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Paige Blumenthal

Spring 2015
EDUC 290 CO1W CO5W
Philosophy Statement
Guided discovery appeals greatly to me. For instance, if your child asks you a question
about something, is it better to give him the answer, or is it better to guide him towards finding
the answer himself? I definitely think its best for children to find the answer themselves with
help from an adult. Not only do the children get more knowledge out of the experience, they also
learn important life skills in the process. Plus they are able to take charge with their learning,
which is a natural tendency and an empowering one. Hands-on learning is also very appealing to
me. Its engaging, it stimulates different parts of the brain, and its exciting!
I also feel strongly about teachers roles in promoting social responsibility and personal
growth of students. We have an opportunity, and I feel a duty, as teachers to contribute to a just
society. Why not impart these important aspects into the curriculum we teach. It most certainly
applies to every subject.
A philosophy takes time to develop and is hopefully always being explored and tweaked.
Despite the growth that should occur, it does begin somewhere and generally reflects the beliefs
of the individual. I know this is true for myself. My strongest leanings came from the postmodernity period emphasizing contemporary and liberal school of thoughts with a nonauthoritarian approach. This was no surprise to me because it aligns with the way I see the world.
My highest scores (two being tied for 19 and one being 20) were Humanism,
Cognitivism/Constructivism, and Progressivism. The next highest was
Reconstructionism/Critical Theory. The other four showed up in there as well with scores of 11,
12, 13, and 14. I believe there is a time and place for every theory, but realize that each teacher
will have specific ones that guide their decisions more than others.

Paige Blumenthal
Spring 2015
EDUC 290 CO1W CO5W
Progressivism is active and hands on. It puts students in practical situations and allows
them to explore and problem-solve their way through them. This type of learning is relevant to
what will be experienced outside of the classroom. It gives experience as opposed to just words
through lecture. As an example, I have a geology class this semester. As one might imagine, this
class focuses its attention on the earth and its processes. Where do such things take place? In a
classroom? Certainly not. Rocks, erosion, weather - these all occur outside. Sure we can look at
pictures and even look at a few rocks in a box, but what really sets the learning into motion is
taking the knowledge to the source. When we went on our first field trip the practical application
of what we had been seeing on power points and hearing from our professors mouth finally
appeared before our eyes.
The teachers role is to provide scaffolding to help students reach their full potential.
They must guide them and provide them with the knowledge they need, but ultimately, the
student needs to get a feeling of being in the drivers seat so they can learn through discovery and
gain confidence in their ability to do so. Student-led learning is a great motivator for success and
control over ones education. These attributes can be found in the philosophies of Progressivism,
Humanism, and Congnitivism/Constructivism.
I most definitely learn best by doing. Even if I flounder my way through something, do it
inefficiently the first few times through, or make several mistakes - the process is what facilitates
my understanding. Even though I learn best this way, I am also adept at learning through lecture,
reading, rote memorization, and all of the other traditional methods. This enables me to succeed
and fit into the general school model of teaching. Learning by doing involves making mistakes
and failure. These outcomes are generally perceived as negative in our society. This may lead to

Paige Blumenthal
Spring 2015
EDUC 290 CO1W CO5W
embarrassment and feelings of inadequacy. But it is through mistakes and failure that we really
succeed in the real world. We are then able to learn from are mistakes, try new things, persist,
problem solve, and son on. It is a much needed aspect in our educational system. The same
philosophies I mentioned before are apply here as well.
A personal philosophy is vital as a guiding force in your purpose and the outcomes you
have in your classroom. It directs your choices and helps you choose them with intention. It
guides your curriculum in a meaningful way that can be backed up by your ideas about how
knowledge is achieved and why you are teaching the particular content and why you are teaching
it in the way you are. It helps you to grow as a teacher in enabling you to reflect and adjust as
needed. In order to form a personal philosophy, we must know our own beliefs. From there, we
can decide what is most important to us in the role we play in the lives of our students.

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