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Ryan Watts
Dr. Ellis
EDUC 2301.200
14 October 2015
Philosophy of Education
The purpose of education has continually evolved throughout history in accordance to
ones own perception. There has never been a specific purpose of education accepted, but there
have been widely accepted characteristics of the purpose of education. To many the purpose of
education includes intellectual development, social development, and economic/political
awareness. I believe that the purpose of education should not only be to transmit knowledge into
individuals, but to instill values and skills that aid the individual to become a globalized citizen. I
want to be an educator to pass on knowledge, values, and skills needed for individuals to become
successful, as well as inspire young students to continue learning throughout life.
The art and science of teaching has been an ongoing investigation throughout history.
Many philosophers have made their mark on what the curriculum should be. My teaching
philosophy has a connection to John Deweys philosophy of progressivism. My philosophy
follows progressivism in that I believe students learn academic content from ones own needs
and experiences. Progressivism promotes problem solving through meaningful integrated
learning. I have a personal connection with progressivism in that I learn more efficiently through
integrated instruction. Although each student has a different learning style, progressivism is a
philosophy that can easily incorporate visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning into the
classroom. I will use progressivism to encourage students to learn beyond the classroom.

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It is my role as an educator to incorporate research-based practices and meaningful

assessment that also integrates human development. I will use research-based practices that
accommodate the needs of all students, including exceptional and diverse learners. Practices that
accommodate the students needs include curriculum-based measurement and also direct
instruction. I will also set high expectations for all of my students, and design my instruction and
assessment to meet these expectations. The use of class discussions, incorporation of technology,
and hands-on learning will be one of the many teaching strategies that I will use to reach the
diverse learning styles of my students. I also believe that incorporating the community into a
students education helps build global citizenship and promotes active learning. My assessment
strategies will allow me to not only analyze how students are retaining academic content, but will
also allow me to reflect on the efficiency of my teaching practices. Using many varieties of data
to gather my assessment content will help show where students are having the most trouble with
the content. This assessment data also shows which lessons should be revised if students scores
are at an unexpected level.
Building productive learners is a clear goal in my classroom and this can be done by
incorporating collaborative teaching strategies with other education professionals. Also building
strong parent involvement will help allow my students to take their education beyond the
classroom. Success often starts in the classroom, and my students will take their success as they
transition throughout life.

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Work Cited
Sadker, David Miller, and Karen R. Zittleman. Teachers, Schools, and Society.
10th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2013. Print.