NAME: Cheyenne Godding

TEMPLATE FOR RAPS EDU 250

1. STANDARD #5 Application of content 3:5 Putting Your Philosophy into the Classroom (p.335) 2. Choose the ones that best fit the activity you are completing. Choose at least three but no more than five. -Performances 5(e): The teacher develops learners communication skills in disciplinary and interdisciplinary contexts by creating meaningful opportunities to employ a variety of forms of communication that address varied audiences and purposes. -Performances 5(f): The teacher engages learners in generating and evaluating new ideas and novel approaches, seeking inventive solutions to problems, and developing original work. -Essential Knowledge 5(o): The teacher understands creative thinking processes and how to engage learners in producing original work. -Essential Knowledge 5(p): The teacher knows where and how to access resources to build global awareness and understanding, and how to integrate them into the curriculum. - Critical Dispositions 5 (s): The teacher values flexible learning environments that encourage learner exploration, discovery, and expression across content areas. 3. EXPLANATION OF THE ACTIVITY: The purpose of this activity is to help me find my place in the education world. Before I can really teach, I need to establish my philosophies on education. This will determine how I teach, what I expect from my students, and what I expect from the entire experience. This activity serves as my foundation for my beliefs about what my role is and what everyone elses role is in my career. My overall beliefs about education will undoubtedly influence the way that I teach and this assignment allows me to take a glimpse of what that might look like. 4. ARTIFACT: As an early childhood educator, I believe that my main purpose is to create experiences in which children can learn about themselves, others, and the world in which we live. I believe that children learn best by doing, not by sitting and being instructed all day long. Our bodies and our brains were designed to move, think, experiment, and process information. I believe that it is imperative for children of all ages to engage with each other and to have plenty of hands on experiences inside and outside the classroom. I believe it is my job to guide children and help facilitate these learning opportunities. I also think it is important for children to learn how they can help shape our society and our world. They should be aware of the fact that everything they do has a consequence on others and on their environment. I think lessons in science, geography, and different arts are important for creating intelligent problem solvers who help better our society. Because of this, I feel that when it comes to the philosophies of education, progressivism, and social reconstruction, with a little bit of existentialism are the key to the childrens educational success.

I value teaching and learning very much, and there is nothing quite like nurturing a young childs mind, body, and heart. I feel that young children are very susceptible to what we adults and educators have to say and offer, and I think its important that we dont get caught up in all the standardized testing. Children (and people in general) are not simply a test score, or a number, or a percentage. And I think it is crucial as an early childhood educator, that we understand that! I was taught so many irrelevant things in school, and I not only dont use the majority of the things that I was taught, but I also dont remember 90% of them. Part of this was because I wasnt learning things that I really wanted too! There was no passion; there was no drive. The only true drive I had was not to piss off my parents, so I tried to get good grades. But for the classes and subjects that I really enjoyed and had a true desire to learn more about, I did well on my own, with little effort, and those are the things that have stuck with me, even to this day! Letting children have a say in their education only makes sense! It is their life! They know what they like and what they are interested in. They should be allowed to help design and implement what their education looks like. I know I hated being told what to do, I still dont like that, and I am much happier, more engaged, and sincere when I am doing things that really matter to me. Children are no different. Participating in a center that incorporates existentialism would be so beneficial for all involved. I think this philosophy really takes some of the pressure off of the otherwise extremely overwhelmed teacher, and allows for a much more natural flow of things. Other educators are so busy and so worried about making grades, that they can end up losing their passion for teaching! Or what started out as fun, exciting, and invigorating, becomes hectic, stressful, and ends up burning people out. I dont want that, and I dont want that for my students. I want educating to be amazing and uplifting. I want it to be rewarding, and helping children find themselves and what they are really passionate about is extremely rewarding. This philosophy is the hardest to implement however, because how do you know its working? How do you test the subject areas properly? How do you meet every childs needs? And how do you convince a society of people that their traditional way of teaching isnt necessarily the best one? These are challenges that one must face. Because I currently teach at a private preschool, I think these challenges are easier for me to overcome. We practice the Reggio Emilia approach with our students, and this allows the children to really engage in activities that they like the most. We really encourage the children to express themselves and are trying to help them find their place in the world. For me, there is no test for this philosophy. All I can do is look and listen. By really watching the children and listening to them when they tell me what they need, is how I can then manipulate their environment to better meet their needs. For example, a toddler who is climbing on a table is not a child who is misbehaving or who never listens. This child is trying to discover their world and their place in it, and instead of reprimanding the child, we could set up a safe obstacle course so the child can move, climb, and explore those gross motor skills that they are trying to experience. Progressivism is I think the most important and engaging philosophy there is. The goals of this philosophy are to help children become intelligent problem solvers while becoming socially aware citizens who are prepared to live comfortably in the world. I dont think it gets more concrete or more important than this. This to me, is what life is all about and the sooner we start practicing these skills, then the better off our future generations will be. Not to mention the fact that children werent meant to sit still and take directions all day long. Even as adults, we need to move and try new things, and experiment to get results. We function as human beings by sensory experiences and allowing children to use all of their senses on a daily basis is how they are going to learn the most! Hands on activities, field trips, variety, and outdoor exploration are all things that I really believe promote

