Novak 1
Educational Philosophy
Final Paper
Maria Novak
Educational Philosophy Final Paper
ECE 110-N1
Spring Semester- April, 2014
My Educational Philosophy
Educating children profoundly affects their lives and influences the life of anyone who comes into contact with those children. Education provides a foundation for a child to base the rest of his or her life on. Without a solid education, it becomes impossible for an individual to provide for themselves and their family. Also, well-educated people can make decisions that benefit both their own interests and the interests of society as a whole. In this paper, I will address my personal opinions and philosophy about education. First, I will address the nature of the student. Next, I will examine the nature of knowledge, followed by the purpose of public education, and method. Finally, my paper will conclude with a discussion of the curriculum areas that are most important in elementary school. Additionally, I will relate my views to pragmatism and progressivism, and to Plato's teaching, three valuable theories regarding education.
No two students are exactly alike. Nevertheless, they do share one fundamental characteristic -- every student has the ability to learn. The ancient Greek philosopher Plato believed that a student's learning ability is determined entirely by genetics. According to Plato, people are either golds, silvers, or bronzes. The gold's are the smartest and the bronzes are the slower learners (Editor, 2002). I don't really agree with this philosophy. Yes, some children are naturally intelligent and others are not. But natural ability is not the only factor to consider. Students differ on their level of motivation regarding learning. Some students will settle for a C while others push themselves to get an A. Others are perfectly happy with failing grades. Motivation, or lack of it, can be blamed on one...
Betonwerksteinskulptur "Lehrer-Student" von Reinha...
English: Jewish Children with their Teacher in Sam...
English: Public primary school (EPP) outside Diego...