Philosophy Paper Dr. Wilkie / Dr. Bailey Luther College V.L.

Heike The policy I would implement for U.S. schools curriculum would be directed towar d the Right-sided brain-dominant. Just after the WWII schools were motivated towa rd technology- Math and Science changed encouraging students that was then the g ood. U.S. Schools wanted teachers adept in Math and Science. Grants funding th e patriotic mission of ousting the Russians in the Space Race seemed of more imp ortance than simply education after mans walk on the moon, now America is interes ted in the students coming out of the U.S schools again. Horace Mann once saw the American student as the good our countries production, we Americans can lead others students ,unfortunately our students lack the compassi on needed in todays world to make a significant change in mindset. . Educating student minds need to conform, the good of the students in education has changed as education reflects upon the course of action most beneficial for the student s. Educators need to reflect upon the students well being. Science thrived in h ands-on learning environments the right side of our brain is better able to reca ll and interpret things that are actually seen and done (versus things one reads about or is told about). In contrast, students with left-side brain dominance w ork better by listening to a lecture and working quietly on their own. The United States school system needs the right side of the brain to be accentua ted now more then the left-brain. The left side of the hemisphere controls the r ight side of the human body and controls serial functioning such as talking. The differences in the right and left lob are really simple the right brain could b e thought of as the picture and the left side a thousand words. Neuroscientists agree that the two hemispheres take significantly different approaches to guidin g our actions, understanding the world and reacting to events. (Pink, 2006) In a whole new mind (Pink, 2006) educators taught about the left and the right l ob referring to education. A left lob student matures and is more likely to work in the medical profession or science maybe even be a computer programmer. The t eaching style called positive psychology is only beginning to be used as an educ ational tool in classrooms and secondary schools; in the nine years since Seligm ans epiphany (Max, 2007) it has taken a firm hold in academia. The field of educa tion is changing thanks to a number of psychologists and psychiatrists who ha ve done highly regarded clinical work: Ed Diener (Max, 2007) of the University o f Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, whose specialty is subjective well-being; (Max, 20 07) Positive psychology is only beginning to be used as an educational tool in c lassrooms and secondary schools. (Max, 2007) Policy should be about the format utilized that will form the intellect of the s tudents. Through Psychology of Education (Fortice) the subject was broached that compassion will be more beneficial in todays economical climate then to simply p roduce more analytical adults. Dr. Fordice encouraged her class while sharing t eaching tools. With a policy steeped in the cognitive process bulling might beco me a thing of the past. Policies for American schools are not in the business to replace the parents. Te achers coming out of colleges need to have had several psychology classes in psy chology techniques. It would be beneficial if these new teachers were equipped with the ability to teach through the theorist like Bandura (Social Learning The ory), Vygostsky (Social Cognitive Theory, ZPD), Kohlberg (Moral Reasoning Theory ) and Bruner (Cognitive progresses). Why these theorist? A childs brain matures in stages or levels. A teacher needs to understand the psychology of the student s they teach. The right hemisphere is very creative and this therapist Bruner wo uld be informative. Teachers need to be able to take charge under all circumstan ces and the therapist listed able will be tools in their teaching arsenal. Othe r theories that might prove helpful: B.F.Skinner Thorndike (Mechanical Learning) , Dewey (Education Democracy), Erikson Development (Psychological development Th eory), Kant is also a theorist that would be good for new teachers to be aware o f. Kant (Immanuel) trying to justify moral requirements by appealing to a fact

