Philosopy of Education
Purpose of Education
Education is an important step in the developing process of a human being. The more we learn, the more we can do, and the more we can do, the more we can achieve. Getting an excellent education should not only be a need, but also a want for each and every individual that can obtain it. I believe that everyone not only needs, but deserves an equal opportunity to be educated. Those who don’t receive an education tend to have a much harder path in life than those who become educated.
Even though the way people have been educated has changed drastically through the years, there has always been one common purpose for education. This purpose is for people to learn. Our society today has made it crucial for a person to have an education. Every person who receives an education benefits not only because they are informed, but also because they can now contribute to a better future by joining in with others that have also been educated.
Curriculum
Through education, people learn basic principles that they need to live in our constantly advancing world. The curriculum that everyone is taught is built to teach these basic principles. Without a pre-built curriculum, there would be no efficient way to measure how much students actually learn in the subjects they are taught. I think having specific outlines of principles to be taught in specific courses or subjects is the most effective way to ensure everyone is learning the basic needed principles.
A curriculum is described by our textbook as everything teachers teach and students learn. The cognitive brain has many methods of learning. The most important thing that I think everyone needs to learn is how they as an individual most effectively learn. I intend to focus my career in the subject of music and fine arts. I believe music is one of the most effective tools the brain can use to learn. If teachers learn to teach in a way that students can best learn, then in my opinion, they are teaching curriculum, (those basic principles), to the best of their abilities.
Instructional Strategies
The way an educator chooses to teach a course can very much determine the effectiveness in which the students learn. Since music is the subject I intend on teaching, I have started developing ways in which I could potentially best teach the concepts that are part of the given music curriculum. For example, if I was teaching the students to recognize rhythms and note values, I would not just draw the notes on the board and clap the rhythms by myself. It would be a much more effective strategy of teaching if I had the students clap the rhythms as a group along with me. That way they are actually feeling the rhythms rather than just seeing them demonstrated. Hands on learning, in my opinion, is much more effective in assisting the students to understand the concepts more clearly and for a longer amount of time.
Another great instructional strategy for music education is the concept of actually applying what you are working on to a real piece of music. If you give the students a rhythm sheet to work through when they walk in the classroom and that rhythm sheet contains rhythms included in the song you are going to pass out later in the period, then you are applying rhythms to an actual song, thus achieving a higher learning level for the students. I believe that if the students feel like the material they are learning is beneficial, they are more likely to learn more efficiently. Also, if you teach one concept in more than one way, more students will learn that particular concept, this is because not all students learn the same way.
Assessment
It is crucial that students be assessed on a regular basis. Not only do assessments help the teacher determine which individual students may be struggling with the current material, but assessment results could also help the teacher know what information is not coming across clearly to the students. Assessments are also a way to encourage students to be accountable for the information they obtain in a particular class.
Music classes are very different from core classes such as math, history, and science. Assessments in music classes can't be only written tests. I believe the most effective way to evaluate a student's progress with music has to be more than just writing vocabulary and trivial answers on paper. For example, if I am teaching a high school choir, I could assess my students by having them sing their pieces memorized and walking around the room and listening to each of them individually. I could check their knowledge of the words by having them fill in missing lyrics or write the lyrics in poem form. I could also give them written rhythm sheets and have them tell me note values and other terms. All of these described methods of assessment test a different aspect of musical knowledge that represent some of the most basic principles students should learn in a choir class.
Summary
I have a passion for music. I also have a passion for helping others succeed. Teaching music is completely enjoyable for me. However, more exciting than teaching music is enjoying it with others. Music is a very important part of our lives. A song that is two minutes long can take a person who is sad and make them feel happy. Music can help students in other areas of study as well. If I can teach students how to apply music to other things they are studying and help them succeed, I feel accomplished
Overall, the way a teacher educates their students can determine the outcome of a student's success. Education is a critical part of life for everyone. Curriculum is essential in order to teach people the basic skills that they need. I believe it is important to know how you want to teach before you actually become a teacher. I want to be a teacher who changes students lives for the better. I want students to actually remember what they are taught from me even after they are out of my classes. Education is most successful when information that is learned can be used in life situations. That is my goal as a teacher. To teach students information they can actually use.
