Philosophy of education

Discussion in 'General Philosophy' started by Islamsmylife, Apr 29, 2010.

  1. Islamsmylife Registered Senior Member

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    Whenever I am contemplating a deep thought, I articulate it to the sciforums community because I can receive feedback without the lasting critical judgments, (unlike the feedback I might receive from the people in my life.) I am a graduate student studying Adolescence Education with my concentration in Education. Hopefully I will be graduating in a few weeks. As a final summative paper I need to create MY PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION. Now I have many strong and controversial beliefs as to what I think education should be and how it should be taught. I am proposing this philosophical question to sciforums community. What is your philosophy of education?

    FYI- Adolescence Education is directed towards the middle and high school levels.
     
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  3. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    Why not tell us yours first? :shrug:
     
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  5. jayleew Who Cares Valued Senior Member

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    The best philosophy to take is to reinforce studious behavior. It is important to challenge what they know. The sooner they come to know that wisdom is the secret to a happy and successful life, the better. Teaching is about molding the future, and we need explorers and frontiersmen to seek knowledge and gain wisdom. Critical thinking is perhaps the most important tool that you can teach and encourage. Why is this so important?

    People are stupid; given proper motivation, almost anyone will believe almost anything. Because people are stupid, they will believe a lie because they want to believe it's true, or because they are afraid it might be true. People’s heads are full of knowledge, facts, and beliefs, and most of it is false, yet they think it all true. People are stupid; they can only rarely tell the difference between a lie and the truth, and yet they are confident they can, and so are all the easier to fool.

    - Terry Goodkind
     
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  7. Islamsmylife Registered Senior Member

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    I agree, for the most part people are stupid, and I believe school only partially educates. I believe education should be directed towards the learning of large concepts that mankind has be pondering since the beginning of time, such as: "where do we come from, where are we going, why are we here."
    All of the information that we devour as students should be directed towards finding out the answers to these questions. In essence I want students to learn about the bigger picture of things, I want them to be thinkers; analytical interpreters of complex ideas. Instead, I feel that our education system molds us into becoming regurgitators of information, hence becoming stupid or smart dummies.
     
  8. glaucon tending tangentially Registered Senior Member

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    Indeed.

    Islamsmylife,

    Perhaps it would behoove you to detail your particular thoughts on the topic. You say that you have strong and controversial beliefs, so I'm sure you already do have some thoughts on what your POE might look like...

    As it stands, it just looks like you might simply be fishing for us to do your homework for you......
     
  9. Dywyddyr Penguinaciously duckalicious. Valued Senior Member

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    Which will prepare them perfectly for a nine-to-five office job or being a plumber...
     
  10. Islamsmylife Registered Senior Member

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    Not really, I'm just short on time but still find time to fit in a good read/ response. To detail my POE takes time which I don't exactly have right now. But I will post it soon.
     
  11. jayleew Who Cares Valued Senior Member

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    "where do we come from?"
    Does it matter? I think who we are now is a better question.

    "where are we going?"
    Does it matter? I think that what we are doing with our life is a better question.

    "why are we here?"
    Does it matter why we exist? Or, do you mean why are we here like, "Why are you in school?" Now that is a good question for them. They need to understand something deeper than, "My parents are making me."

    The only thing that matters is that we are here and we have some time to do something, so the question is what is it? The kids today need encouragement to chase their dreams and to put a death grip on them. They need to know how to succeed. You have to teach them what it takes to succeed.

    But, above all, they need the wisdom of not what we are, but what life is. Once they know and accept what life is, I think they're ready to do whatever it is they so desire. Philosophy is the key. Showing them how it fits is your job. How you think means everything in this life. It translates into happiness or sadness, success or failure, and it can mean life or death and everything in between.

    I'm only scratching the surface, there are tons more to teach them, but most imporant is to teach the importance of wisdom. It is important to appreciate that we do exist and to be happy with what we are doing with our lives. No matter how insignificant they may be. They also need the wisdom and knowledge to adapt their lives if they think they need to.

    Yip, "smart dummies" to coin a phrase.
     
  12. siledre Registered Senior Member

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    mine is very simple, only what is needed.
     
  13. jessc Banned Banned

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    First goal: make sure the education departments are ordered so that they all have an equal share of gain. Allow that there is no leaning towers.

    Make sure that they are "governed" in other words.

    After that ensure that they are all more public than private, and the ones that are private schools are good ones, which will be a hard goal to attain, like most of the goals when it comes to "the schools" but not anything like "Education" in general. People are becoming or beginning to get all angst out when it comes to this topic because they know what the world's comming to- my opinion but it's good opinion.

    The funny thing is that we really don't know what to do about the education departments as time is progressing along, and so people will or are prone to complaints and complaining and that implies mostly or primarially that when they complain they get their way, so the schools seem to be set out alright- that is to say just fine in probablility- it's when it comes to the future imho of what the schools will be that a goal with that regard would come into mind.

    .........

    Like collages and universities or something.

    These things must be really observed, high schools and others, when it comes to schools this is a important issue, if the achedemias are not monitored then there wouldn't be a change, and people realize this.

    It's rooted in the achedemia - that is to say - when breaching the walls into the universities what is to occur?

    For education is primarially a collage education. This couldn't be stressed, but it's simple or easy to understand when refering to the education value in order.

