It's apparently always going to be a learning process! As I read through the two different groups of educational philosophies, I couldn't help but agree with some piece of each of them! However, Constructivism did speak the most to me in terms of how I learn anything for myself: basically by doing. My scores somewhat reflected all of this:
Perennialism: 10
Essentialism: 13
Information Processing: 14
Behaviorism: 15
Reconstruction/Critical Theory: 19
Cognitivism/Constructivism: 20
Humanism: 20
Progressivism: 22!
While Constructivism was close to Progressivism, I was surprised to see Progressivism at the top of the scoring chart. Just last semester in my English methods class, I began to look at inquiry as one of many ways to teach students - and found it so difficult! However, it seems to go hand in hand with a Constructivist hands on approach. I am currently working in a high school (not teaching yet though) where I see first hand how apathetic the students can be about social and current worldly issues. So maybe this survey is the expression of my inner thoughts?! As Gandhi said, "Be the change I wish to see in the world..." and teach from that perspective.
As I took the survey, I couldn't help but wonder how this would help put some label on my perspective of teaching, but I found the results intriguing.
I was progressive too! And I can't help but laugh because every time I type it I think of the Women's movement, lol! Anyway, I would have never thought this a year ago before I had started writing lesson plans. Once I began to, I realized I would attempt to have my students make choices for their assignments and I would attempt to differentiate instruction. Imagine if we could get hired in the same school and we could team teach together...Then we could be uber-progressive!
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