learning. I think its important that we engage our students in real-life or real-world experiences so that they know how to properly deal with situations when they occur. I think its imperative that they are prepared realistically for whats out there, for what they are going to actually face in the world. I think a philosophy of this kind also helps individualize education. I think a child should learn at his or her own rate, and they should be taught by how they learn. By doing things hands-on, children get the best of everything. They get visual stimulation, they get auditory stimulation, and they get to practice and do, versus wondering and hoping they know what is going on. So many people can read a book, but they cant actually put those words in actions unless they are presented with the real situation. I think children learn from each other as well and thats why I like the idea of small groups working together and talking things out. Lets face it, communication is key to our survival and asking children to sit and be quiet is in my book, detrimental to their development. Everyone has something unique to bring to the table and our students will have to work with others for the rest of their of their lives, both personally and professionally, so I think getting them to work together as soon as possible is an important educational goal. Having a wide variety of activities throughout the classroom allows children of all learning levels to be engaged in something. My preschool class is constantly moving throughout the room to different centers that are dedicated to different subject areas. I think this should be the case for all grade levels. Centers can include science, math and manipulatives, literature, art, geography, pretend play and music, or for older children a social table or corner. I would have loved to have gone to a school with this philosophy in mind. Not a school that was just constantly focused on grading and making us sit still in our seats for 40 minutes each period. It was torture for me! And I am really appalled at whats happening in our elementary schools. Kindergarteners are expected to read and write and are missing recess and have no time for play with their peers. It is not ok to be forcing 5 year olds to sit at a desk and read and write. It is not what their minds and bodies were designed to do. They should be up and moving and experimenting! John Dewey had the right idea when his philosophies came to light. Book learning is no substitute for doing the real thing! I also feel that children should be informed on social injustices within their society, because they are the ones who have the power to change it. It is just as important for them to explore and experiment as it is for them to understand the challenges that await them. This is why I also would incorporate some Social Reconstructionism. This ties right into progressivism in my mind. Taking a field trip to a homeless shelter to help prepare meals, or paint it, include all skills needed in life. Children are exposed to the harsh realities of homelessness, they would be working together, they would need to communicate, they would be doing things hands on and learning maybe how to cook a meal for the first time, or learn how mix paint, etc. Having books in the classroom available to them about things such as the Holocaust, or the true nature of Christopher Columbus, will help them understand why it is essential that those same things do not happen again. It is important that our children have a sense of goodwill and a responsibility for the well being of one another. I would like to educate a generation of intelligent, knowledgeable, strong, goodhearted, and honorable people; people who have the experience to be able to show empathy, and to know when its time to step up or stand down. I think its time we stop focusing on how well someone did on a multiple choice test, and realize that that is not how real life works, and that that is not what makes us successful and honorable. It is unfair, it unreasonable, and quite frankly, it is unrealistic. We are setting our children up for failure by not guiding them in a more nurturing and more real world ready way. Children are not robots. They are people, who have feelings; who have needs, wants, desires, fears, etc. I

