Your culminating project will center on the intersections and interactions of historical themes, current practices, relevant theory and philosophy, and personal identity in education. This should be is a reflective piece, 5-10 pages long, that summarizes your educational position on the purpose, process, nature, and ideals of education. Your personal education philosophy explains the beliefs and ideas that underlie your thinking and regulate your actions as well as the philosophical and historical theories and themes studied in class that are behind them. It should be specific to your experience and your learning in this course. Your statement should include numerous references to the philosophies/ philosophers that have informed your thinking. APA format required.
Your essay should answer all of the questions below:
- Briefly describe your own K–12 education (1 – 2 paragraphs). What philosophical ideas did your education exemplify? How did this approach influence your own ideas about teaching and learning?
- In your view, what is the purpose of education? What philosophical ideas and historical developments studied in class support this view (2 – 3 paragraphs)?
- How do you define your role as a teacher? What is the role of the student? What philosophical ideas and historical developments studied in class support this view (3 – 4 paragraphs)?
- What are your objectives for student learning and development? What knowledge, skills, and attitudes are important? What are you preparing students to do or become? What philosophical ideas and historical developments studied in class support your response (3 – 8 paragraphs)?
- How will you address the needs of special needs learners in your classes? What specific teaching strategies do you endorse for special learners? What philosophical ideas and historical developments studied in class support this view (3 – 4 paragraphs)?
- Give specific examples of teaching strategies and assessment practices that are aligned with your philosophical ideas. Explain how they are aligned (3 – 4 paragraphs).
- How does your own identity (e.g. race, gender, class, background, experience, and levels of privilege) affect the classroom? How does this contrast with your students’ identities? How do you/will you account for diverse ways of learning and knowing, diverse cultures and abilities in your classroom? What philosophical ideas and historical developments studied in class support this view (3 – 4 paragraphs)?
- Summarize your personal philosophy of teaching in a mission statement of not more than 3 sentences. What specific steps will you take to assess your growth and progress toward actualization of your personal philosophy of education (1 paragraph)?