Philosophies of Education: Naturalism vs. Idealism

Philosophies of Education

• Naturalism: denies supernatural significance, believes in natural goodness of man, and finds truth in nature; proponents include Jacques Rousseau, John Locke, and Michel De Montaigne
• Idealism: believes ideas are the only true reality, knowledge is obtained through speculation and conscious reasoning, and intuition and logic are used to attain truth; father of idealism is Plato, and advocates include Socrates
• Realism: believes in the objective existence of the world and beings in it, and that reality is independent of the human mind; father of realism is Aristotle
• Existentialism: believes existence precedes essence, man conceives and makes of himself, and proclaims man's freedom in the accomplishment of his destiny; father of existentialism is Soren Kierkegaard
• Essentialism: believes essence precedes existence, and is a traditional/basic approach in education; father of essentialism is William C. Max
• Values Clarification: clarifies what we value, and values are freely chosen, prized, and cherished, and are publicly affirmed and acted upon repeatedly in one's life
• Scheler's Hierarchy of Values: includes pleasure values, vital values, spiritual values, and values of the holy

Teaching: Vocation, Mission, Profession

• Teaching as a Vocation: a call to teach, response positively to God's call
• Teaching as a Mission: a task assigned, teacher must accomplish the mission to teach
• Teaching as a Profession: denotes long preparation, strive for excellence, and contribute to the betterment of the world

The 21st-Century Teacher

• Focus on student-centered education
• 21st-Century Skills: • Communication skills • Interactive communication • Global orientation

Global Education and Global Teacher

• Global Education: goal to become aware of educational conditions, UNESCO, and international curriculum
• UN Global Education Goals (EFA 2015 Goals): • Expanded early childhood care • Provide free and compulsory primary education for all • Promote learning and life skills for young and adult • Increase adult literacy by 50% • Achieve gender parity by 2005, gender equality by 2015 • Improve quality of education
• 21st-Century Learning Goals: • 21st-century content • Learning and thinking skills • ICT literacy • Life skills • 21st-century assessment
• Global Teacher: competent teacher armed with enough skills, thinks and acts globally, and is creative and innovative

Multicultural Diversity: A Challenge to Global Teachers

• Multicultural Education: educators value differences in prior knowledge, Haertel 1998, and transform schools to equal opportunities
• Focus on the 3Rs (Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic)

Philosophies of Education (continued)

• Pragmatism: what is experienced/observed is true, what is useful is true, functionality, and practicality
• Perennialism: eternal, ageless, everlasting, unchanging, truth is universal, and human beings possess the same essential nature
• Humanism: rooted in economic and political changes, centered on "self-expression", three main lines of growth (intellectual, aesthetics, scientific), making the most out of life, and social reforms and improvement of social relationships
• Progressivism: contrasted traditional view of essentialism and perennialism, change and growth, man is a social animal who learns through active interplay with others
• Nationalism: center of ideology is national sovereignty, preservation, and glorification of the state, loyalty, patriotism, and national feeling
• Constructivism: reality does not exist outside of human conception, constructs reality by reflecting on his own experience, goal is to develop intrinsically motivated and independent learners
• Reconstructivism: aims to awaken the consciousness of an individual about social issues, goal is to achieve social change, schools should originate policies that bring social reforms
• Behaviorism: asserts human beings are shaped by external environment, man is neither good nor bad, schools concerned with shaping students - providing a favorable environment
• Students may differ in: race, ethnicity, language, economic status, family backgrounds
• Accommodating Cultural Differences and Commonalities: learn about cultural differences, avoid stereotyping, get to know each student
• Guiding Principles in Multicultural Education: • Service teacher helps understand the complexity of ethnic groups • Teacher ensures students have equitable opportunities • Teacher helps student acquire social skills • School curriculum helps students understand socially constructed differences • Schools support students in extra-curricular activities • Teachers/students learn to reduce stereotyping • Schools provide opportunities for different racial groups • Teachers teach values by all cultural groups
• Basic Assumptions that Enhance Teacher Development: • No two learners are alike • Children are diverse • Work with one may not work with another • Students' backgrounds should be considered • Members of ethnic groups can assist teachers when facing ethnic differences