MSED 2000

Philosophy of Education

Objective: The purposes of this paper are to allow you to establish your initial philosophy of education and allow others (professors, potential employers, other candidates, etc.) to see your beliefs on education, teaching, students, schools, etc.

This document is a living document and will hopefully change as you move through the program; it may become more sophisticated, more profound, or it may change completely. In this sense, your philosophy exercise will permit you to see how you develop through the program.

Note: For those of you in Interpretation or COMD and SLP, this philosophy can be written from the perspective of one who teaches through enabling students to learn. What will your philosophy be towards your clients? How will you pursue treatment? To what lengths would you go? What is your ethical stance? All of these things can link back to what we discuss in this course.

That having been said, let us move on to the particulars.

CONTENTS: As indicated, the paper should reflect your beliefs about education, teaching, schools, students, and any other aspects that comprise education. You may feel free to refer to the philosophical orientations we have discussed in class, but if you have your own creation, then that is fine as well. Do not worry if you have a hard time identifying with one philosophy or another. Many educators reflect a combination of some or all of the philosophies, so feel free to mix. In any case, you should have examples of your thinking and your logic should be clear.

LENGTH: The syllabus states 2-3 pages word processed double spaced. Treat this as a guideline. Some people write more, some less. Your paper should reflect a well-considered discussion of your philosophy with support through reason, examples, or even research citations (in which case, you must cite them and have references).

GRAMMAR/SYNTAX/STYLE: These are major considerations. After all, you are in the education profession and this will eventually go onto the web for the world to see. NOTE: Use spellchecker, but also have somebody proofread your work before you submit it. Most people lose points for grammar/style/syntax as opposed to ideas.

Evaluation: Your work will be evaluated on the following:

Content: Specifically, how well you explain your philosophy. Is it clear? Does it reflect thought? Is it well-reasoned and supported?

Grammar/Syntax/Style: Is the paper grammatically and syntactically accurate? Is the style effective? Does the candidate write in a manner appropriate to a college student who is “professional program” material?

If you have questions, do not hesitate to contact me. Good luck and do well.