My

Philosophy of Education Amanda L. Haupt

Education is one of the most important tools in paving the path of a persons life. Education is not a virtue of life; it is a basic human need. The quality and quantity of an individuals education helps determine their control over their future. Therefore, every individual should have access to a quality education. The knowledge gained through education is empowerment. Education is not something that is obtained through a particular duration or intensity of time; education is continuous throughout life. As one gets older they constantly meet challenges that require learning new techniques and methods. Typically, our education obtained in later years is not obtained through formal education. Therefore, it is important that formal educators lead students toward valuing learning. In addition, formal education should mold students into holistic humans, ones that are academically strong and also physically, socially, and emotionally. To achieve this value of learning, students must be lead through a process that they are held accountable for their success. In accordance to famous philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, children learn best through experiences rather than direct instruction.1 Today such experiences may include applying knowledge to solve real-world problems, participating in service learning projects, and teaching 1 Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. Emile, or On education. New York: Basic Books, 1979. Print.

others. Thus, in formal education it is important that instructors provide students with opportunities to experience the content in a hands-on manner. In addition, individuals learn best when the content is presented in multiple ways. This allows for the learner to access the information using various portions of their brain. Throughout my previous experiences as a student and as a teacher, I have learned the truth of Rousseaus philosophy and the importance of multiple representations. When reflecting on my personal learning I identify my greatest points of learning to when the information was presented in multiple ways and I was given the opportunity to apply the information. During my experiences teaching, my students experienced the most growth when I integrated multiple representations and provided my students with learning experiences, rather then direct instruction.