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MULTI-DIMENSIONAL RATIONALE

Background
The multi-dimensional project gave me the opportunity to develop to address the
needs of different educational theories and how I would incorporate them into my
philosophy as a teacher. For this project I chose the picture of a Mandala, which is
an Indian religion representing the universe, but is now common name for
geometric shapes put together symbolically. Mandalas have a focal point and
spread out with different lines and patterns to create a beautiful picture/meaning.
My mandala is made up of different theorist intertwined to create a beautiful
education experience for student by addressing their needs.
The first Theorist is John Dewey. He is the center of my Mandala, because of his
child center approach to individualizing education based on child needs. It then
progresses to James comer who represents the creative and positive environments
to help the child develop as a whole: physical, cognitive, psychological language,
social and ethical. The collaboration with adults helps develop the child, each
shape of the Mandala interacts with the lines and creates new shapes changing the
picture. Just as James Comer states developing the whole child with collaboration,
each aspect of the child interacts and forms the child as a whole.
Rationale
For this project I wanted to be creative. I am an art person so I was also trying to
incorporate that piece into my multi-dimensional project. I chose a mandala
because they all specific representation through pictures, lines, shapes, and the
interaction of them throughout the piece. This mandala represent my theories of
education and how I would apply different theorist into my work with students.
Teaching Standards

Standard #2: The teacher understands how children learn and develop,
and can provide learning opportunities that support their intellectual, social,
and personal development. In this project I demonstrated my knowledge of
how children learn and develop differently. The Mandala displays the
different shapes interacting with one another changing the overall picture
and outcome of the Mandala. This reflects how children grow ad learn. Their
interactions with adults and peers over time change their perception which
can change the child for the better or worse depending on the amount of
positive interactions. This Mandala shows the understanding that it is
equally important to develop students not only intellectually but social,
psychological language, ethical, psychological, and cognitive. Each one of
these is a piece on the Mandala and is shown through various colors and
shapes. The different colors and shapes represent a different part of the
child being addressed and needing its needs met to develop successful
adults.
CEC Standards
MULTI-DIMENSIONAL RATIONALE

Standard 2: Development and Characteristics of Learners. This project


displays how students grow, change, and the outside influences that affect
the child. Learners have different characteristics based on how they were
raised and cultural differences they may have. The Mandala represents how
children conform differently based on their interactions with other people
and in their environment to change their shape into something new. The
Mandala is constantly changing shape based on what came before it, just a
child. I believe in a child center education, we should center ourselves
around the childs needs and how we can focus on educating the child based
on their needs. The Mandala represents a child it starts with a center shape,
the child, and blooms and changes as each outside force makes the shape
change. The child changes its beliefs based on its outside forces developing
the child. If the child is squeezed into negative situations the child will
struggle to prosper into something better. But if the child is allowed to
bloom in positive situations the child has more opportunity to grow. My
mandala represents my understanding of child development and
chrematistics of learners by the ever changing shapes. Each shape
represents a different aspect of the child and we can foster and help it grow
or smother it and have it stay stagnant.

Standard 5: Learning Environments and Social Interactions. In this project I


displayed my knowledge of student interactions and the need of a positive
environment. The Mandala displays the students needs and addresses their
need to be developed in whole, not just intellectually. The Mandala
incorporates different aspects of education that addresses a need of the
students. Group learning incorporates the students need for peer interaction
to develop their social and ethical learning. Sociological, outside pressures
changing how the child thinks, teachers are adult interactions helping the
child grow and expand their knowledge, In the Mandala I gave each shape a
different color and assigned it to an aspect of the child as it grows. I have
displayed the importance of developing the child as a whole and how I will
incorporate that into my classroom and education model.

Alverno Abilities
MULTI-DIMENSIONAL RATIONALE

Conceptualization. This projects Shows my Alverno Ability of


conceptualization through my use of mixing educational theorists and how I
would use that I my education model. I took the parts of two different
theorists I identify with most and I combined them into one theory. A child
center theory that addresses both John Deweys child center theory that they
are born with psychological patters and we are not all going to fit in the same
box. The Mandala has a starting point, each one different from the next. It is
the outside shapes of the center that changes the shape and meaning of the
Mandala. James Comer believes children need to be developed in whole and
outside influences can change the way the child thinks and interacts. It is
the job of the adults in the childs life to help the child grow and develop
appropriately. I understand the theories of James Comer and John Dewey
and I brought them together creating a single theory on how I would help
develop students while being and educator.

Educational Framework

I chose the theorists John because he developed a child center approach,


individualizing education based on childs needs. He also states education
should be tied together. Teachers should incorporate taught lessons into
other subjects. For example in science teachers can incorporate reading and
math while implementing the lesson to build cross subject instruction. Real
learning takes place when students are active in their education. Engaging
lessons build real knowledge they can apply in the future.

James Comer supports creativity and positive environments to develop the


child as a whole; physical, cognitive, psychological, language, social, and
ethical, not just through education. James Comer believes development of
the child start early and affects how the child learns, interacts, and acts
throughout adult hood. James Comer is also a firm believer in education
being child focused and individualized. He also focusses on the
collaborations from adults in the childs life; teachers, parents, mentors, etc.
Creating learning environments that support childs growth and development
in all areas.

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