our autonomy that even a moral skeptic would have to recognize. Policy should encourage B-Modification like Pablos Dog. A simply encouragement is inexpensive. Students need to learn the importance of success as well as that f ailure it is just a part of life. Students who have developed their creative sid e, the right lob of their brain their school or another culture gathering would benefit. In the past it was the left side of the brain teaching that was seen as of more important however now the whole person is seen as incomplete without the development of both sides of the upper hemisphere. (The human brain) (Pink, 2006) Students should remain in school till they are at least eighteen, there are few years a child is allowed to experience learning and to be removed after only eig ht years like the Amish and have their years of primary education as if stolen f rom them should never occur. Children need the opportunity to shine. The policy that encourages the use of the right side of the brain addresses the need of cre ativity in modern America. Creatively gives way to different ways of thought. To day with so many out of work the world is screaming out for new thought. In Phar os time the artisans were encouraged to use their gifts and paint in the funeral chambers, as architects were encouraged to build. Times were hard there as well and yet from viewing the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, we see that the men and t heir families that worked and lived and died there at the foot of their gods did it without government programs. If simply changing a cultures mindset would illuminate hatred in the form of bul ling as well as the fact that America has become a welfare state I think that a policy for U.S. Schools that redefined teachers jobs need to be implemented. The school of my youth wielded grades like they would suck the air from your young lungs. Most schoolteacher thought that grades gave them power. That kind of powe r cripples emotional creative students. There are many ways a student can be as sessed not all those ways require the written word. Reciprocity for students is linked to the compassionate b-mode type of right-sid ed brain policy. Standardized testing (standardized teaching needs a going over to change the inaccuracies.) Grades still need test but test need to be reformatt ed to encourage out of the box thinking. If U.S. schools produced a product of st udents able to think outside the box that would completely rework the mindset of students in U.S. schools today. Our students would see a vase difference in how to complete a task whatever it maybe. In todays world that edge in competition wil l not only rework the climate of views taken but, allow America to compete with the worlds global leaders taught to think only analytically! The rights lob teaching and testing would take a hit and be corrected. It is a t eachers first job to locate the admirable aspects of a students creative work and to admire it openly and generously. And this goes double when teaching children! (Horwich, 2011) When students see that even attempting a course of action the t eacher sees more than the students attempting will seize to be so caustic. Autonomy - Positive student outcomes are not just related to test results. (Donn elly, 2012) Pioneering work in the US by James Coleman argues that empowering sc hools at a local level leads to increased social cohesion and stability too. (Do nnelly, 2012) In the Catholic school system, it is known as subsidiarity - where decisions are made at the level of those most affected by them. (Donnelly, 2012 ) Subsidiarity strengthens community ties and values such as reciprocity and a c ommitment to the common good. (Donnelly, 2012) A policy that elevates students to want to try new things and who are unafraid o f failure would create a sound and hardy functioning student body where at no ti me would schools have to worry about the No child left behind law. Autonomy teache rs drive the students autonomy. In low income areas students will also gain auton omy. Schools autonomy builds or decreases with the students. A schools policy ca n be tested if followed in a contract with a number of years as if in an experim ent. The success or failure of the Policy set forth will be measured in the scho ols auto my. This right lob encouraged policy teaches that success does come from simply tryi ng and creativity viewing things differently. There are many ways and tools used to teach students fail, marks upon a paper in red sting causing a students coura

ge to waiver even in asking why. Their creative urge is like a light in the dim of night that should never be extinguished. If a number of years were set up to sc ale this policy and if after five years sixty percent of the class made attempts at going beyond their safe zone, autonomy of the students made their creativity more potent not only the autonomy of the schools student body would change so wo uld all associated with the Policy of Right upper lob creativity. Works Cited Donnelly, K. (2012, June 15). Greater autonomy for schools leads to better acade mic results. Retrieved July 1, 2012, from http://www.smh.com: http://www.smh.com .au/opinion/politics/greater-autonomy-for-schools-leads-to-better-academic-resul ts-20120614-20d3y.html Fortice, D. D. (n.d.). Luther College, Psychology of Education. Decorah. Horwich, S. D. (2011). How to instill creativity with critisim in your students P II. Home schools how and Why! Max, D. (2007). Happiness 101. New York Times. Pink, D. H. (2006). A whole new mind. Riverhead Books.