PHYLOSOPHYOF

HUMAN PERSON

Major Paper

BENEDICTA D. MARTINPh. D. –EM, Student

Fr. Pedro Q. DolarMS-Professor

1. State the mission and vision of your school /institution.

The DepEd Vision

We dream of Filipinos

who passionately love their country

and whose values and competencies 

enable them to realize their full potential

and contribute meaningfully to building the nation.

As a learner-centered public institution,

the Department of Education

continuously improves itself 

to better serve its stakeholders.

 

The DepEd Mission

To protect and promote the right of every Filipino to quality, equitable, culture-

based, and complete basic education where:

- Students learn in a child-friendly, gender-sensitive, safe, and motivating environment

- Teachers facilitate learning and constantly nurture every learner

- Administrators and staff, as stewards of the institution, ensure an enabling and

supportive environment for effective learning to happen

- Family, community, and other stakeholders are actively engaged and share responsibility

for developing life-long learners

Mandate

The Department of Education was established through the Education Decree of

1863 as the Superior Commission of Primary Instruction under a Chairman. The

Education agency underwent many reorganization efforts in the 20th century in order to

better define its purpose vis a vis the changing administrations and charters. The present

day Department of Education was eventually mandated through Republic Act 9155,

otherwise known as the Governance of Basic Education act of 2001 which establishes the

mandate of this agency.

The Department of Education (DepEd) formulates, implements, and coordinates policies,

plans, programs and projects in the areas of formal and non-formal basic education. It

supervises all elementary and secondary education institutions, including alternative

learning systems, both public and private; and provides for the establishment and

maintenance of a complete, adequate, and integrated system of basic education relevant

to the goals of national development.

The mission and vision of our own school, Awallan Elementary School under

Baggao East District, approximately three kilometers from our poblacion of San Jose,

Baggao.

VISION

Awallan Elementary School is a recognized center of excellence with highly

competent teachers producing learners who are globally competitive, productive, well-

disciplined, environmental friendly and God loving citizens who will become the future

leaders of our country.

MISSION

Awallan Elementary School commits itself to provide every child equal

opportunity to quality education through a curriculum for the learner’s total intellectual,

emotional, psychological, moral and spiritual development through active and strong

school community partnership with God as the guide and the learners the center learning

and working activities.

Core Values

Maka-Diyos

Maka-tao

Makalikasan

Makabansa

2. Identify the key ideas you want us (the readers) to know about your school mission

and vision.

One of the most important responsibilities of any leader is establishing a mission and vision

and inviting others to share in its development. As important as the vision/mission is, we have

found that keeping it alive throughout the year is not an easy task. For you to get the most out of

your vision, you must first remove the barriers from making it an integral, vibrant facet of the

school community. Our vision, as a community, is to inspire a passion for learning. You should

also make sure to have copies of your school's current vision statement at the meeting so that

participants can compare it with the examples. By discussing the current statement, the sample

statements, the bulleted questions, and pertinent articles that you might wish to share as well, the

vision oversight team should be able to reach an understanding of what makes a strong vision

statement. You might also urge team members to explain to the faculty how the vision is a

reflection of the school's values and hopes: it offers an opportunity to dream bigger, so stress to

the team that it shouldn't let the faculty develop a "get-by statement," something that expresses a

notion of mere adequacy. Tell team members to get the faculty to articulate what it is they truly

want from their students and school. Graduation or job attainment is the bare minimum of what

most educators hope for their students. The vision oversight team might consider having teachers

brainstorm a list of adjectives or values and beliefs that will help them come up with an

inspirational, compelling vision

When developing a vision, remember that less can be more; keep it short, and your staff

will remember it longer. The mission statement should encompass the values of the staff, the

actions that the school will take, and the areas it will address (e.g., curriculum, assessments, data)

to achieve its vision. The mission statement should be longer than the vision statement because it

is a specific plan for driving the school to fulfill its potential.

This goal is measurable. It clearly identifies the starting point as 79 percent and the minimal

acceptable value as 85 percent.

You can gauge whether a goal is achievable by asking yourself if the goal is pushing you beyond

your limits or if it is something you can accomplish if you stretch yourself. A goal of improving

to a 100 percent passing rate in one year would not be reasonable, but a 6 percent increase is.

This goal is relevant because it has identified a specific area of need. It is standards-based and

directly addresses academic achievement.

