Filed under: Curriculum
Like many, I find that my educational philosophy is a blend of many perspectives already espoused by thinkers far greater than I. However, at the end of the school year, when my students walk out of my room, what should they know and be able to do with that knowledge? Some great thinkers for the State of Washington have determined that these four goals are to be used to guide my instruction. Students should be able to:
- Read with comprehension, write with skill, and communicate effectively and responsibly in a variety of ways and settings.
- Know and apply the core concepts and principles of mathematics; social, physical, and life sciences; civics and history; geography; arts; and health and fitness.
- Think analytically, logically, and creatively, and integrate experience and knowledge to form reasoned judgments and solve problems.
- Understand the importance of work and how performance, effort, and decisions directly affect future career and educational opportunities.
Interestingly, these goals lend themselves nicely to a blend of philosophies and approaches as well. For instance, “read, write, communicate, know, apply” all fall neatly within the theory of Essentialism that states that “children should learn the traditional basic subjects and that these should be learned thoroughly and rigorously.” Within this theory, the traditional subjects listed above in goals one and two are typically addressed. Since it is mandated that students will be tested on their ability to “perform” in these areas, I believe we would be remiss if we did not work to prepare them to be as successful as possible for these tests. It cannot be a coincidence that the Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs), also developed by the great thinkers for Washington State, are conveniently formatted to “teach children progressively, from less complex to more complex skills” within and across grade levels.
Goal three requires students to “think, integrate experience and knowledge, form reasoned judgments, and solve problems.” It also requires an interesting blend of analytical, logical, AND creative thinking. Teaching and practicing these skills and concepts gives license to incorporate a variety of approaches that fit the specific need. The Constructivist Learning Theory that supports providing opportunities for students to take an active role in the process of recreating knowledge based on experiences and needs of the learners is one such approach. Incorporating the Multiple Intelligences Theory into learning opportunities can also be an effective approach to preparing students to think and integrate while allowing for analytical, logical and creative cognitive processes to develop. Since not all children learn at the same pace or in the same way, educators must be deliberate in selecting and planning experiences that allow all students to access information for both testing and true learning connections that go beyond the classroom. For me, whatever it takes to get the job done effectively is fair game.
This leads into goal four. Students need to be prepared for future career and educational opportunities. However, students of today need to be able to adapt and change at a faster pace to maintain an edge. Here, I find myself looking at Dewey more closely. Instrumentalism, utilitarianism, pragmatism—whatever the term—states that “various modes and forms of human activity are instruments developed by human beings to solve multiple individual and social problems.” “Performance, effort, and decisions” have direct bearing on the success of the individual as well as society as a whole. It is the responsibility of educators to give students realistic, relevant practice in these areas so that when they do walk out of our doors for the last time, they are prepared to be competitive, competent, contributing citizens who are also good, strong people.
I think, bottom line, I’m a pragmatist. Let’s just “git ‘er done”.
