Teaching, Bearing the Torch 2/e   Pamela J. Farris
	For the Student

Whether or not you've been able to specifically name it yet, you have a philosophy of education that will influence your manner of teaching, your classroom management methods, and your expectations of your students. It is important to be aware of your teaching philosophy so that you can both lean on your strengths and work to develop potential areas of difficulty; for example, what if the district that hires you fosters a philosophy different from yours?

Chapter 4 covers important philosophical areas such as:

• The 4 different major educational philosophies
• The 5 different major educational theories
• Authoritarian vs. nonauthoritarian views
• Teacher empowerment
• Student involvement in decision-making

OBJECTIVES

After reading Chapter 4, you should be able to:

• Identify and describe four main educational philosophies and detail the distinguishing characteristics of each.
• Identify and describe five main educational theories and detail the distinguishing characteristics of each.
• Identify specific educational views as either authoritarian or nonauthoritarian.
  
• Explain how students are impacted by the philosophies and theories of their teachers.
• Identify and explain the significance of key educational philosophers.
• Identify your own educational philosophies and theories.

Quiz Questions for Chapter 4

Quiz Help! Check here for related page references and feedback.

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES

1. Visit a teacher chat room. See if you can determine by their comments the educational philosophies and theories of those present.

2. Look up the Socratic method on the Web. Practice using Socrates' questioning techniques with a willing participant.

3. Visit the Bureau of Essential Ethics Education's website, "Ethics Education For Schools" at http://www.ethicsusa.com. What educational theories do you see reflected on this website?

4. Research Karl Marx on the Web. How has his philosophy influenced special interest groups in the United States?

5. Visit the websites of several elementary and secondary schools in your area. Do their mission statements reflect certain educational philosophies and theories?

OTHER SITES TO EXPLORE

http://www.alexandercenter.com/jd/index.html
John Dewey and the F.M. Alexander Technique
Learn more about the philosophies of John Dewey at this website maintained by Marian Goldberg of the Alexander Technique Center of Washington, D.C.
Textbook links: see pages 81-83, 85-86.

http://www.ed.uiuc.edu/EPS/
Educational Theory Home Page
Read more about the philosophy of education and find other web resources in this site by the Educational Policy Studies department in the College of Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Textbook links: see pages 81-88.

http://www.mightymedia.com
Mighty Media Teacher Talk Forums
Mighty Media, Inc., sponsors this website dedicated to empowering youth, educators, and organizations through the use of interactive communications technology. This site provides a teacher talk forum, in which you can discuss philosophies and theories of teaching with real teachers.
Textbook links: see pages 76-88.

http://phd.evansville.edu/plato.htm
Plato and His Dialogues
Bernard Suzanne of the University of Indiana at Evansville created this site to present new theories on the interpretation of Plato's writings and philosophies.
Textbook links: see pages 77-78.

OTHER RESOURCES

Bestor, A. 1953. Educational wastelands: Retreat from learning in our public schools. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press.

Counts, G.S. 1932. Dare the school build a new social order? New York: John Day.

Dewey, J. 1916. Democracy and education: An introduction to the philosophy of education. New York: Macmillan.

Gutek, G.L. 1988. Philosophical and ideological perspectives on education. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Wagner, T. 1993. Rethinking the purpose of schools. Educational Leadership 51 (2): 24-29.