Education is an important step in the developing process of a human being. The more we learn, the more we can do, and the more we can do, the more we can achieve. Getting an excellent education should not only be a need, but also a want for each and every individual that can obtain it. I believe that everyone not only needs, but deserves an equal opportunity to be educated. Those who don’t receive an education tend to have a much harder path in life than those who become educated.
Even though the way people have been educated has changed drastically through the years, there has always been one common purpose for education. This purpose is for people to learn. Our society today has made it crucial for a person to have an education. Every person who receives an education benefits not only because they are informed, but also because they can now contribute to a better future by joining in with others that have also been educated.
Curriculum
Through education, people learn basic principles that they need to live in our constantly advancing world. The curriculum that everyone is taught is built to teach these basic principles. Without a pre-built curriculum, there would be no efficient way to measure how much students actually learn in the subjects they are taught. I think having specific outlines of principles to be taught in specific courses or subjects is the most effective way to ensure everyone is learning the basic needed principles.
A curriculum is described by our textbook as everything teachers teach and students learn. The cognitive brain has many methods of learning. The most important thing that I think everyone needs to learn is how they as an individual most effectively learn. I intend to focus my career in the subject of music and fine arts. I believe music is one of the most effective tools the brain can use to learn. If teachers learn to teach in a way that students can best learn, then in my opinion, they are teaching curriculum, (those basic principles), to the best of their abilities.
Instructional Strategies
The way an educator chooses to teach a course can very much determine the effectiveness in which the students learn. Since music is the subject I intend on teaching, I have started developing ways in which I could potentially best teach the concepts that are part of the given music curriculum. For example, if I was teaching the students to recognize rhythms and note values, I would not just draw the notes on the board and clap the rhythms by myself. It would be a much more effective strategy of teaching if I had the students clap the rhythms as a group along with me. That way they are actually feeling the rhythms rather than just seeing them demonstrated. Hands on learning, in my opinion, is much more effective in assisting the students to understand the concepts more clearly and for a longer amount of time.
Another great instructional strategy for music education is the concept of actually applying what you are working on to a real piece of music. If you give the students a rhythm sheet to work through when they walk in the classroom and that rhythm sheet contains rhythms included in the song you are going to pass out later in the period, then you are applying rhythms to an actual song, thus achieving a higher learning level for the students. I believe that if the students feel like the material they are learning is beneficial, they are more likely to learn more efficiently. Also, if you teach one concept in more than one way, more students will learn that particular concept, this is because not all students learn the same way.
Assessment
It is crucial that students be assessed on a regular basis. Not only do assessments help the teacher determine which individual students may be struggling with the current material, but assessment results could also help the teacher know what information is not coming across clearly to the students. Assessments are also a way to encourage students to be accountable for the information they obtain in a particular class.
Music classes are very different from core classes such as math, history, and science. Assessments in music classes can't be only written tests. I believe the most effective way to evaluate a student's progress with music has to be more than just writing vocabulary and trivial answers on paper. For example, if I am teaching a high school choir, I could assess my students by having them sing their pieces memorized and walking around the room and listening to each of them individually. I could check their knowledge of the words by having them fill in missing lyrics or write the lyrics in poem form. I could also give them written rhythm sheets and have them tell me note values and other terms. All of these described methods of assessment test a different aspect of musical knowledge that represent some of the most basic principles students should learn in a choir class.
Summary
I have a passion for music. I also have a passion for helping others succeed. Teaching music is completely enjoyable for me. However, more exciting than teaching music is enjoying it with others. Music is a very important part of our lives. A song that is two minutes long can take a person who is sad and make them feel happy. Music can help students in other areas of study as well. If I can teach students how to apply music to other things they are studying and help them succeed, I feel accomplished
Overall, the way a teacher educates their students can determine the outcome of a student's success. Education is a critical part of life for everyone. Curriculum is essential in order to teach people the basic skills that they need. I believe it is important to know how you want to teach before you actually become a teacher. I want to be a teacher who changes students lives for the better. I want students to actually remember what they are taught from me even after they are out of my classes. Education is most successful when information that is learned can be used in life situations. That is my goal as a teacher. To teach students information they can actually use.