Education And Education : The Purpose Of Education

My first core conviction is that all students should be treated equally. Therefore, all my students should be given the same opportunities to succeed and learn. Origin, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, language proficiency, social and economic status should not be taken into account to favor or disservice. For this reason, an imperative goal as a teacher is to provide quality instruction by giving all of my students the tools they need to learn successfully.

In Kisautaq Lenona Okakok’s essay “Serving the Purpose of Education” she discusses the education dilemma in her borough of North Slope, Alaska, where many of the occupants are indigenous people of the Inupiat. Western education was thrust upon the Inupiat people of Alaska, changing the traditional way they taught their children. Okakok explains why and how The Board of Education for North Slope, Alaska took entire control of their education system after having Western education try to influence their way of teaching. The way the Inupiat teach is different from that of Western education, not only do they teach a different language (Inupiaq), they also need to teach a different curriculum that is better suited for the people of the North Slope compared to that of Western education. Okakok’s essay analyzes the way Western culture and teachings influenced her own culture, and how the Inupiat have taken control of their own education again while using considerable examples to defend her claims.

Disc 1. The defining characteristics of Emerson’s ideal education are free, patient, respectful, and with proper amount of practices and instructions. According to Emerson, teachers or parents have to respect the kids’ nature with patience. The educators should not blindly discipline the kids with rules and punishments just for time-saving, but encourage the them to follow their nature and passion. Even though Emerson has emphasized that teachers should respect the kids’ nature, he still points out the importance of the instruction and teaching from a “master”. Teachers should instruct and teach the kids fundamental disciplines because the kids need their help to practice their passion and knowledge, and the teachers should teach without destroying the kids’ nature.

Rita Pierson, an American educator, once stated, “Every child deserves a champion, an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection, and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be” (“Every Kid,” 2013). Her comment is reflected within my philosophy of teaching. One’s philosophy of education defines who they strive to be as an educator; it clearly forms the way one will teach and guides their expectations for their students. Children are the future of our country. Therefore, I believe it is the responsibility of a teacher to strive to be the best educator possible by having cultural competence and pedagogical knowledge to effectively teach their students. This can be done by motivating students to learn through self-discovery based on their interests and what is relevant to their lives. It is a teacher’s responsibility to guide students towards their own goals to grow intellectually and personally as a unique individual. Accordingly, students will be inspired to use acquired skills and knowledge towards the real world.

Aristotle said, “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” What does it really mean to be educated? Many people thought that they knew what education meant, even I felt confident in myself to define education. However, the ideas discussed in class really made me question my definition of education. My definition has changed within the past few weeks as I discovered more about education. I am here to present my definition of education; with the lack of resources, one can still become educated by learning the unknown and putting your knowledge to good use.

We will house kids who are products of all facets of society. For example, children of immigrants, children who have affluence, children who are loved and cared for greatly and children who may be in a situation of neglect. Teaching is about reaching out to each student, helping them to overcome challenges and be the best that they can be. It seems that an increasing number of these challenges may not be academic in nature. I believe that conquering these challenges actually beings with the little community forming within our classrooms. As teachers we have the obligation to teach our students how to have respect and compassion for one another. How to be on the same team and work together, no matter each person’s background.

Most of the students in my culturally diverse school enter my classroom with wisdom and knowledge from their home experiences that can be used to expand their learning even further. The positivity from the learning in my classroom are exponentially greater when my students feel the appreciation and respect that I have for the rich cultural value that their family contributes to the ever-growing educational environment. I believe that young children learn best in a relational, interactive mode rather than focusing on the simple rote instruction.

Essentially, chapter one opened the door for me to look at myself as an educator and realize that my beliefs, values, religion, customs and traditions influence my thoughts and actions in the classroom. Many times we as educators go about our daily routine of instructing students, unconscious of how our preconceived notions about life and education influence our instruction and interaction with students. In chapter one, Delores B. Lindsey, Richard S. Martinez, and Randall B. Lindsey invite deliberate conversation about who we are as individuals, why we do what we do, and other thought provoking issues like race and socioeconomic status. And the sad but true fact of the matter is, many times in education we acknowledge religion, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, but that is as far as it goes. They are acknowledged but often times not addressed- in the sense of how ethnicity and socioeconomic status influence teaching and learning and how to use this knowledge to enhance by teaching and learning. It

