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CUR 510 Dr. Jeff Sapp

Philosophy

“Our source of direction is found in our guiding philosophy….Without philosophy, we make mindless vaults into the saddle and we have a tendency to ride madly off in all directions.” William Van

Philosophy is the beginning point

in curriculum decision making and the basis for all subsequent decisions.

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Philosophy reflects our backgrounds & experiences. Our decisions are based on our world-view, attitudes, and beliefs. Philosophy guides action.

Conflict can happen when we rigidly adhere to a particular personal philosophy and we come into contact with someone who has a different philosophy than we do. Got an example?

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What is the philosophy of STAR? What is the philosophy of STAR?

Philosophy

Philosophy

Philosophy

STAR Intentions

Courses

Lab School & Fieldwork

Mentor

Your School Setting

Previous Experiences

Authors Others

Philosophy

John Dewey believes that philosophy is a way of thinking that gives meaning to our lives. He believes that education is the lab school.

Ralph Tyler believes that philosophy attempts to define the nature of the good life & a good society.

John Goodlad thinks that the school’s first responsibility is to the social order – what he calls the “nation-state” – but that our society emphasizes individual growth.

Philosophy shapes Curriculum

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4 main philosophies

influence U. S. education

Philosophy   Reality   Knowledge   Values   Teacher’s  Role  

Emphasis  On    Learning  

Emphasis  On  Curriculum  

Idealism   Spiritual,  moral,  or  mental;  unchanging  

Rethinking  latent  ideas  

Absolute  and  eternal  

To  bring  latent  knowledge  and  ideas  to  consciousness;  to  be  a  moral  and  spiritual  leader  

Recalling  knowledge  and  ideas;  abstract  thinking  is  the  highest  form  

Knowledge  based;  subject  based;  classics  or  liberal  arts;  hierarchy  of  subjects;  philosophy,  theology,  and  math  are  most  important  

Idealism  

Plato;  the  German  philosopher  Hegel;  Ralph  Waldo    Emerson;  Henry  Thoreau;  Fredrich  Froebel  (the  founder    of  K);  William  BenneJ  

Think  of  Idealism  as  ChrisLan  doctrine.  

Essentialism is rooted in both Idealism & Realism

Philosophy   Reality   Knowledge   Values   Teacher’s  Role  

Emphasis  On    Learning  

Emphasis  On  Curriculum  

Realism   Based  on  natural  laws;  objecGve  and  composed  of  maIer  

Consists  of  sensaGon  and  abstracGon  

Absolute  and  eternal;  based  on  nature’s  laws  

To  culGvate  raGonal  thought;  to  be  a  moral  and  spiritual  leader,  to  be  an  authority  

Exercising  the  mind;  logical  and  abstract  thinking  are  highest  form  

Knowledge  based;  subject  based,  arts  &  sciences;  hierarchy  of  subjects;  humanisGc  and  scienGfic  subjects  

Realism  

Aristotle;  Thomas  Aquinas  (Thomism/Catholic  doctrine);  Johann  Pestalozzi  (instrucLonal  principles);  

Think  of  Realism  as  “The  3  R’s”  

Essentialism is rooted in both Idealism & Realism; Perennialism draws heavily on Realism

Philosophy   Reality   Knowledge   Values   Teacher’s  Role  

Emphasis  On    Learning  

Emphasis  On  Curriculum  

PragmaGsm   InteracGon  of  individual  with  environment;  always  changing  

Based  on  experience;  use  of  scienGfic  method  

SituaGonal  and  relaGve;  subject  to  change  and  verificaGon  

To  culGvate  criGcal  thinking  and  scienGfic  processes  

Methods  for  dealing  with  changing  environment  and  scienGfic  explanaGons  

No  permanent  knowledge  or  subjects;  appropriate  experiences  that  transmit  culture  and  prepare  individual  for  change;  problem  solving  acGviGes  

PragmaLsm  

Think  of  PragmaLsm  as  criLcal    thinking,  as  more  exploring  than  explaining.    Charles  Darwin;  MathemaLcian  Charles  Pierce;  John  Dewey    

The  Method  is  more  important  than  the  subject  maJer  

Progressivism & Reconstructivism stem from Pragmatism.

Philosophy   Reality   Knowledge   Values   Teacher’s  Role  

Emphasis  On    Learning  

Emphasis  On  Curriculum  

ExistenGalism   SubjecGve   Knowledge  for  personal  choice  

Freely  chosen;  based  on  individuals’  percepGons  

To  culGvate  personal  choice  &  individual  self-­‐    DefiniGon  

Knowledge  &  principles  of  the  human  condiGon;  acts  of  choosing  

Choices  in  subject  maIer,  elecGves;  emoGonal,  aestheGc,  &  philosophical  subjects  Freedom  &  Choice  

ExistenLalism  

Think  of  ExistenLalism  as  individual  &  personal  fulfillment.    