The end date for this goal is the 2008 main testing window.

Using Vision and Mission to Focus School Improvement

The school improvement plan (SIP) is the tool that will help you get the most out of your

vision, mission, and goals. It is a more detailed document than the mission and vision statements.

Like the mission statement, it falls within the scope of the vision.

The SIP is a blueprint for the school's progress toward its goals. It helps propel grade-

level teams, curriculum teams, and departments toward meaningful improvement. It provides

detailed expectations for administrators, teachers, counselors, and other stakeholders and

includes specific plans that guide improvement efforts throughout the year. Although the

majority of school improvement plans focus on improving student achievement through such

measures as high-stakes tests, advanced placement exams, and the SAT, we recommend

enriching the document to include several areas outside the realm of assessment. For example,

you might add a section about improving student attendance or reducing the number of

disciplinary infractions. You could seek to increase participation in extracurricular activities and

athletics and improve the delivery of student services offered by the guidance department, the

career center, and the library. Use your SIP as an opportunity to develop goals, plans, and actions

to improve all facets of your school's life.

If we ask students to create a plan for their improvement, we should be open to doing the same

for ourselves.

Keep in mind the following points as you develop your school improvement plan:

Make sure the plan includes a proposal for staff development. If teachers aren't learning

and growing, it is not likely that students are either.

An improvement plan is only useful when it is doable. All goals that are developed by

each department in the school should fall under the umbrella of the school system's goals

and objectives; if not, you could be trying to do too much or go in too many directions

and will end up accomplishing very little.

The SIP should help you not only look forward but also evaluate what has been done in

the past. Without such reflection, your efforts will be random, unfocused, and

unsupported.

Building the School Improvement Plan

A high-quality school improvement plan is essential for establishing and maintaining a

healthy culture. Because of its importance, the shaping of and responsibility for the SIP must not

rest in the hands of a select few. In successful schools we have worked in, a group of

representative staff members referred to as the SIP team is assigned to work with school staff to

identify areas of need and develop action plans, which are the specific steps and tasks articulated

to achieve the stated goals. The SIP team typically consists of department chairs, team leaders,

administrators, a parent representative, and at least one support staff member, such as a secretary

or an instructional assistant. However, we recommend involving potential teacher leaders in the

development of the SIP as well. You should conduct the selection process for the SIP team each

year to allow everyone the opportunity to participate. In some schools where we have worked,

these positions were highly sought after because they offered opportunities for professional

growth.

We recommend that the team include stakeholders who will be affected by the content of

the SIP. At the very least, the team should include a representative from each department,

whether it's the department chair or another staff member (although we do not suggest recruiting

a novice teacher). The representative does not hold sole responsibility for developing his or her

department's portion of the SIP; rather, he or she facilitates the collection of the information that

the department will include. The representative is expected to conduct meetings with department

members to discuss what should be included in the SIP, establish deadlines for submitting this

information, polish the information, and return it to his or her departmental colleagues for final

approval before submitting it for inclusion in the school's master SIP document.

Formatting the School Improvement Plan

The best way to identify the essential details for your school's SIP is to consult school staff

during the SIP development process. If your school does not already have a prescribed format,

you can use the following list as a starting point. These are all items that will add value to your

SIP. Note that we are not suggesting you include everything in the list below in your SIP, nor do

we claim that the list is a complete list of everything your school or school system needs to

consider when developing its improvement plan:

1. Cover page. This should include the title, your school's name, and the date.

2. Committee member list. This should include the name and title of each member of the SIP

team.

3. State department vision and mission statements. Most state departments of education

have a published vision and mission.

4. School system vision and mission statements. Most school systems have a published

vision and mission.

5. The school's vision and mission statements. The overarching components of the school's

vision and mission should fall within the parameters of the school system's vision and

mission. If the school system does not have vision and mission statements, we still

recommend that your school develop its own.

6. School details and demographics. This includes school statistics on ethnicity; gender;

English proficiency; economic status; educational designation (e.g., general education,

gifted, special education, and twice exceptional); graduation rates; percentage of last

year's students who enrolled in a two-year or four-year college or trade school; and

enrollment in AP/IB courses.

7. NCLB AYP Report Card or High-Stakes Report (depending on the state). If provided by

the state, include a report of the most recent AYP results for your school by subject,

grade, and subgroup status.