think it is quite cruel to ignore those feelings, and assume that they are better off being dictated too. I do however understand that basic academic needs are of importance. Every child should be able to read, do basic arithmetic, know the 7 continents, and be able to communicate with others. But all of this can be learned and incorporated in a more individualized way. Children can learn all of the above skills and so much more by incorporating the 3 philosophies I just mentioned. With all this said, another reason why I am very confident in these philosophies is because I find these philosophies to be self-sustaining. I, as a professional, can only grow through my work. I will constantly be learning about the world in which I live in while learning about my students and their values and abilities on a daily basis. This can only teach me things about myself. Doing things hands on with my students, and watching them make choices for themselves will undoubtedly bring out many emotions and many things that I am grateful for. Helping out in my community witht the students will only make me more aware of who I am as a person. Allowing my students to have control over their education is a complete learning experience in itself, because each child is so different and so unique. I will learn how to better understand them, as well as learn how to better teach them. In order to ensure more professional growth, I think it would be beneficial for me to network with other educators who share the same philosophies as me. Learning from someone who has already done it, is always a good thing, and its nice to connect with others who share your same feelings on things! They can give advice from personal experience that I would value very much. I would get new ideas and be able to share some of mine. I also think it is important for teachers to keep an up to date portfolio, and this is a nice way to see growth and change especially if I might be feeling down, or stuck in my profession. It would be so nice and beneficial to see my work and to see how far Ive come and all of the things that I have created and helped students with and I think its really motivating and it will push me to keep going and to be creative. And I personally get so much validation out of looking at my professional growth. It is something that makes me proud, and encourages me to try even harder and to do better, so for me professionally to continue to grow and perspire, I would need to keep my portfolio up to date. In conclusion, I think we are doing children a disservice by ignoring their needs and wants and by having an education system that is based on ridiculously high standards that hardly apply to real-life circumstances. I feel that education should be based on the well being of the children, not on test scores and on teachers who want to stand in front of the classroom and dictate a lesson plan. Children learn best by doing. Forcing them to sit and listen for 6-8 hours a day is absurd. Allowing them to move, talk, experiment, engage, question, all at their own pace and at their free will is really what education should be all about. Children should be encouraged to find themselves and to understand their place in the world, while comprehending the challenges and the social injustices that face them in not only the present, but in the future as well. Education should be about learning, not about meeting some national average. How is it fair to compare apples to potatoes, and then to compare the potatoes to broccoli? You simply cannot do that. Children should be free to be who they are, to learn through actual events, and to have a say in what direction they are going. I believe that I am here as an early childhood educator to guide children, and support them in a nurturing and diplomatic way. I am a firm advocate for progressivism, social reconstructionism, and existentialism philosophies in education. I think these philosophies are where learning happens naturally, and I think we as a society need to wake up and realize how much time we are wasting with our children.

5. REFLECTION: Make sure you address all the questions in the reflection section. Forming my philosophy was pretty easy for me. I know what I believe in and I know what it is that I want and expect from my teaching experiences. This activity only further reinforced my beliefs. Every time I talk about my philosophies, or even when I was creating my poster, it made me feel really good and confident about how I think children should be treated and taught. It makes me feel like I have truly found my place in the world. Educating young children and being such an important person in their lives, really excites and invigorates me. Through this activity I learned that I dont have one solid philosophy when it comes to education and a lot of that has to do with the fact that I am very open minded and I believe education should be tailored to peoples individual needs and interests. Education shouldnt be one-size fits all, because children arent cookie cutters and they aren't robots that need programming. They are individuals who need to be educated as such. The more hands on learning they have, and the more real-world knowledge they have, the better off they are going to be. Children need to be guided through the years and shown how to deal with and manage life circumstances. They dont need to be molded, but t need to be capable and diligent individuals who are trustworthy, tolerant, and respectful. I feel it is my responsible to be their leader, and true leaders dont create followers, they create more leaders. My philosophies on education make teaching any subject easy, because its based on what the children are interested in, and then finding ways to teach them those skills through hands on, and real life experiences. 6. EXPLANATION OF HOW THIS ACTIVITY MET THE PERFORMANCE INDICATORS, CRITICAL DISPOSITIONS, AND/OR ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE OF THIS STANDARD: This activity met performance standard 5(e) because I believe that children work best together and by doing. These activities allow for meaningful communication to occur and allow students the opportunity to learn from one another. By taking students out into the real world they learn how to communicate effectively because they have the experience, which gives them the knowledge to do so. Letting children have a say in their educational experiences also lets them communicate their needs and wants which is not always an easy task. We as educators now, tend to tell children what they need and want silencing their voice and hindering their communication skills. My philosophies on education do just the opposite. Performance standard 5(f) is met by allowing children to move around and do things hands-on. Having children grow their own food, make their own clothing, use the scientific method, volunteer at an animal shelter are all ways to allow them to see tings from different perspectives and give them the skills they need to problem solve. They will be able to be more creative as well and discover new approaches to situations as well as create their own original work that works best for them! Essential knowledge standard 5(o) is met by the fact that I am open minded to new ideas and I understand that everyone is unique and learns in their own way and my philosophies on education allow me to create an environment that breeds creativity. My philosophies on education help engage students in producing their own original pieces of work and appreciating the difference among each learner.

Essential knowledge standard 5(p) is met by my belief in social reconstructionism. This philosophy is directly based on building global awareness about issues within our society and within our world and how we can help fix them. This philosophy calls for direct contact with other people and with hands-on activities to help where it is needed within our geographical abilities. It would also be my responsibility to access outside resources to build global awareness and understanding, and integrate them into the curriculum. Doing several service learning projects with my students could easily do this. And last but certainly not least, critical disposition standard 5(s) is met because I believe that children should be up and moving throughout their day. Learning should be molded to the students liking and abilities allowing for flexible learning environments. Children should be engaged to learn and discover. They should be empowered by learning, not hindered in any way. I think this is the most important aspect to teaching. Realizing that everyone is different and valuing those differences. Creating learning environments that are flexible for all students is crucial to their overall success!