    Also when someone speaks up and speaks out against his name about something wrong or disorderly with the achedemia he will lose his right arm or be killed. So that is maybe a lot of the reason why people prefer not to speak up when it comes to wanting to get out side the schools and into the real world. But that is just speculation so I would keep your mouth shut. ha ha ha.
     
  14. Spectrum Registered Senior Member

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    e-duke-ation?
     
  15. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    Do not train children to learning by force and harshness, but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each.
    -- Plato


    In a completely rational society, the best of us would aspire to be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something less, because passing civilization along from one generation to the next ought to be the highest honor and the highest responsibility anyone could have.
    -- Lee Iacocca



    The job of an educator is to teach students to see vitality in themselves.
    -- Joseph Campbell



    Education is the best provision for old age.
    -- Aristotle


    Upon the subject of education, not presuming to dictate any plan or system respecting it, I can only say that I view it as the most important subject which we as a people may be engaged in.
    -- Abraham Lincoln
     
  16. Faure Registered Senior Member

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    As a person with a philosophy degree who now teaches in one of the poorest, most dysfunctional school districts in the USA, I have to admit the idea of some substantive "philosophy of education", that would somehow inform serious policy decisions with regard to education, leaves me pretty cold. Sure, we might get philosophical about some arcane details about the teleological features of education, but why?

    I guess I just see the "philosophy of education" as not particularly interesting in its own right, and not having much practical import in fixing our education issues.
     
  17. glaucon tending tangentially Registered Senior Member

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    Interesting, considering that education is our primary sociological means of teaching skills, and in particular skills aimed at problem-solving.

    Perhaps you're confused about the goal of either education, or the philosophical study thereof, as it's certainly not that of "fixing our education issues".....

    Dewey
     
  18. Anarcho Union No Gods No Masters Registered Senior Member

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    Mine is simple. TEACH THE DAMN KIDS WHAT THEY ARE REALLY GOING TO USE.
     
  19. Faure Registered Senior Member

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    Just because x is important doesn't mean that we ought to be thinking about the philosophy of x. Unless by "philosophy of x" you just mean "philosophy" in the colloquial use to mean a method, like when someone says "my philosophy of window washing is you should always start with a good rinse before you use soap".

    I'm not sure what you are saying here. Could you state this more clearly?
     
  20. glaucon tending tangentially Registered Senior Member

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    You've misunderstood.
    We're not talking here of studying "the philosophy of education", but rather, the application of philosophy of education.


    Not really; it's quite clear. The quoted material was yours. What's of concern in this discussion has nothing whatsoever to do with "fixing" anything..
     
  21. Islamsmylife Registered Senior Member

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  22. The Marquis Only want the best for Nigel Valued Senior Member

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    I disagree.
    I feel that too much emphasis has been placed recently on larger issues as opposed to useful information. It's all very well to teach philosphy, politics, religion and what have you, but without practical knowledge to back that up, we come upon a situation where opinion garners an importance beyond that of actual knowledge - witness this place.

    The eventual truths about the larger issues will only come from study of the smaller ones. Science still has a long way to go - but without small gains in terms of practical knowledge, larger gains remain only theoretical.
    I am, of course, speaking from a western point of view. I am gathering from your username (assuming, in fact) that you are not. Correct me if I'm wrong.

    Again, I believe that the information given to students should be factual (as much as possible, given that "facts" tend to change over time) so that a superior platform can be provided on which those students can challenge or reinforce those values in later life as they see fit.
    Teach them that they are expected to think for themselves. Reinforce individuality. But do not make belief in themselves the primary source of knowledge.
    Teach them, in essence, how to be students... and that they may later become thinkers, once a basis for thought has been achieved.

    That is a problem more of the way in which factual information is presented, rather than an argument against factual information being presented at all.
    I believe that if you teach them from the beginning that questioning authority is the way to go, they will do it without having any real basis on which to do so.
    Again, I point to this forum. Too much emphasis is placed upon "I believe" without any real platform on which to base those beliefs. Too much emphasis is placed upon it without that belief being subject to attack, and subsequent revision.

    This is a result of current educational and philosophical models being that the individual is king, without the teaching that the individual must first have an understanding of not only that which he argues, but how to argue it effectively without resorting to turtling within belief.
     
  23. The Marquis Only want the best for Nigel Valued Senior Member

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    I've tried to find an internet page I once came across with an example of an 18th century exam presented to 11-year olds in England.

    I'm a little drunk (I always am, when I come here) but I'm buggered if I can find it now.

    It's something I've always kept in mind, though, because quite frankly it clearly shows the difference between educational standards as they were and what they are now.

    It's... saddening, to see that the knowledge displayed by 11 year olds in England a hundred years ago was probably far superior to what 11 year olds are expected to know today. I know far too many in adulthood who simply would not be able to compete with pre-teen Georgian students.
    We have a TV program called "are you smarter than a 5th grader". It would be interesting to see how one of these 19th Century kids would stack up. They'd probably mop the floor with anyone who chose to compete.

    Today, as you said, we "regurgitate" information. That is an indictment on educational policy, but not on factual education. Children (even teenagers) can not be expected to be able to form educated, philosophical opinions without a basis in fact. It is rather saddening to see that we expect them to do just that.
     
    Last edited: May 8, 2010

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