8. School system goals and objectives (if available). These are typically created by the

school board and/or the superintendent's office. They may be referred to as objectives or

targets, among other descriptors.

9. SIP calendar. The calendar should include the dates and times when the SIP team is

expected to meet and when it is expected to deliver content and evidence of efforts and

completion.

10. Departmental goals. These goals focus on improving student achievement or delivery of

services (for example, from the guidance department, the main office, and so on) specific

to each department or team.

11. Indicators of achievement. These are specific indicators or results that will be reviewed to

determine effectiveness.

12. Areas of focus. These include specific content areas, skills, standards, anchors,

populations, and services that are targeted in the SIP.

13. Action plans for each department or grade-level team. Each department's specific action

plan includes data sources, point of contact, potential costs, staff development efforts,

required materials, activities, and time line to put the action plan in place and measure its

effect.

The sections of the school improvement plan that are specific to individual departments

and grade-level teams should provide focus for each of the areas with regard to content delivery.

For example, in our version, items 10–13 would include any department in the building. In this

case, we use the math department as an example, which might have an overall goal such as

"Student passing rates on the Geometry Standards of Learning [Virginia's year-end high-stakes

assessment] will improve from 81 percent to 86 percent in the following year." In some cases,

the goal may target certain populations, such as "The percentage of African American students

successfully completing geometry will increase from 73 percent to 80 percent by the end of the

following school year." Departments and grade-level teams should measure their efforts and

indicators of effectiveness against these goals on a monthly basis to obtain objective information

to fuel their discussions.

We purposely mention "areas of focus" in item 12 to hone efforts and add value to

departmental discussions about curriculum delivery. In this section of the SIP you would find

statements such as "During the 2008–2009 school year, the mathematics department will

increase focus on (1) patterns, functions, and algebra and (2) numbers and number sense." At

least once a month, the department or team should assess the extent to which its content delivery

hit these specific areas of focus.

Realizing Your Vision and Mission

Vision and mission statements provide schools with an essential overview of where they

want to go and what they want to be. Few thriving schools or companies attained their success

without developing such statements as elements of their school improvement plans or business

plans. But merely drafting statements is not enough. To realize your school's vision and mission,

you must model your school's beliefs, values, and collective commitments while demonstrating

enthusiasm for what will come next. Perhaps most important, your vision and mission establish

clear expectations and standards for your staff. We further discuss how to get the most out of

your staff in the following chapter.

Getting Started

Identify and train vision and mission oversight teams.

If there are existing vision and mission statements, review them to determine their

relevance and accuracy.

Devise a meaningful plan to involve the staff in either revising the existing vision and

mission statements or creating new ones.

Ask probing questions to guide staff in developing their vision and mission.

Use data to identify areas that need improvement and establish SMART goals.

Recruit members for a school improvement plan team.

Copyright © 2009 by Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. All rights

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The New School's future will be shaped by the core values that have defined our past:

academic freedom, tolerance, and experimentation.

Mission

The New School prepares students to understand, contribute to, and succeed in a

rapidly changing society, and thus make the world a better and more just place. We will

ensure that our students develop both the skills a sound liberal arts education provides,

and the competencies essential for success and leadership in the emerging creative

economy. We will also lead in generating practical and theoretical knowledge that

enables people to better understand our world and improve conditions for local and

global communities.

Vision

We are and will be a university where design and social research drive approaches to

studying issues of our time, such as democracy, urbanization, technological change,

economic empowerment, sustainability, migration, and globalization. We will be the

preeminent intellectual and creative center for effective engagement in a world that

increasingly demands better-designed objects, communication, systems, and

organizations to meet social needs.

Our vision aligns with shifts in the global economy, society, and environment, which

animate our mission and our values:

o Creativity, innovation, and a desire to challenge the status quo, both in what

and how we teach and in the intellectual ambitions of the School itself

o Social engagement, orienting students' academic experience to help them become

critically engaged citizens dedicated to solving problems and contributing to the

public good.

The New School must embrace these principles and innovate to address shifts in the

global economy, society, and environment, that require individuals to grapple with

complex problems, pursue more fluid and flexible career pathways, and collaboratively

create change.

Give Us Your Feedback on the Mission and Vision

The New School's Mission and Vision Statement sets forth an academic direction

informed by our values and strengths, the changing context of higher education, and a

paramount commitment to meeting the needs of 21st-century students. It was developed

over many months with participation and feedback from students, faculty, and staff

members in our community. It was approved by the Board of Trustees in May 2013.

