My philosophy of education finds its basis in the belief that every child is unique, and that each child brings with him or her a unique set of experiences that influence all aspects of learning. When we, as educators, draw upon our students' individual and collective experiences, students become more active learners, capable of finding success in all traditional subject matters. John Dewey guides us with the idea that we must, "abandon the notion of subject-matter as something fixed and ready-made in itself, outside the child's experience... It is continuous reconstruction, moving from the child's present experience out into that represented by the organized bodies of truth that we call studies," (The Child and the Curriculum (1902),
This belief, put into practice, creates some tension in the modern day traditional public education system. With more and more testing, more and more demands placed upon teachers to adhere to measurable, quantifiable units and lessons that produce data for analysis and reports, we must be mindful of Dewey's words. We are challenged to fulfill our responsibilities as public school employees while at the same time fulfilling our duties to our students to help them become successful, lifelong learners who can develop passions and delve into their interests.
I believe that well-managed Project Based Learning can reconcile these approaches to education. Collaborative learning, content creation, using students' experiences to build on learning and integration of 21st century skills will lead to increased student engagement and deeper learning.
This belief, put into practice, creates some tension in the modern day traditional public education system. With more and more testing, more and more demands placed upon teachers to adhere to measurable, quantifiable units and lessons that produce data for analysis and reports, we must be mindful of Dewey's words. We are challenged to fulfill our responsibilities as public school employees while at the same time fulfilling our duties to our students to help them become successful, lifelong learners who can develop passions and delve into their interests.
I believe that well-managed Project Based Learning can reconcile these approaches to education. Collaborative learning, content creation, using students' experiences to build on learning and integration of 21st century skills will lead to increased student engagement and deeper learning.
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