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Assignment 2: Philosopher Research Project

EDSN 600 History and Philosophy of Education and Special Education - Fall 2025

Topic presentation and lesson plan :Chapter 7 (Pages 94-106) –

Desiderius Erasmus: Renaissance - Humanist and Cosmopolitan Educato

REQUIRED TEXTBOOK & COURSE MATERIALS (Students are required to read all materials.) 1. Gutek, Gerald L. Historical and Philosophical Foundations of Education, 5th ed., Pearson 2011

Less information on slides, but please provide more details separately for the presentation.

 

ASSIGNMENT 2: (35 points)

Major Philosopher Research Project: Oral Presentation of Philosopher's Educational Ideas; Lesson Plan, Lesson Plan Rationale, and Reflection.     Due: Thursday, 10/16 – 4:30 pm; see below.

 

You will present a profile of one major philosopher who has influenced the history of education. The instructor will assign the philosopher. The oral Presentation should include appropriate tech-based visuals. Read the requirements below for specific details. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. 

  

Oral Presentation of Philosopher Information (15 points)

The oral Presentation should include the following information:

· A brief description of the historical context in which the philosopher lived and how it relates to the philosopher's educational philosophy; brief biographical sketch of the significant aspects of the philosopher's life that are related to the philosopher's educational philosophy; a detailed description of the philosopher's educational theory and how their philosophy influenced the education period in which they lived; a brief explanation describing who and/or what influenced the philosopher's educational philosophy; the relevance of the philosopher's philosophy to today's educational system and your personal reflection about the philosopher's educational ideas.

· The presentation should include informative and visually appealing elements (photos, illustrations, maps, charts, etc.).  The delivery should be mostly conversational with minimal reading required.

· The presentation mode should be submitted to   by 3:30 p.m. on  Thursday, 10/16

 

Written Lesson Plan (4 pts)

Will design and  submit  a written lesson plan for teaching a particular skill or concept that corresponds to your philosopher's educational philosophy. You will be given a Lesson Plan template.  (Do not exceed two pages)

· The lesson plan may be suitable for any grade and address any content essential to the philosopher's philosophy or educational ideas.

Lesson Plan Rationale (4 pts)

· The Written Rationale should describe how the presented lesson is representative of the philosopher's educational philosophy. You must include concrete evidence from the text and other sources.  1-2 pages only – do not exceed two pages.

Personal Reflection (4 pts)

· Your written  reflection  should include your thoughts about the philosopher's educational ideas. Are the philosopher’s educational ideas relevant for education in today's society? Why or why not? Would you adopt any of the philosopher's educational ideas? Why or why not? Your reflection should include concrete evidence with valid support.  2 pages only – do not exceed two pages.

Lesson Plan Activity (8 pts)

· You will present a brief activity based on the philosophy and educational ideas of the philosopher. It should be engaging, interactive, and utilize best teaching practices.

· At the end of the activity presentation, you should explain how the lesson represents the philosopher's philosophy and your thoughts about the philosopher’s philosophy of education.

 

NOTE:  

· The written lesson plan, lesson plan rationale, and personal reflection should be  uploaded to Canvas by 4:30 pm as one document in the following order: cover page, lesson plan, lesson plan rationale, reflection, and the reference page.

· If the document pages are uploaded separately, one point will be deducted from your final grade.  Do not upload a presentation mode file to Canvas.  It should be emailed to: All written work must be done in accordance with APA style/format.  

** The entire Presentation should not exceed 20-25 minutes. Do not go over the time allotment.

All  observing students should take notes, record questions, and jot down personal thoughts during oral presentations. You should be prepared to ask the presenters questions and/or make comments at the end of each Presentation.

 

 

• Slide 1: Maria Montessori
• Slide 2
• Slide 3: Historical Context: ITALY
• Slide 4: Relationships
• Slide 5: Biographical Sketch
• Slide 6: Biographical Sketch
• Slide 7: Philosophical Influences
• Slide 8: Philosophical Ideas
• Slide 9: Montessori Curriculum
• Slide 10: Operational tenets for learning
• Slide 11: Contribution to Education
• Slide 12: REFLECTIONS Applicability and Rationale
• Slide 13: Reference

Assignment Two: Major Philosopher Research Project

Yuliana Artanova

Touro University

EDSN 600 History and Philosophy of Education

Professor Carolyn Givens-Lambert

Due Date: April 20, 2023

Date Submitted: April 19, 2023

LESSON PLAN

PHILOSOPHER’S NAME: Maria Montessori

Grade being addressed: Pre-Kindergarten

Subject being addressed: Science

Topic/Theme: Respect and caring for the environment

NYS Common Core Standards addressed:

PKR9: Make connections between self, text, and the world.

PKW1: Use a combination of drawing, painting, oral expression, and/or emergent writing to state an opinion regarding a recognizable topic within child-centered, authentic, play-based sensory learning. Learners will watch a video regarding taking care of the environment and apply the different skills acquired to demonstrate comprehension of the topic.

Objectives: Students will:

· Identify threats to the environment.

· Explain how these threats affect the environment.

· Describe simple ways people can undertake to safeguard the environment.

Do Now/ Motivation/Opening Activity:

We need to be cautious with the resources we use and ensure we do not create waste. It is good to take care of our environment, isn’t it?

What activities can we do in our homes to display care for our environment?

Explain that the lesson will be interactive and fun as we learn about caring for the environment.

The activities will take place both indoors and outdoors.

Materials used:

· Leaves

· Paint for canvas (non-toxic, washable)

· Painting brushes

· Nature-themed rubber stamps

· Reusable tote bags.

