Philosophy of Education

Rachel D. Rust

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. ~Aristotle The above quote by Aristotle exemplifies the philosophy of education I apply throughout my classroom. As a secondary science teacher, I consider it my duty to facilitate students in evaluating, making, and justifying claims via scientific inquiry processes. I want my students to be able to propose, defend, or reject a scientific argument backed by valid research, experimental data and analysis of both. Like Aristotle, I believe the best way to be able to validate a claim is to understand all aspects surrounding the argument. The ultimate goal of my classroom is for students to make the connection between the process of argumentation in the science classroom and the process of defending their own personal experiences and beliefs outside of the classroom. In the multicultural world of international schools, students approach science with different views and societal mores. My classroom provides students with a common scientific language allowing for efficient communication among students from different cultures. I provide a guided inquiry classroom where students are able to approach a scientific problem in ways that make sense to them. This helps students to understand that there is not always one way to answer a question. In addition, the guided inquiry approach allows me to differentiate for students with different learning styles and abilities. My goal is to provide support through the inquiry process but not stymie the process with detailed cookbook experiments. As the final goal of the guided inquiry process is to validate or reject a claim, an environment conducive to allowing students to confidently present their argument is essential. I believe there are various aspects of a classroom that provides a safe environment for students to make their scientific arguments. Among these aspects are: respect, rapport, motivation, flexibility, and consistency. Respect in a classroom environment is earned and built between students and teachers through rapport. I am a teacher who is genuinely interested in the people my students are. By showing that I care, I am able to build a rapport with my students that breeds respect. I also expect my students to honor and respect each others similarities and differences in and outside of the classroom. Different approaches motivate different students. It is my responsibility as a teacher to determine which approach to use in order to motivate a student in my classroom. The building of rapport aids in the area of motivation as it helps me understand what may motivate different students. Lastly, I believe that allowing for flexibility while still remaining consistent in expectations provides students with a productive classroom environment. By modeling flexibility, I can show students how to appropriately approach issues that may arise and then to alter a plan. This is especially important, as this is a common issue that happens in the scientific inquiry process as well as daily life. However, flexibility needs to be counter-balanced with consistency of classroom expectations. Students feel more comfortable in a classroom where they know what is expected of them. The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn. ~Alvin Toffler

While I think reading and writing are strikingly important to education and to students becoming productive global citizens, 21st century students need to be able to learn, unlearn, and relearn. This is an aspect that continually presents itself in science education as one acquires the abilities to understand more complex information as you move through more rigorous science courses. Models of natural phenomenon are simplified for basic understanding when first presented and altered with more precise and available details often showing students that simplified models are not correct and students need to unlearn and relearn to understand the more complex models (as in models of the atom). Students also need to be able to unlearn and relearn details of theories as they change with modern technology. The future of our students lies in their understanding that the world and technology are rapidly changing. Students are exposed to immense amounts of information daily through ever-changing technologies. In order for students to become productive global citizens, they will need tools that allow them to adopt and adapt to changing technologies. It is important for my students to be exposed to as much technology in my classroom that I am able to provide them - from simple online communication tools to scientific probeware and data collection software. Not only do students need to be provided access to technology, they need be regularly using technology in the classroom to keep pace with how they live their lives outside the classroom. Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself. ~John Dewey As people, we are constantly learning throughout life. In my classroom, students are expected to be able to provide a sound scientific argument, feel safe and confident to do so, all the while showing respect for viewpoints similar to and different from their own. My students need to be exposed to technologies that help them research, collect data, develop, and share their claims. In the process of scientific inquiry, students will be provided with skills that promote problem-solving, flexibility, and a desire to be a lifelong learner and productive 21st global citizen.