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Philosophy of Education

There is one reason that supersedes all others which explains why I chose to obtain a degree in education. While

a freshman in high school I was being advised on a potential sophomore schedule. I wanted to enroll in a class for

which my advisor thought that I would be over matched. As I tried to justify my place in the class, my advisor

finally stopped the conversation and in frustration stated that I was not smart enough, to quit arguing and that I

would be lucky to graduate from high school let alone go to college. Devastated to the point of tears, I knew that

my advisor did not value my academic potential or me as an individual. Fortunately, I enrolled in an American

literature class my junior year that was taught by a passionate educator who quickly caught a vision of my

potential. Needless to say, she pushed, encouraged and cajoled me to reach every academic goal, molding me to

become a life-long learner. Her mentorship skillfully guided me to become an educator as she was and continues

to be; passionate about content, but concerned with educating the whole child.

John Dewey stated that “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” He further explained that

the primary purpose of education and schooling is not so much to prepare students to live a useful life, but to

teach them how to live pragmatically and immediately in their current environment. I believe that the best

education takes place where students are motivated to experience and interact with content in a way that

facilitates them taking part in their thinking and learning. Ultimately, in my opinion, the goal of education is to

create life-long learners who think analytically, creatively and critically. I concur with Franklin who stated “tell me

and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” Therefore, a student’s role in their education

must never be limited to memorizing unending facts, regurgitating those facts on standardized tests, and, then,

forgetting them. Students must be involved as planners, engaged as teachers, used as professional development

partners, and utilized as decision makers (Fletcher, 2008). For example, students could help develop and teach

technology courses for their peers, form part of textbook adoption committees, lead tutoring sessions for peers or

aid in the creation, formation and implementation of school or district policy where appropriate.

This unique learning environment requires educators who are more than teachers. It requires educators who are

mentors encouraging students, educators who are resources that are available at any time, organizers who

skillfully orchestrate every learning activity, educators who are actively engaged in learning activities, tutors who

provide advice and guidance, and technology experts who not only understand how to use technology but

understand how vital it will be for their students to develop 21st

 century learning skills because those skills are the

pen and paper of our time and the lens through which students experience much of our world (Harmer, 2007;

Wao, 2012) . To me these roles and the impact of technology on education clearly identify the breadth of just

what a 21st

 century educator is charged with—molding students into learners who learn for the sake of learning

their entire lives.

The transformation of my views on education has played a significant role in the way that I approach educating

students. I firmly believe that students must take ownership of their own education with the help of educators

who have prepared themselves to be mentors, content experts, organizers, and tutors who are adept with

technology. In creating such an environment, I must be able to personalize education, discovering the individual

talents of each child, to where students want to learn and where they can naturally discover their true passions.

The task is to educate the whole being so students can face the future. We may not see the future, but they will

and our job is to help them make something of it (Robinson,2009).

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Bibliography

Benjamin Franklin Quotes. (2014). Retrieved February 5, 2014, from Brainy Quotes website:

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/b/benjaminfr383997.html

Brown, H. D. (2007). Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy  (3rd ed.).

Pearson Education.

Dewey, J. (1916). Democracy and education. New York: Macmillan.

Fletcher, A. (2008). The Architecture of Ownership. Educational Leadership, 66(6). Retrieved from

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/nov08/vol66/num03/

The-Architecture-of-Ownership.aspx

Harmer, J. (2007). The Practice of English Language Teaching (4th ed.). Pearson Longman ELT.

John Dewey Quotes. (2014). Retrieved February 5, 2014, from http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/

42738.John_Dewey

Rao, A. (2012, March 1). 10 Educational Technology Quotes [Blog post]. Retrieved from teachbytes

website: http://teachbytes.com/2012/03/01/10-educational-technology-quotes/

Robinson, K. (2009). Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything . New York, NY: Penguin

Books.