Related Links

MISSION IS A REFERENCE POINT, A REMINDER

Mountain Gap Middle School isn't alone in placing importance on the development and

implementation of a mission statement. Administrators and faculty across the country are making

an effort to design a creed that identifies the goals, policies, and aspirations their school

communities seek to achieve.

The mission statement of Freeport (Maine) Middle School (see sidebar) was established by a

subcommittee of the faculty many years before Chris Toy became the school's principal. The

faculty felt that a clear mission statement would facilitate making decisions that supported

middle level students. The statement is reviewed and revised periodically.

"We do refer to the mission and belief statements when we are discussing or debating programs

and decisions," says Toy. "Our school organization tends to reflect our mission and belief

statements. I have it posted in my office to remind me of the context for the many issues and

decisions I work through each day."

Toy adds, "I think the mission is a useful template from which to work. It's probably an ideal, but

not a reality, for many of us."

MISSION STATEMENT IN PRACTICE

"There was I time when I would inwardly groan when faced with the prospect of constructing yet

another mission statement. I saw such a task as too much time spent on something that would

soon be tucked away and forgotten," explains Jean Byl, a media specialist at Waverly-Shell Rock

(Iowa) Junior High School. "However, because we actually use the statement and remind

students and discuss with students our mission statement, I now see it as a useful means of

communication with the kids." Dick Jensen, principal at Waverly-Shell Rock, has reported that

80 percent of the discipline problems he deals with somehow relate to a lack of respect or

responsibility. The mission statement of the school targets that concern. It states, "We will

respect ourselves and one another, appreciate individual differences, and encourage one another

to reach our potential." "We realized that we needed a framework to express to students (and

parents) who and what we would like our students and school to be -- that is, an environment that

fosters respectful and responsible students," states Byl.

Each morning, the eighth grade-speech students give the morning announcements and

also read the mission statement at the junior high. The mission is also printed on the school

stationery and the students' agenda (planner) books. Though it is difficult for Byl to assess the

impact the mission statement has had on the school community, she has found "teachable

moments" in which the mission statement has provided a springboard for discussion. Faculty

members at the school emphasize the mission statement at the beginning of the year as a means

of clarifying expectations. The statement is also used in disciplinary conferences. The school is

now considering having students write personal mission statements.

"I like our mission statement because I think it's so pertinent for the junior high student," Byl

says. "It addresses what we hope they will strive to be as people. We all know the trials and

tribulations of adolescence. [Students] are seeking to define themselves and to find their niche.

The mission statement gives focus to some characteristics that are keys to happy young people

who are in healthy relationships with other people."

PUTTING VISION INTO THE MISSION

Many mission statements have little practical meaning, Mizell tells Education World.

They are posted on walls and in the student handbook or scheduler, but they rarely guide or

challenge the school. They are too safe and too easily forgotten. Even in the best of

circumstances, Mizell suggests, mission statements are often one more good intention pushed to

the background.

"I think a major problem with most mission statements is that they are static," Mizell tells

Education World. "They seem to say, at best, 'This is who we are. This is what we do. This is

what we value.' But if one believes, as I do, that most schools need to improve, such a statement

merely affirms what the school is rather than what it should be."

Mizell encourages schools to develop a vision statement rather than a mission statement.

"Of course, if either a mission or a vision statement is just so many words, then it is largely

useless," says Mizell. "That does not have to be the case. As in other areas of education, a school

will get out of its vision statement, or even a mission statement, exactly what it puts into it.

However, in my view the statement should also be a tool the school can use to push itself .

Establish Your Own Vision Statement

"See the Vision Statement of The National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform for an

example. A school should develop its own vision statement. What is the school striving to

become? What does it want to achieve? To what extent will it hold itself accountable for

progressing toward fulfilling its vision?"

Revisit the Vision Statement During the School Year

"Several times during the school year, the principal may use the vision statement as the

opening for faculty meetings. Make sure each faculty member has a copy in his or her hand, then

read the statement, and then allow 15 or 20 minutes for open discussion about how the school is

or is not progressing toward fulfilling its vision. With this kind of prompt, there could be some

very interesting and lively discussions, and the vision statement will be a living document. The

vision statement could also be used this way for each meeting of the school site council or school

leadership team."

