PHYLOSOPHY

OF
HUMAN PERSON
Major Paper
BENEDICTA D. MARTIN
Ph. D. EM, Student

Fr. Pedro Q. Dolar

MS-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, culturebased, 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, welldisciplined, 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 learners 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 gradelevel 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 1013 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 20082009 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
reserved. No part of this publicationincluding the drawings, graphs, illustrations, or chapters,
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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 fivepoint 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 days 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 ones
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
models 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 innovationas 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
characteristicone 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
Creativity and
Innovation

LEARNING OUTCOMES
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

Applying higher order thinking to new problems

and Problem Solving

issues, using appropriate reasoning as they effectively
analyze the problem and make decisions about themost effective ways
to solve the problem
Communicating effectively in a wide variety of forms
Communication

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

Accessing, analyzing, synthesizing, creating and sharing

Management
Effective Use of

information from multiple sources.

Creating the capacity to identify and use technology

Technology

efficiently, effectively and ethically as a tool to access,

Career and Life

organize, evaluate and share information

Developing skills for becoming self-directed,

Skills

independent learners and workers who can adapt to

change, manage projects, take responsibility for their

Cultural Awareness

work, lead others and produce results

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, todays 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 todays 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
persons

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.