In your group, define what a philosophy of teaching and learning should encompass.

What are the advantages of teachers knowing and using a well developed teaching and learning philosophy?

What are the disadvantages of teachers using a well defined philosophy of teaching and learning?

Questions to ponder about your philosophy of teaching:Beliefs about teaching & learningBeliefs about studentsBeliefs about knowledgeBeliefs about what is worth knowing

Beliefs about Teaching and Learning What is teaching?What is the teacher’s primary role?

Subject matter expert, helpful adult, or skilled technician

Is teaching a science or an art?Will you as a teacher emphasize the

student’s experiences and cognitive development or stress behavior?

Beliefs about StudentsWhat is your image of students? Positive or

negative?Are students inherently good, evil, or

somewhere in between? In what ways do children differ in regard to

their predisposition to learn and grow?

Beliefs about KnowledgeWhat should the purpose of education be?What is the nature of knowledge?

Big ideas & concepts vs. bits of discrete factsWhich is more important knowledge of self

or knowledge of subject matter?How should learning and knowledge be

evaluated?

Beliefs about What is Worth KnowingWhat knowledge is of most worth?

Basic skills Preparation for a world of work Great Books & Great Ideas of classics Learning how to reason, communicate

effectively, and solve problems Development of the whole child with meaningful

content taught

Other questions to ponder as you think of your philosophy of teachingMetaphysicsEpistemologyAxiologyLogic

MetaphysicsWhat is reality?What is the world made of?What does it mean to exist?What is humankind’s place in the scheme

of things?What is the meaning of life?Do events in the universe occur randomly

or according to some purpose? Is our behavior determined or the result of

our free will?

EpistemologyWhat knowledge is true?How does knowing take place? How do we know what we know?How do we decide between opposing

views of knowledge? Is truth constant or does it change from

situation to situation? Which type of knowing most describes

you? Knowing based on authority, divine revelation,

experience, reason, or intuition

AxiologyWhat values should teachers encourage

students to adopt?What values raise the human race to its

highest levels of humaneness?What values does a truly educated person

hold?How do we define quality of life?What curricular experiences contribute

most to that quality of life?What ethics should a teacher promote in

the classroom?Which aesthetics should be promoted in

the classroom?

LogicHow does a teacher organize and present

material in a logical way?How should a teacher use logic to promote

problem solving?How does a teacher use logic to correct

students’ erroneous conclusions?How does a teacher use logic to validate

new methods of teaching and evaluation?

Group 1 Essentialism Group 2

Progressivism Group 3

Perennialism Group 4

Existentialism Group 5 Behaviorism

Use the Parkay & Hardcastle article and the Educational Philosophies Handout to complete the project.

Discuss the Educational Philosophies Activity sheet. Use the topic assigned to briefly outline the philosophy.

Use the charts on pp. 225-226 Parkay & Hardcastle to fill in the information for your assigned philosophical topic.

Briefly present your outline to the rest of the class.

Of the philosophies that were discussed, which have the most relevance or come closest to your own personal philosophy of teaching and education?