Reflect on the Statement at Year End

"Probably once a year, perhaps at the end of school, a school could use its vision

statement for an hour-long reflective discussion about progress or setbacks that occurred during

the school year in relation to the vision statement. What progress did we make? Where did we

drop the ball? What is the evidence that we are moving closer to fulfilling our vision or not?

What do we need to do next year to accelerate our progress toward fulfilling our vision?"

LINKS TO ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

3.What are the emerging skills of Filipino students/learners needed in the 21 st century?

Enumerate the skills (in number). These skills can be clustered or arrange in category

under which you write the particular/specific skills.

Ways of thinking. Creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making and

learning

Ways of working. Communication and collaboration

Tools for working. Information and communications technology (ICT) and information

literacy

Skills for living in the world. Citizenship, life and career, and personal and social

responsibility

4.Which of these skills are needed are needed by your students/learners to develop and are

aligned with the vision/mission of your school/institution? Enumerate the specific skills.

Nurturing the Holistically Developed Filipino (College and Livelihood Readiness,

21st Century Skills)

After going through Kindergarten, the enhanced Elementary and Junior High curriculum, and a

specialized Senior High program, every K to 12 graduate will be ready to go into different paths

– may it be further education, employment, or entrepreneurship.

Every graduate will be equipped with:

1. Information, media and technology skills,

2. Learning and innovation skills,

3. Effective communication skills, and

4. Life and career skills

As the students who participate in this program move into high school, what skills do you

want them to possess that might be different from those that can be achieved in a

traditional learning environment?

Certainly a valid question, but difficult to give a concise answer.  After rambling a bit

about “educational maturity” and using a few educational buzz words, I moved on to the

next question.  However, after giving this considerable thought, I have arrived at a five-

point skill set that I would like to see our students develop during their experience at the

Virtual Learning and Leadership Academy.

1.  Engagement

Student engagement is perhaps the most misunderstood, and overused terms in education.

Unfortunately, it brings to mind visions of students, sitting attentively at their desks,

nodding their heads in understanding as the teacher reviews the day’s PowerPoint

presentation.  However, true engagement means getting students involved, active and

participating.  The hamster is running, the wheel is turning, and the light bulb is on.

Engagement is not about paying attention, it is about being an active participant in one’s

education.

2.  Self-Advocacy

Students need to understand that they have control over their educational destiny.  This is

what I refer to as “educational maturity” – the ability to take charge of their learning, ask

questions, search for answers and, perhaps most importantly, seek help when needed.

Take control.

3.  Creativity – Innovation

Pursuit of personal interests and development of creative solutions to problems is a

critical skill for our students to possess.  It is unfortunate that the current educational

model’s focus on standardized testing has dampened student creativity and pursuit of

innovative solutions to challenging problems.  Students should not be so concerned with

failure that they are afraid to stretch their thinking and test their ideas.

4.  Collaboration

In a shrinking world, effective communication and the ability to work well with others

will be essential  to student success.  Students must be able to respect differences and

efficiently collaborate with diverse personalities.  This skill is also essential for the full

realization of innovation–as students work together to solve problems.  Technology

affords many avenues of communication and collaboration and as educators we have an

obligation to assist students in the appropriate use of these tools to enhance these skills.

5.  Empathy

An awareness, and concern, for the plight and challenges of others is a uniquely human

characteristic–one that we should take care, as educators, to foster in our students.  In

order to do this effectively, our kids need to possess knowledge of other cultures, possess

the ability to speak multiple languages and develop a sensitivity to the traditions and

customs of other nations.

This is certainly not intended to be a conclusive list – there are many other skills that are

important for 21st century learners.  I recently shared a Google spreadsheet, via Twitter,

asking educators to share their ideas.  If you would like view the ideas of others, or

contribute your own, please feel free to view or contribute to the Google spreadsheet or

add a blog comment.

5. What should the DepEd and CHED and your school should know as the

corresponding competencies and learning outcomes of developing such skills? Write

the corresponding competencies and learning outcomes.

