmatism?

The idea of having different educational philosophies in teaching is an interesting topic and one that should be explored further. This week the educational philosophy that I chose to look further in depth to was that of pragmatism. Our book says that pragmatism should define the truth and meaning of ideas according to their physical consequences and practical value. Pragmatism is the balance of the realism of science along with the ideals displayed through religion, art, and politics.

My question for the blog this week was the basic question of why pragmatism is the best educational philosophy. The book speaks a great deal about how this philosophy is most often known as the “common sense” philosophy and I believe there is a rather obvious reason for that. This is because it is the philosophy that makes an incredible amount of sense in comparison to the rest of the philosophies that were mentioned in this chapter. Throughout history people have tried to separate religion and the arts from the sciences. However with pragmatism they are both incorporated into each other so that the students have the chance to learn both sides of things. While it is against what I believe to put religion into schools, I think that students could benefit from learning about all of the different religions that exist because it would promote tolerance, which our world so desperately needs.

Pragmatism also promotes the belief that students should be responsible for making decisions so that they may learn of consequence and of how for every action there is a reaction and they need to be aware of that. Pragmatism is incredibly important for that very reason. If children learn that there are different outcomes for each action and decision that they make, they will learn quickly to think out their choices carefully rather than acting rashly. Well-educated children who understand this concept will make for citizens that will be good for our society.

Overall I believe that pragmatism is the most important educational philosophy and that it should be incorporated into every classroom as to benefit the future generation of our world. These children will take what they have learned from pragmatism and apply it to their future, creating a well-balanced and fair world that balances both the arts and the sciences. 

Information found here:

Intellectual Takeout

What is the best way to assist children with developmental disabilities?

As I pondered what question to research for this week, one particular quote from the book stuck out in my mind. That was of "research shows that special needs students appear to do better in regular classrooms than in special education settings, recent surveys indicate that most teachers are still uncomfortable with special education students in their classrooms because they feel that they do not have the proper training to work with students with disabilities" (pg 75.) So after reading that quote over a few times I decided that I would focus this week on what teachers can do to best assist the children in their classroom who may suffer from learning disabilities that keep them from learning at the same pace as the rest of the students. The first thing I happened upon was that some students benefit from a detailed outline of what will be happening that day in class so as a teacher if you have a student with a disability, it may help both you and the student if they know at the beginning of the day what to expect.

The next piece I examined was that of having an aid in the classroom to work specifically with that student throughout the day so that they do not fall behind. I have noticed this in the past when I was in high school there were a few students who had adults helping them with notes and such so that they could make it through the class without falling behind.

The student may also benefit from additional assistance outside of the classroom such as a tutor. If possible it might also benefit the student to have the teacher stay after class with them to go over the things that were learned that day and to give them additional work to help them truly grasp the subject. I believe it is incredibly important to make sure that students with disabilities get the education that they deserve and so that is why I chose to research this for this week’s blog topic.

Information Found Here:

LearningRX

What is Multicultural Education and how can teachers create culturally relevant classrooms?

Our book says that multicultural education relates to education and instruction, which is designed to cater to the different races that exist in each school system. Multicultural education is meant to foster respect for other cultures that vary across the schools. Multicultural education is beneficial to all students because it actively challenges social inequalities that many people experience every day. Without such education our school systems could fall prey to racism, sexism, and things that make going to a day of school a horrible experience for a student.

In order to provide a multicultural educational experience for the students there are a few things that you as a teacher can do. One example that I read about was being able to promote multiculturalism through literature. For instance as a teacher you can bring in different stories to read about different cultural backgrounds for the children. Not only do they see pictures but this way they are also learning about the different cultures which will draw them in and teach them how each one functions separately and together in this world.

Another way in which a teacher can promote a multicultural classroom is through the use of a “Cultural Day” in which each child brings in something that represents their culture such as a picture or perhaps a flag from the country that their family is from. I believe that this day will open the students up to learning all about other cultures and will aid them in their social expansion. It is important for students to learn at a young age that all cultures are vital to our world so that they do not grow up discriminating against one particular group.

I personally believe that incorporating multicultural education into the lives of future citizens of the world is incredibly important. We as teachers have a responsibility to make sure that these children grow up to believe that everyone is equal and should be treated as such. It is vital that we as a nation do not repeat the history of our past with segregation and things that harmed people. So in all as teachers we must always remember that this is an important part of our teaching because we are helping to shape the future leaders of our world.

Sources:

JSTOR

EdChange

What is the goal of standardized testing?

The hot topic of the week that I chose is MCAS testing though I do want this to encompass a view on all forms of standardized testing. What exactly is the goal of standardized testing in schools? It is the belief of many schools benefit from using standardized testing such as the MCAS to see what level the students are learning at and if there are changes that need to be made to the curriculum. However standardized testing is not always reliable in the sense that many children simply do not test well. For example, a child may have retained the knowledge to do well on the test itself however when it comes time to take the test, it is possible that the student could become nervous and therefore unable to focus on the test placed before him or her which would bring down the scores of the test.

The MCAS test itself tests the subjects of English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science/Technology. In addition to testing the students at different grade levels, it is required by the state for each student who intends to graduate from high school to pass the MCAS that is given in sophomore year.

It is my belief that this form of testing, while beneficial for the schools should not be required to graduate simply because some students do not test well and a standardized test which is given to the entire student body cannot possibly be an accurate way to test if each student has learned what they were meant to learn. I am sure that there must be a way to test the students outside of the MCAS test to make sure that they are learning what they are supposed to be learning without putting them in the stressful environment that occurs during the testing.

MCAS Information Here

Why do you teach?

There are a variety of reasons for why people teach and among those include some of the right reasons for teaching and the wrong ones. I think that it is important to make sure that you are teaching for the right reasons because if you find yourself saying that you are teaching for things that are not meaningful such as summers off and shorter days than you may find that you are in the wrong career and may be fed up with your job quickly.

Some of the good reasons for teaching that I found were:

• ·      Being able to change the world one child at a time by shaping their future and making it better. If you teach them the basic foundations they need to grow, they can be successful in their future and help to change the world.
• ·      Contributing to society with teaching values to your students that they can use to go out and become good citizens of the world.
• ·      You can use teaching as a creative outlet in which your lesson plans can incorporate things that will enable the student to learn in a fun way that will hopefully stick with them for their entire educational future.
• ·      As a teacher you can guide the students to become empowered, literate, and creative human beings.
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Information found from: Edutopia