Every classroom provides a community of learners who offer individualistic styles of learning, unique beliefs and thought processes. Through the curriculum and all experiences within an educational setting, educators have the ability to influence students through their own beliefs and philosophies. Educators have a responsibility to confront and challenge stereotypes, particularly those pertaining to gender and socio-economic status, to promote diversity within the classroom and enhance student’s emotional, physical, social and academic well-being by recognizing the importance of self-esteem and self-efficacy. Curriculum frameworks are influenced by how they are developed,

To effectively reach all learners from diverse backgrounds, it is imperative that implementation of the content reflect and relate to students cultural background (Woidkowski & Ginsberg, 1995). Culturally responsive teaching is multidimensional including curriculum and instructional practices as aforementioned however; failure to address teacher-student interaction, classroom climate, performance assessment, and overall school culture will lead to a fractured approach (Howard, 2012). Wiodkowski and Ginsberg outline a framework for culturally responsive teaching focusing on motivational conditions related to respect, choice, rigor, and competence. This framework included establishment of an inclusive setting so all members of the community feel included and respected, development of positive attitude towards the learning experience through personal significance and choice, creation of challenging work that creates values for learning new material and having been exposed to the growth experience (Woidkowski &

The United States of America is known for being a country filled with people of many different ethnic backgrounds. Likewise, the student population in schools is just as diverse as it continues to grow. Lynch (2015) notes that schools are expected to teach their students “how to synthesize cultural differences into their knowledge base” as this will help “facilitate students’ personal and professional success in a diverse world” (para. 8). Educators must be able to provide for the diverse needs of students and are expected to equip students with skills that can lead to healthy development as it can affect higher levels of student achievement and students have more opportunities of success in their future. Providing students with tools and skills requires an awareness and acceptance of their ethnic identity. Once students have developed self-acceptance about their ethnic identity, they can begin to feel empowered and motivated to do well. Through cultural empowerment, students of color can develop intrinsic motivation and achieve academic success.

It is grounded in ideals of social justice and equity, critical pedagogy, and a dedication to providing educational experiences in which all students reach their full potentials as socially and culturally aware and responsive citizens (Ford, 2014). Educators share an understanding that school aged children need a program that provides an education that discourages racial injustices and encourages respect of individual cultures, and overall positive accord among everyone. According to Manning & Baruth (2009), multicultural education programs instill in learners, during their crucial developmental years, a sense of responsibility to work toward the democratic ideals of justice, equality, and democracy.

There are many factors that play a role in the learning process for every human being. Race, religion, language, socioeconomics, gender, family structure, and disabilities can all affect the ways in which we learn. Educators must take special measures in the delivery of classroom instruction to celebrate the learning and cultural differences of each of their students. As communities and schools continue to grow in diversity, teachers are searching for effective educational programs to accommodate the various learning styles of each student while promoting acceptance of cultural differences throughout the classroom. It no longer suffices to plan educational experiences only for middle-or upper class white learners and then

I believe a successful learning experience is engaging and valued by the students. I believe students’ will value what they are learning if they believe what they’re learning is relevant. Relevance is important to teaching and learning because it is directly related to student engagement and motivation (Frymier & Schulman, 1995; Martin & Dowson, 2009). Marsh (2008), states a positive classroom environment provides a sense of security, community, belonging and identity (Marsh, 2008). Based on my experience as a practicing teacher, I have found establishing clear expectations within the classroom assist in maintaining control and discipline, to create a safe learning environment (Fatt Hee, 1996). I believe within all classrooms, students’ diversity should be valued. This creates a discrimination free environment and ensures students feel safe and included (Philips, 2010). According to Stanford & Parkay (2007) students are more engaged in class when learning experiences are satisfying, challenging and friendly.

As a future teacher in today’s society and generation, I believe the educational system must accommodate the individual and the diverse needs of each child. Many factors should be thought about when forming a philosophy on education. Factors as far as the increase of single parent families and dual careers, the family structure is changing and this may play a significant part in our students. Furthermore, the issues such as teen pregnancy and drugs and much more, children are facing more complicated issues than they ever had before. A sound philosophy on education must be developed within the framework of social value systems. Our children are our future resources. All children can be guided to become well adjusted, functional and intelligent adults for their own benefit and the benefit for others in society. An educator should motivate and stimulate each child to perform to the best of their ability. Regardless of the various experiences, abilities and needs of the child. Therefore, all children must be well educated and given the opportunity