The 21st century dawned as the beginning of the Digital Age – a time of

unprecedented growth in technology and its subsequent information explosion. Never

before have the tools for information access and management made such an

impact on the way we live, work, shop and play.New technologies and tools multiply

Daily and the new technologies of today are outdated almost as soon as they reach the

market.Numerous studies and reports have emerged over the past decade that seek to

identify the life, career, and learning skills that define the skills needed for success in the

21st century world. While there are some differences in how the skills are categorized or

interpreted, there are also many commonalities. Common skills across most of the studies

are the following:

COMPETENCIES LEARNING OUTCOMES

Creativity and

Innovation

Using knowledge and understanding to create new

ways of thinking in order to find solutions to newproblems and to create

new products and services

Critical Thinking

and Problem Solving

Applying higher order thinking to new problems

issues, using appropriate reasoning as they effectively

analyze the problem and make decisions about themost effective ways

to solve the problem

Communication Communicating effectively in a wide variety of forms

and contexts for a wide range of purposes and usingmultiple media and

technologies

Collaboration Working with others respectfully and effectively to

create, use and share knowledge, solutions and

innovations.

Information

Management

Accessing, analyzing, synthesizing, creating and sharing

information from multiple sources.

Effective Use of

Technology

Creating the capacity to identify and use technology

efficiently, effectively and ethically as a tool to access,

organize, evaluate and share information

Career and Life

Skills

Developing skills for becoming self-directed,

independent learners and workers who can adapt to

change, manage projects, take responsibility for their

work, lead others and produce results

Cultural Awareness Developing cultural competence in working with others

by recognizing and respecting cultural differences and

work with others from a wide range of cultural and social backgrounds.

6. What epistemological research methodologies and methods can be helpful in

developing such skills?

Epistomological Approach

We will fulfill our mission by extending The New School's legacy as a nontraditional

academic community, nimble and responsive to change, that:

o Focuses on and engages with critical contemporary issues

o Prioritizes humanity and culture in designing systems and environments to

improve the human condition, an approach that draws on design thinking and the

liberal, creative, and performing arts

o Places project-based learning at the center of the educational experience

o Takes full advantage of our New York City location and connectivity to global

urban centers.

7. What teaching strategies should you use in building the students skills?

SOME TEACHING STRATEGIES INCLUDE:

• Connecting the content knowledge to real-world applications and problem

situations that enable students to see how what they are learning connects with

their lives and the world around them. The work that is asked of students must

be authentic work that is relevant and that mirrors real life.

• Emphasizing deep understanding of the learning by focusing on projects and

problems that require students to use the content knowledge in new ways and to

• Helping students understand and monitor the thinking processes they are using

by including metacognitive activities that ask students to reflect on their use of thinking

structures and the effectiveness of the thinking strategies they employed.

• Using technology to help students access, analyze, organize and share

what they are learning and allow

students to independently locate appropriate tools for the task.

• Providing opportunities for students to become “creators as well as consumers

of published information” (Apple, 2008) by providing opportunities for creating and verifying

their own entries in collaborative sites and evaluating contributions of others.

• Engaging students in solving complex problems that require higher order

thinking an application of content and that result in new perspectives and solutions to problems.

• Providing opportunities for students to work collaborative as they gather

information, solve problems, share ideas, and generate new ideas.

• Developing life and career skills by creating opportunities for students to

become

self-directed learners who take responsibility for their own learning and who learn

how to work effectively with others.

• Helping students make connections between subjects, concepts and ideas and

with others, including those outside of the classroom.xtend their understanding through

collaboration with others.

The 21st century skills are not really different. We have always wanted students

to be creative thinkers and problem solvers who have the skills necessary to function effectively

in society and in the workplace. However, the way in which these skills are incorporated in the

classroom and how technology is integrated will greatly change instruction. Indeed, with

technology, today’s classroom transcends physical walls and reaches around the globe. In

addition, we need to plan instruction with an understanding of the “digital natives” (Prensky,

2001) who have grown up in the Digital Age and who expect learning to be interactive, engaging

and up-to-date. Instruction that meets the needs of today’s students will incorporate

• A variety of learning opportunities and activities

• The use of appropriate technology tools to accomplish learning goals

• Project- and problem-based learning

• Cross-curricular connections

• A focus on inquiry and the student-led investigations

• Collaborative learning environments, both within and beyond the classroom

• High levels of visualization and the use of visuals to increase understanding

• Frequent, formative assessments including the use of self-assessment.

The role of teachers in a 21st century classroom shifts from that of the “expert” to that of

the “facilitator.” The focus for instruction shifts from “knowing” to being able to use and apply

information in relevant ways. Students who are being prepared for the 21st century will

beinvolved in “continuous cycles of learning” (Lemke, et al, 2003) that lead to

deeperunderstanding of the subject area content and that develop the critical skills for meeting

the challenges of the future.

