Educacion

Anthony Echeveste
EDU 250-504
Educational Philosophy
9/25/12
As a believer in Existentialism, I believe that the true purpose of education is to aid a student in growth and development; it is togo beyond the curriculum and assist students in finding their own calling or who they are as a person. Education’s ultimate goal should be to help students learn not just about concrete subjects, suchas science and reading, but about life and the real world. Once out of the classroom, basic principles can only help a person so much. They must be able to reason and problem-solve; education mustaid in the development of these skills.
There are a variety of ways that students can learn and develop skills. Many times, students are forced to listen to lectures and read passages to learncritical knowledge. Many students struggle with this approach. I believe that the most effective way that children can learn is through experience. In accordance with the philosophies of Existentialism, onecannot truly comprehend something until they have experienced it themselves. A good example of this could be a childhood experience of my own. I was attempting to put together a toy, so I decided toread the manual and then build the toy. When I went to construct it, I was dumbfounded, as I could not get the parts to go together in the right formation. Through a long process of trial and error, Ifinally got the toy together. This process was what helped me build the toy, rather than studying the manual. Why? In my opinion, it is because things are completely different when you go to do themyourself. You must gain the experience that comes with failing, struggling, and eventually figuring it out how to better understand and learn.
A teacher’s role in the classroom is to aid students inthis learning. A teacher must not be a dictator, but a guiding hand; they must be willing to help students in their quest for knowledge, while not controlling them. It is seen too many times in the...