I chose pragmatism as my philosophy in education because I believe it provides a positive and healthy attitude that will create an atmosphere in the classroom that every child will be able to benefit from.
The philosophies of Idealism and Realism believe in universal truths, but such truths are not common in a pragmatist philosophy. Instead, Pragmatism recognizes that the evolution of knowledge is an ongoing process and accepts that it will change (Ornstein & Hunkins, 2009). I think we need to accept the fact that there are experiences we face that will ultimately change our outlook on life. When our realities shift and change, this impacts the view we have of life and the way in which we embrace knowledge.
Every child who comes into the classroom is going to have a different reality; no one child is identical to another. The information which children receive in the classroom is going to be perceived and integrated differently by each child, based on the truths which that child already believes. John Dewey (1938) pointed out that people’s minds are conditioned and influenced by the people around them. This means that each child in a classroom will have an impact on their classmates and be a factor in developing each classmates’ perception of truth.
"A person gets out of his experience all that there is in it for him at the time in which he has it." - John Dewey, 1938
As a future educator, I think it is important to help children use their experiences to create new knowledge in the classroom and then to share that understanding with their peers. As the sum total of human knowledge continues to explode, we need to selectively choose which elements are foundations for common understanding and learning, rather than focusing on a fixed, historical body of knowledge. The knowledge and the skill sets, which we provide to students, should be adaptable to the society in which they live. As the use of advanced technology continues to expand and grow in all aspects of life, it must be integrated into the educational system so that it reflects the way in which students will be living and working in the non-academic world.
The philosophies of Idealism and Realism believe in universal truths, but such truths are not common in a pragmatist philosophy. Instead, Pragmatism recognizes that the evolution of knowledge is an ongoing process and accepts that it will change (Ornstein & Hunkins, 2009). I think we need to accept the fact that there are experiences we face that will ultimately change our outlook on life. When our realities shift and change, this impacts the view we have of life and the way in which we embrace knowledge.
Every child who comes into the classroom is going to have a different reality; no one child is identical to another. The information which children receive in the classroom is going to be perceived and integrated differently by each child, based on the truths which that child already believes. John Dewey (1938) pointed out that people’s minds are conditioned and influenced by the people around them. This means that each child in a classroom will have an impact on their classmates and be a factor in developing each classmates’ perception of truth.
"A person gets out of his experience all that there is in it for him at the time in which he has it." - John Dewey, 1938
As a future educator, I think it is important to help children use their experiences to create new knowledge in the classroom and then to share that understanding with their peers. As the sum total of human knowledge continues to explode, we need to selectively choose which elements are foundations for common understanding and learning, rather than focusing on a fixed, historical body of knowledge. The knowledge and the skill sets, which we provide to students, should be adaptable to the society in which they live. As the use of advanced technology continues to expand and grow in all aspects of life, it must be integrated into the educational system so that it reflects the way in which students will be living and working in the non-academic world.