8. The four pillars of learning are: learning how to learn, (or learning how to know),

learning how to do, learning to live together, and learning to be. How such pillar of

learning connected to our understanding of a meaningful act of knowing.

Revisiting the Four ‘Pillars of Learning’

In order that the essence of the four ‘pillars of learning’ be appropriately interpreted, a

brief snapshot follows of what each relates to in term of educational context.

Learning to know

This type of learning is radically different from ‘acquiring itemized codified information

or factual knowledge’, as often stressed in conventional curriculum and in ‘rote learning’. Rather

it implies ‘the mastering of the instruments of knowledge themselves’. ‘Acquiring knowledge in

a never-ending process and can be enriched by all forms of experience’. ‘Learning to know’

includes the development of the faculties of memory, imagination, reasoning, problem-solving,

and the ability to think in a coherent and critical way. It is ‘a process of discovery’, which takes

time and involves going more deeply into the information/knowledge delivered through subject

teaching. ‘Learning to know’ presupposes learning to learn’, calling upon the power of

concentration, memory and thought’, so as to benefit from ongoing educational opportunities

continuously arising (formally and non-formally) throughout life. Therefore ‘learning to know’

can be regarded as both a means and an end in learning itself and in life. As a means, it serves to

enable individual learners to understand the very least enough about the nature, about humankind

and its history, about his/her environment, and about society at large. As an end, it enables the

learner to experience the pleasure of knowing, discovering and understanding as a process.

Learning to do

This pillar of learning implies in the first place for application of what learners have

learned or known into practices; it is closely linked to vocational-technical education and work

skills training. However it goes beyond narrowly defined skills development for ‘doing’ specific

things or practical tasks in traditional or industrial economies. The emerging knowledge-based

economy is making human work increasingly immaterial. ‘Learning to do’ calls for new types of

skills, more behavioral than intellectual. The material and the technology are becoming

secondary to human qualities and interpersonal relationship. Learning to do thus implies a shift

from skill to competence, or a mix of higher-order skills specific to each individual. ‘The

ascendancy of knowledge and information as factors of production systems is making the idea of

occupational skills obsolete and is bringing personal competency to the fore’. Thus ‘learning to

do’ means, among other things, ability to communicate effectively with others; aptitude toward

team work; social skills in building meaningful interpersonal relations; adaptability to change in

the world of work and in social life; competency in transforming knowledge into innovations and

job-creation; and a readiness to take risks and resolve or manage conflicts.

Learning to live together

In the context of increasing globalization, the Delors Commission places a special

emphasis on this pillar of learning. It implies an education taking two complementary paths: on

one level, discovery of others and on another, experience of shared purposes throughout life.

Specifically it implies the development of such qualities as: knowledge and understanding of self

and others; appreciation of the diversity of the human race and an awareness of the similarities

between, and the interdependence of, all humans; empathy and cooperative social behavior in

caring and sharing; respect of other people and their cultures and value systems; capability of

encountering others and resolving conflicts through dialogue; and competency in working

towards common objectives

.

Learning to be

This type of learning was first conceptualized in the Report to UNESCO in 1972,

Learning To Be (Edgar Faure et al), out of the fear that ‘the world would be dehumanized as a

result of technical change’. It was based on the principle that ‘the aim of development is the

complete fulfillment of man, in all the richness of his personality, the complexity of his forms of

expression and his various commitments – as individual, member of a family and of a

community, citizen and producer, inventor of techniques and creative dreamer’. ‘Learning to be’

may therefore be interpreted in one way as learning to be human, through acquisition of

knowledge, skills and values conducive to personality development in its intellectual, moral,

cultural and physical dimensions. This implies a curriculum aiming at cultivating qualities of

imagination and creativity; acquiring universally shared human values; developing aspects of a

person’s potential: memory, reasoning, aesthetic sense, physical capacity and

communication/social skills; developing critical thinking and exercising independent judgment;

and developing personal commitment and responsibility. It is important to note that the four

pillars of learning relate to all phases and areas of education. They support and interpenetrate one

another and should therefore be applied as basic principles, cross-cutting

The four pillars of learning are connected to our understanding of a meaningful act

of knowing because they cannot be defined separately; they form an integrated whole,

complementing and strengthening each other. Education is, after all, a total experience.