Teaching Philosophy

The teaching philosophy that I chose to talk about is the theory of constructivsim. This refers to the theory of knowledge that argues that humans generate knowledge from their experiences and their behaviors. between their experiences and their reflexes or behavior-patterns. The biggest change in this method of teaching is that learning is based solely on cognitive theory as opposed to behaviorsim. An example of using this type of method involves using technology such as the internet or interactive learning.

Some of the major points of constructivism include:

1. Knowledge is constructed by learners who are involved in active learning;
2. Knowledge is symbolically constructed by learners who are making their own representations of action;
3. Knowledge is socially constructed by learners who guide their meaning making to others; and;
4. Knowledge is theoretically constructed by learners who try to explain things they don't completely understand.

Constructivism environments work with students to create hands on, interactive learning environments as opposed to the traditional style of lecture teaching. I definitely agree with this philosophy and think it's a much more useful way to learn.

Sources:
http://www.accesswave.ca/~hgunn/special/papers/hypertxt/conlearn.html#Constructivist

http://wilderdom.com/philosophy/SampleEducationPhilosophies.html

Inclusion in the classroom

Inclusion is a word that we hear a lot these days when talking about education. Years ago, children with special needs or disabilities would be put into "special ed" classes, separated from children in mainstram classrooms. It has been the trend for the past several decades to change this. In today's classrooms, we see kids of all different abilities, ethnic backgrounds, race, religion and family environments. The practice of inclusion means "more than just placement in the regular class within school. It means being included in life and participating using one's abilities in day to day activities as a member of the community" (http://www.kidstogether.org/inclusion.htm). By allowing everyone to mix and work together, students can learn from each other's strengths, and help overcome weaknesses.

Some of the problems associated with lack of inclusion in schools:

Appropriate supports and services not available in general education classes

    Students with disabilities not considered in decisions that affect all students

    Teacher preparation not adequately addressing inclusion of students with disabilities

    Paraprofessionals not trained in inclusion

    Funding used as a reason for not identifying and appropriately supporting a student's needs

    Disability not considered when teaching about diversity

    Separation between general and special education -- two systems

    Lack of accountability and failure to collect data objectively

    Laws being disregarded for students with disabilities

    Policies and procedures that ignore students with disabilities

    Parents not informed about the possibilities, laws and rights

    Staff, parents, administrators, government, and school boards uninformed about inclusion

    Universal Design is rarely recognized or considered

    Low or no expectations for students with disabilities

    Stereotyping by label and categorical placements

    False perceptions that "children" must be ready, instead of classes being ready for students

    Lack of Assistive Technology, related services and information

    Little to no local interagency collaboration

    Best practices for people with disabilities is not brought into the general classes

Sexuality Education - Does it Belong in the Classroom?

There seems to be a lot of controversy about whether or not the idea of sexuality should be taught in the classroom. Many argue that kids need to be educated about differences that people have. Others argue that the school is no place to teach children about such a sensitive topic. Many people are super religious and feel that the idea of homosexuality is a sin. This debate is a topic that has cause a lot of heat, especially when we get the school involved.

So what is right or wrong? What is providing too much information?

In 2005, David Parker of Lexington contacted the school district complaining that his then kindergarten student had been subjected to homosexual teachings in the classroom when his teacher read a book about different types of families, including same sex parents. Mr. Parker was ultimately arrested for trespassing on school grounds and refusing to leave. In my opinion, he went completely too far. He also seems to be completely uneducated about homosexuality. Just because it is talked about in the classroom doesn't mean that a child is going to "turn" gay. Mr. Parker has since waged a war against Lexington with the group MassResistance. This group is an anti-gay group that is committed to overturning same-gender marriage in Massachusetts. This group is now classified as a hate group.

To me, this type of behavior is completely ignorant. This father is teaching his child how to hate. A child isn't born knowing how to judge other people, or thinking that being gay is wrong. It is taught. This father is teaching his son that only their way of thinking, and their way of doing things, is the right thing. I strongly disagree.

The following article was written in response to this father's actions:

http://www.lexingtoncares.org/LexingtonMinutemanHateGroupArticles.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/education/15education.html