Maxine  Greene  

Some Reconstrucionism has links to Existential views.

And then there are the educational philosophies… •  Perennialism – the most conservative

philosophy •  The Great Books of the Western World, by

Robert Hutchins •  The Paideia Proposal, by Mortimer Adler (the

Socratic Method) •  Stress intellectual meritocracy, emphasize

testing, tougher standards, gifted & talented programs

•  Equity = providing all students with high-quality academics

•  The Closing of the American Mind, by Allan Bloom – universities believe in a false doctrine of equality and reject high standards

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The Paideia Group’s Declaration of Principles:

•  All children are educable; •  Education is never completed in school or

higher institutions of learning, but is a lifelong process of maturity for all citizens;

•  The primary cause of learning is the activity of the child's mind, which is not created by, but only assisted by the teacher;

•  Multiple types of learning and teaching must be utilized in education, not just teacher lecturing, or telling;

•  A student's preparation for earning a living is not the primary objective of schooling.

And then there are the educational philosophies…

•  Essentialsm – emphasize mastering skills, facts, & concepts of the subject matter

•  Emphasizes academics (not play) and cognitive thinking (not the whole child)

•  It means Shakespeare, not South Park •  “Concern with the personal problems of adolescents has grown so

excessive as to push into the background what should be the schools’ central concern, the intellectual development of its students.” Arthur Bestor

•  Teacher is the master of the subject and decides all curriculum, the “sage on the stage”

•  A Nation at Risk; NCLB; The Race To The Top; Theodore Sizer’s Horace’s Compromise

•  Loathes automatic promotion, elective courses, & textbooks designed to entertain students

•  CBEST, CSET and PACT; CAHSEE •  Cultural Literacy, by E. D. Hirsch (What Every First-Grader Needs To

Know) •  William Bennett •  Know that Diane Ravitch just jumped ship!

And then there are the educational philosophies… •  Progressivism – school is a miniature democratic

society in which students learn the skills necessary for democratic living.

•  Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Horace Mann (Elementary School!), John Dewey

•  Reality is changing so there isn’t a need to focus on a fixed body of knowledge

•  Schools nurture cooperation and self-discipline •  Curriculum is interdisciplinary and teachers are

“guides on the side” •  Ommmmmmmmmmmmm •  Contemporary progressivism manifests as a call for

a relevant curriculum (“project centered”), humanistic education (emphasizes affective over cognitive; Maslow; Nel Noddings), and “radical school reform” (Henry Giroux, Peter McLaren)

And then there are the educational philosophies… •  Progressivism •  “Radical school reformers” consider

schools highly discriminatory places that (1) sort and track students for various jobs that perpetuate class differences and (2) perpetuate a culture of production and consumption that benefits the few and exploits the many.

•  Education as presently structured is not empowering

•  Students are treated as objects of consumption and taught to be consumers of capitalists inequities.

And then there are the educational philosophies… •  Recontructivism – emphasis is on society-

centered education and addressing the needs of all social classes

•  Analysis, interpretation & evaluation of problems ain’t enough…students & teachers must effect change!

•  (1) critically examine a society’s cultural heritage (2) examines controversial issues (3) commits to bringing about constructive social change (4) enhance educational opportunities for all students

•  Today we call this Critical Pedagogy – be informed agents of change

And then there are the educational philosophies… •  Recontructivism •  Internationalists – sensitive to global issues

(we’re usually “isolationist”) •  “global village,” “global interdependence,”

“shrinking world,” “the greenhouse effect” •  Linda Darling-Hammond uses the term “flat-

world” in describing the US falling behind in math & science. She attributes this decline because of the lack of equality of educational opportunities for low-income and minority students.

•  Reconceptualists – include the intuitive, personal, mystical, linguistic, political, social, & spiritual in their approach to curriclum (Paulo Freire, Michael Apple, Maxine Greene)

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Page 48 of your text Are you a sage on the stage or a

guide on the side?

In Conclusion •  Philosophical viewpoints range from traditional and conservative to contemporary and liberal.

•  Remember: Few schools adopt ONE approach…most combine various philosophies.

•  Does your school (or department, or mentor, or YOU) have an overall philosophy?

•  Is there harmony or dissonance?

Let’s generate a list of things you’ve seen in

your classes this week…

Now, you connect them to one of the philosophies…

Why do you place it

alongside that philosophy?

Philosophy drives everything.