Procedure:

For the outdoor activities

· Students will go outside and collect leaves of different sizes with guidance from their teacher.

For the indoor activity

· Students will arrange/prepare the table by placing the materials on it.

· Students will decorate reusable tote bags.

· Students will pick a plain tote bag made from cotton or canvas and decorate it with leaves, acrylic paint, fabric markers or paint pens, nature-themed rubber stamps, and stencils, etc.

· Students will then use their tote bags to carry lunches and snacks.

Technology Integration:

Children will watch a video on YouTube on caring for the environment

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2YgM1Zw4_E

Homework/Follow-up:

Students can choose between two activities to carry out with their parents over the weekend.

i) Reuse materials for arts and crafts by transforming empty plastic milk jugs into a bird feeder or creating a flowerpot and decorating it with various materials collected.

ii) Plant a garden and select their favorite fruits or vegetables to grow.

Parents will record the activity procedures and submit them to the Brightwheel profile of their child.

Lesson Plan Rationale

Maria Montessori’s philosophy and method affirmed the need for children to explore and interact with their environment to bring about growth and development, which she named the tenet of liberty of the pupils in their spontaneous manifestations. In addition, Montessori stressed individualized learning to enable a child to follow and pursue their interests by choosing from a variety of educational resources, materials that excite the child to learn, the child working at their individual pace, and the teacher acting as a guide (Gutek, 2010). In my lesson plan, I included a variety of activities that provide room for exploration inside and outside the classroom. In addition, I ensured that all activities entailed me working as a guide and not dictating.

Montessori structured a curriculum for early childhood education which comprised practical life skills, sensory learning, language, and overall social, physical, and cultural environment. In my lesson plan, I selected caring for the environment as a theme which is consistent with Montessori practical life skills to teach children. According to Montessori, practical skills included activities that aid children in developing muscles, and exercising motor coordination. As children collect the leaves outside and engage in activities promoting environmental conservation, they are exercising and developing motor coordination.

Montessori also emphasized on sensory learning curriculum whereby learners should be exposed to activities that foster sensory acuity through touch, seeing, smelling, tasting, and listening. In my lesson plan activities, children utilize all their senses in painting, drawing, smelling, and touching. Language is also developed as children learn and name objects in the environment and how to care for them. Their takeaway assignment of either planting a garden or making reusing jugs as bird feeding tools or flower pots develops childrens’ social, physical, and cultural abilities. Also, their cognitive abilities develop as they engage with the environment. Also, affording children choices in their homework assignments is a way of developing their willpower. Finally, the homework assignment develops their moral sense through successfully overcoming the hurdles and challenges in the tasks.

Maria Montessori formulated several principles to guide learning in a structured environment. One of them was the principle of work, whereby a child stays on a task carrying out repetitive activities until they master a task (Gutek, 2010). In my lesson plan, all activities were guided by this tenet. Children need to undertake repetitive tasks to prepare for and master different techniques and art tools while working with sustainable materials. Other principles like the development of will and power of attention are also encompassed in my lesson planning. I provided learners with the ability to select the materials they want to utilize in decorating the reusable tote bags as well as in their homework assignment. One of Maria Montessori’s contributions to education was the recognition that schools must be part of the community and must involve parents if the instruction is to be effective (Gutek, 2010). This was a guiding tenet in the rationale behind my homework assignments. The two activities I gave students to choose from involve parental engagement for them to be successful. This is one of the ways I promote family engagement in the learning process. Overall, all activities and tasks in the lesson plan foster concentration for them to successfully accomplish the given tasks.

In summary, the lesson plan covered the philosophy and methods of Montessori early childhood education. This includes sensory learning, exposing children to environmental exploration, and also ensuring all tools used in the activities were children-friendly and met their needs. Also, the Montessori curriculum was encompassed in my lesson plan to develop practical life skills, language, physical, social, and cultural skills. Moreover, all the principles to guide learning in a structured environment were encompassed throughout the classroom activities and homework assignment tasks.

Personal reflection

Maria Montessori’s philosophical educational ideas included self-directed learning. Self-directed learning, according to Montessori, is fostered by an innate power to self-learn. In addition, to the psychological and mental ability that endows a child to learn, the environment is important for human development (Gutek, 2010). My opinion is that a child's environment, both inside and outside the classroom, influences their learning. If children are in environments that do not promote learning, such as poverty, violence, and minimal resources, their education will be hindered.

Montessori also advocated for child-centered learning with the teacher acting as a guide, not the sole source of knowledge. In my opinion, in modern education practices, this principle is relevant. This is because classrooms in modern-day education have become diversified in terms of children’s physical, and cognitive abilities, as well as social, and cultural diversities. Consequently, a one-size-fits-all approach does not work for all learners. The student can study at his or her own pace as long as learning is child-centered, and instruction can be tailored according to their needs. This also includes students with learning and physical disability in our schools.

I would adopt Montessori’s educational ideas because I believe in making education holistic. In my opinion, education should ensure that learners become independent, and are given choice and voice in learning to develop their willpower. In addition, apart from developing children’s cognitive skills through knowledge impartation, I believe their motor skills are also important. According to Montessori, sensory learning and practical life skills afford learners the ability to acquire sensory acuity and also develop their muscle strength and motor coordination through walking, running, and so on. In conclusion, Montessori stresses the importance of parental engagement for education success. I would adopt this because collaboration in education is vital and also fosters the building of trustworthy relationships with learners’ families.

Reference

Gerald Lee Gutek. (2010). Historical and philosophical foundations of education: a biographical approach. Merrill; London.

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Comments:

· See checklist and oral presentation rubric.