Gunner Brown

EDU 601- Dr. Frey

7/8/14

The Aims of Education

Education may have a different meaning and purpose to everyone. While one would
assume there are commonalities between each particular goal, it also creates room for opinion
based on the person describing education. In my opinion, the three aims of the educational
system are:
1. To foster a sense of individualism and enhance the growth of students. All students
arrive with their own traits and abilities, and the role of a school is to allow expression of those
ideas. Students should leave a school with a better understanding of who they are and confident
in where they are going for the future. This does not mean the aim of education is to create
students ready for college, but rather to create students that are ready for whatever they choose to
do.
2. To deliver a comprehensive knowledge of a wide variety of content. This includes
basic concepts such as mathematics, English, history, and sciences. But more so than that, it also
requires that there are a lot of other options for students. Going back to the first aim above, if
students are thought of as individuals, then they must be allowed to choose classes that meet
their desires and interests.
3. To provide opportunities for life lessons and ability to grow from mistakes. Allowing
students opportunities to learn about social skills can help grow students into productive
members of society. Again not all students will act the same and possess the same empathy as
their peers. The school should be a safe place where students get to interact with peers, authority
figures, and to help create a better understanding on how to effectively participate in society as a
whole.

Gunner Brown
EDU 601- Dr. Frey

7/8/14

The Nature of the Learner

While a lot of the focus in education deservedly goes to the schools, standards, and
teachers, I believe that the central focus should always be the learner. This is not to say that
students are the cause of any sort of school shortcomings, but rather that they are the reason that
schools exist at all. As such, it is vital that the way learners are thought of be described in order
to create an environment in which they succeed.
I assume most people understand that nature versus nurture are two extreme ends of a
spectrum, where the truth about how a student grows lies somewhere on the middle. My belief is
that students are born with some innate skills, but the majority of their change over time is due to
their environment and experiences. I identify strongly with Maslows (1943) hierarchy of needs,
stating that as students have their basic needs met, they are able to progressively achieve more as
they build on basics of life.
This means that students act in a classroom based on what they need, and then can move
on to what helps them grow and realize their full potential. While sometimes students struggle to
move past the social section of the hierarchy, it becomes the environment or expectations created
by the teacher that helps influence the student to success. I believe all students can learn and
grow, regardless of whatever information and skills they begin class with. That is not to say they
do not have a variety of needs, beliefs, and individuality, but rather that they have the ability to
learn in some format.

Gunner Brown
EDU 601- Dr. Frey

7/8/14

The Image of the Curriculum

Curriculum can have a variety of meanings. To me, when I hear curriculum, I think about
what material teachers try to impart on their students. Obviously the majority of this material is
content related, but the curriculum can also include discussion of life lessons, college
preparation, and possibly social skills if the opportunity presents itself.
For example, say students are learning about the use of variables in a first year Algebra
class. Most curricula state that this is a vital piece of math content knowledge. While part of
school curriculum should definitely include variables, it should also require a discussion of why
it is important and how it relates to students.
Students should see a curriculum that is relevant to them and excites them about the
future of the knowledge they receive. While school districts can help define the content
knowledge for students, teachers are responsible for the part of curriculum that is more liferelated. The reason for this is because teachers are able to individualize curriculum based on
class and particular student demographics.
The Image of the Assessment
Assessment is the relevant judging of main ideas. If we define the curriculum as both
content knowledge and both relevant connections to life, then assessment must observe both. In
my opinion, that means that assessment requires standard forms of examination, such as tests,
quizzes, or homework. But along with these methods, assessment also requires teacher
observation and more formative ideas.
Tests and quizzes can be a difficult process for all parties involved in schooling. The tests
need reliability and validity, but mainly have to maintain a level of difficulty consistent with the
level of student ability. I believe tests and quizzes are to be designed as assessments of main

Gunner Brown
EDU 601- Dr. Frey

7/8/14

ideas and applications. Students should generally know what they are being tested over, and be
able to make inferences from that material. I am not advocating for teaching to a particular test,
but rather testing what was already taught.
Observations are another main tool I believe teachers need for proper assessment of
students. The importance of this comes from things that may not directly relate to exam scores.
For example, watching a student work hard, grasp main ideas, and explain critical thinking
concepts would help override a test score where the student made simple mistakes. If we only
looked at the test score, this student would be unfairly judged.
The Image of the Teacher
The question of most teachers from people outside the school is generally why do you
teach? A question that personal has individual answers, but I think there are a couple
characteristics that define all teachers.
First, I believe that all teachers are hard-working people who excel at making
connections. I think that the most important part about teaching is not content knowledge or
strategy choice, but rather the ability to understand and relate to students. Community members
understand that teachers are entrusted and employed to teach students content and relate to them
on a personal level.
Second, I believe teachers work to create answers to their own questions and to further
their classroom abilities. I think teachers naturally want to be better at their job, and through
professional development and graduate classes, teachers maintain a general high level of quality.
Even in interpersonal conversations between teachers, information is passed around to help
discuss classroom issues and increase awareness.

