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Philosophy of Education Paper Ss
Philosophy of Education Paper Ss
students the thoughts and tools to the change the world. During the post-World War II era,
Theodore Brameld expressed this obligation to social change as:
[Living] in a period of great crisis, most evident in the fact that humans now have the
capability of destroying civilization overnight, and humankind also has the intellectual,
technological, and moral potential to create a world civilization of abundance, health, and
humane capacity (Parkay 132).
It is because of this belief that it is important for students to be aware of societal
problems and what they can do to change those things.
National and global events are continuously brought into a classs curriculum and Social
Reconstructionists believe that it is a schools responsibility to bring about societal change. The
curriculum of a classroom shaped by Social Reconstructionism is based on topics like sociology,
political science, psychology, human relations, and cultural pluralism (Erkilic 4). The classroom
is also very flexible, and like Existentialism, promotes decision making and critical thinking. It is
also critical for students to partake in class discussions because if they are to make a change in
the world around them, it is important for them to hear the opinions of others in order to make
the most clear and concise actions for reconstructing society. The teachers job is to promote a
desire for societal reconstruction is to facilitate discussions regarding the severity and solutions
to these problems. A teacher that follows the philosophy of Social Reconstructionism should also
be tolerant, ambitious, and act as a leader both in and out of the classroom as a shaper of new
society (Erkilic 4).
Philosophy of Choice and its Application to the Classroom
After completing a philosophic inventory evaluation, I have been categorized under the
educational philosophy of Existentialism. I think this is probably the most accurate philosophy
that can be applied to my future educational field. As stated earlier, I plan on being a high school
English teacher, and I feel like it would be a waste to analyze famous literary texts without
discussing what it all means to my students. I cant imagine what it would be like to read
Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet without discussing what love actually is and if this couple
exhibited the qualities my students thought love encompassed. I also dont think poetic lessons of
any sort would make sense without existential questions about what happens when we die or
how religion has affected humanity. Also, when writing literary analyses, my students are going
to want to contemplate issues such as gender and race. Having an understanding about the
existence of these things and the experiences of people who lived through them (if they
themselves have not faced such issues) will help them better expand their thoughts and the topic
at hand. English classes are places where students are forced to think critically and deeply about
their feelings and who they want to be. Because Existentialism brings out the best methods to go
about the things that shape the human experience, I believe that the educational philosophy of
Existentialism is an excellent one to use in this classroom setting.
Works-Cited
Boos, R. (1970). Existentialism and Education. Journal of Thought, 5(2), 113-117. Retrieved
October 20, 2014 from http://ida.lib.uidaho.edu:3860/stable/42588189
Parkay, F. (2013) Becoming a Teacher. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.