Introduction, Thesis Statement, and Annotated Bibliography

Introduction

In Week Two we discussed and wrote about ethics and scholarship. Since honesty is a core ethical value, we need to be sure always to give credit to the work that others have done. We must be honest in our research, how we use the results of research, and how we include research information not just in school but also in our personal and professional lives.

During Week Three we will use research skills to search for scholarly resources on your chosen research topic and will discuss the differences between the various types of resources. From the required readings, you will also demonstrate, through discussion, your understanding of philosophical theories of education and reflect on how your general education courses have taught you academic integrity, global citizenship and cultural sensitivity. 

Philosophy of Education

Societies, cultures, schools, and individual people have their own unique understanding of education, what it is and what its purposes, reasons, and goals are. For some, education serves to inculcate a particular set of religious beliefs. In some societies, education prepares people to become workers. For others, education prepares people to become active citizens. There is also the idea that education is concerned with learning and especially learning how to learn. Those ideas are part of what is known as philosophy of education.

Philosophy of education also includes the role of the teacher and the student. Schools may thus be student-centered or teacher-centered. Teacher-centered schools tend to take an authoritarian approach in which the teacher drives the curriculum, materials, ideas, presentation of materials, student activities, and tests and measures. Student-centered schools tend to focus on the needs of the individual student, where the teacher is more of a guide to assist the student in the learning process. 

For the most part, general education courses and the liberal arts curriculum seek to provide a learning experience that affects the student as a whole person. Many students, however, would prefer that their educational experience focus solely on specific job-related skills. With the increasing rates of change in the workplace created by modern technologies, most jobs change so quickly that it is no longer possible to keep pace with job-specific courses. On the other hand, a student-centered curriculum that focuses on helping students learn how to learn provides them the kind of critical thinking and learning skills that will help them know how to adapt to the ever-changing, future job markets. 

Independent, Critical Thinking

The critical thinking skills that are emphasized in the general education curriculum provide the skills necessary for students to be able to separate fact from fantasy and to arrive at their own conclusions based upon those facts.

References