Gunner Brown
EDU 601- Dr. Frey

7/8/14

Overall I think the main requirement of successful teachers is the ability to be

introspective and inquisitive about personal teaching ability and strategies. Metacognition helps
teachers realize what they are doing well, what they need to do more of, and what they need to
change. As described by Hartman: It [metacognition] includes reflecting on: instructional goals,
students characteristics and needs, content level and sequence, teaching strategies, materials, and
other issues related to curriculum, instruction, and assessment (Hartman, 2001, pg. 151).
The Preferred Pedagogy
Continuing on with the idea of metacognition, perhaps the most important usage of that
concept in my opinion is the thinking on how to teach. It is a discussion very relevant in current
education, consisting of teacher-lead versus student-lead learning. I consider myself a hybrid of
those two ideas, with an understanding that each is useful and required to maximize student
learning. With the belief that students are all individuals, it makes logical sense to assume that
they all learn in slightly different ways. So if a teacher is able to maximize the different ways
material is presented, then it in turn maximizes the amount of students that can learn.
Looking solely at student-lead learning, I recognize the benefit that it can provide to
students. Giving students a chance to discover a piece of knowledge allows them to feel invested
in the material. It also allows for students to create their own connections. One example that I
feel demonstrate this point is the student discovery of the ratio pi. By giving students a piece
of yarn and a ruler, students can measure the circumference and diameter of several circles and
compare them to find out the ratio pi. The teacher facilitates this rather than telling students.
But there is also a time where a more lecture based approach is required. As an example,
when discussing a complicated and abstract concept such as calculus derivatives, a teacher is
probably best to describe those to students. Another quality reason for this approach is to help

Gunner Brown
EDU 601- Dr. Frey

7/8/14

adequately prepare students for college. Very few college courses are entirely activity-based, and
much learning is simply spoken by the teacher. Truthfully, being adept at both learning styles
helps prepare students for ultimate success no matter what the task.

The Preferred School

Tying directly to the way teachers educate is the outcome that is preferred for students.
Many stats are used to describe successful schools, such as graduation rates, ACT or SAT scores,
and scholarships earned. The reason these are used is that they are concrete and visual, rather
than abstract and hidden. Much like the discussion of assessment, success cannot be measured
simply by numerical means.
The real question then is: what makes a successful student upon leaving the school
system? In my opinion, students are considered successful in the content knowledge department
if they are able to meet a set of requirements put forth by a collaboration of diverse individuals.
To me, those individuals should involve business leaders, educators, scientists, and the like. This
gives students the opportunity to learn material that has proven necessary in the career
environment.
Success with content knowledge, however, does not automatically mean that the school
itself is successful. I think students must leave with the confidence and ability to continue
growth as an individual. This allows students to pursue endeavors that may be difficult and to
learn from potential struggles. I also believe that a successful school has an output of a wide
variety of students. Again believing that all students are individuals, then the school should allow
them to grow and leave as individuals as well.

Gunner Brown
EDU 601- Dr. Frey

7/8/14

Reflection on Educational Issues

I was very interested at the connection between the U.S. Department of Educations A
Blueprint for Reform because it connected with a lot of the ideas I had already mentioned. For
example, the fact that students should also be career-ready, not just college-ready. Or how
students should be given a complete education, not just the basic subjects.
But perhaps the part that stood out the most from that document was the section devoted
to successful, safe, and healthy students. Sometimes I guess I take it for granted that schools are
a safe place and students are allowed to feel comfortable there. Going back to my association
with Maslows (1943) hierarchy, it is a basic need to be healthy and safe, but not one that I had
thought to include in the aims of education until reading this document.
And while I did not necessarily agree with the complete disregard for extrinsic
motivation by Kohn (1997), I found myself thinking critically about his mentioning that by
explicitly teaching values, you are inherently assuming children are bad. As discussed above, I
think this article helped define and reiterate my belief that students are born with innate talent
and skills, and can be molded by their environment. Perhaps all children are given a positive
mindset and values, but some will undoubtedly be altered by their environment, meaning that
teaching requires educators to provide all forms of teaching to individuals. Values simply cannot
be neglected at school, given that students spend more time at school than at every other activity
except sleeping (bls.gov).
Finally, the issue of diversity requires much discussion among educators and yet is not
reflected in this philosophy. Perhaps it must be pointed out that this paper is in reference to all
students, without regards to race, ethnicity, poverty level, or other distinguishing characteristics.
One exception to this rule is students with disabilities. I believe that students with disabilities

Gunner Brown
EDU 601- Dr. Frey

7/8/14

require an even more individualized education than their peers. The reason for this is that even
students with the same disability, such as autism, can have entirely different lives and abilities.
Overall the discussion of philosophy is one that must be continually altered, as mentioned
above with metacognition. It would provide little benefit if my philosophy does not change in my
future as an educator. Research and experience will allow me to update and refine both my
beliefs and my skills to be a better educator in the future.

Gunner Brown
EDU 601- Dr. Frey

7/8/14

References
Hartman, H. J. (2001). Metacognition in learning and instruction: theory, research, and practice.
Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Kohn, A. (1997). How not to teach values. Education Digest, 62(9), 12-17.
Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological review, 50(4), 370.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development,
ESEA Blueprint for Reform, Washington, D.C., 2010.