Ateneo De Davao University

Graduate School

Name: Dennis N. Muñoz, LPT, RM, Subject: NSG 710 Philosophical

RN Foundations of Education
Course: Master’s in Nursing Professor: Dr. Nilda Ginete

Reflection: After Reading and understanding the different classical philosophies,

what do you think will still be relevant in the 21st century? If you teach what will
guide you in your teaching? What Philosophies are your basis?

Twenty-first-century learning involves enabling today's students to be

academically competitive in global situations; good citizens within their
community, country, and world; and effective within their workplace. It means
that education must engage new technologies, equip students with rigorous
academic coursework, and foster innovation and creativity. 

Dewey’s influence on education was evident in his theory about social

learning; he believed that school should be representative of a social environment and
that students learn best when in natural social settings (Flinders & Thornton, 2013).
His ideas impacted education in another facet because he believed that students were
all unique learners. He was a proponent of student interests driving teacher instruction
(Dewey, 1938)

For the reasons I noted at the outset, the 20th-century model of philosophy
today is politically and economically unsustainable. It is also irresponsible.
Philosophers at public universities are state employees, and the rest of us are
dependent in various ways on public funds, not to mention on the tuition paid by
students and their families. It should be obvious that we need to reflect on the
questions raised by the current crisis.

The mechanistic view of teaching and learning is the guiding mental model
behind most educational systems around the world. Under this view knowledge is
treated as a thing – objectified and disconnected from other forms of knowledge and
from the student (Kvernbekk, 2010).

First, proposed views of the relevance of philosophy to education generally

embody a foundational view of the relationship, expressed in terms of education as
resting on philosophy such that support runs in one direction only (Kvernbekk, 2010)..

Second, a non-foundational relationship is discussed, a relationship that entails

mutual dependence of philosophy and education, such that philosophy loses its status
as basic (Kvernbekk, 2010)..

Philosophy is concerned with both the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ questions. Just as
small percentage of people have an insight into the fundamental problems of human
existence with which philosophers are concerned. Majority of people subscribe to
traditions and customs. Yet there is no area in domain in which philosophy cannot ask
questions. There is therefore need for philosophical thinking about education and not
just the scientific thinking if education is to be meaningful and useful to the one being
educated because he who has studied philosophy is more likely to view things with a
wide in depth analysis of evidence as opposed to he who has not. This is so because
the mere accumulation of knowledge does not lead to understanding because it does
not necessarily train the mind to make a critical evaluation of facts which entails
consistent and coherent judgment. This therefore calls for the critical creative
dimension of education. In other words in as much as educational science primarily
looks at education in economic terms, manpower needs and job opportunities,
educational philosophy looks at the deeper meaning and significance of education
which is tied to the meaning of life, particularly human life. This implies that
educational philosophy does not equate the use and value of education to monetary
terms as the scientist would do. Given that the term education is a multidimensional
concept, this paper aims at highlighting the four dimensions by placing emphasis on
holistic education based on those four dimensions.

With a gradual shift towards innovation-intensive activities in the New

Economy, there is a need to rethink existing labour-intensive approaches in order to
stay relevant. What is needed is a set of twenty-first century skills, which can be
broadly categorize into learning and innovation skills; information, media and
technology skills; and life and career skills. These skill sets are defined as follows
(Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2004):

I. Learning and innovation skills

a) Creativity and innovation skills
b) Critical-thinking and problem-solving skills
c) Communication and collaboration skills
d) Information, media and technology skills

II. Information literacy

a) Media literacy
b) Literacy in information and communication technology

III. Life and career skills

a) Flexibility and adaptability
b) Initiative and self-direction
c) Social and cross-cultural skills
d) Productivity and accountability
e) Leadership and responsibility

Among these three skill sets, learning and innovation skills lay the foundation for
students to acquire the other sets of skills. The specific characteristics of learning and
innovation skills are as follows (ibid.):

1. Creativity and innovation skills

a) Demonstrating originality and inventiveness in work
b) Developing, implementing and communicating new ideas to others
c) Being open and responsive to new and diverse perspectives
d) Acting on creative ideas to make a tangible and useful contribution to the
domain in which the innovation occurs
2. Critical-thinking and problem-solving skills
a) Exercising sound reasoning in understanding
b) Making complex choices and decisions
 c) Understanding the interconnections among systems
d) Identifying and asking significant questions that clarify various points of
view and lead to better solutions
e) Framing, analysing and synthesising information in order to solve problems
and answer questions
3. Communication and collaboration skills
a) Articulating thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively through speaking and
writing
b) Demonstrating ability to work effectively with diverse teams
c) Exercising flexibility and willingness to be helpful in making necessary
compromises to accomplish a common goal
d) Assuming shared responsibility for collaborative work

To equip students with twenty-first century skills, it is critical for schools to

become significant learning environments and not just providers of useless knowledge
(Gardner, 1982). There must be connections made between the skills teachers are
teaching and the issues students encounter in the real world. Unless our students find
joy in learning, learning will always remain as a tool rather than a process of
knowledge creation and self-realization (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2004).

Schank and Birnbaum (1994) argue that the school has to redesign its
pedagogy so that knowledge is not represented as a given set of facts and information
that students have to know; rather, students should learn via a collaborative process in
a community of inquirers (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2004).

Dewey's educational philosophy encourages teachers and students to explore

the postmodern perspectives of questioning prescribed answers and considering
multiple realities. Under Dewey's interpretation, if knowledge is active and a social
product of interaction between our ideas and our experience of the world, then
students have to deconstruct the realities hidden within the issues, which may be
masked by political, sociocultural and media agendas, traditions and prejudices. The
exploration and discovery of new realities will surprise us in ways that will make us
change our mind and position (Frye, 1983). As such, knowledge is transient and
changes over time, continually bringing new impacts to the communities we live in.
Dewey's approach positions the learner as the centre of the learning experience, and
the postmodern perspectives prompt the learner to question the authenticity of the
realities represented by highlighting important reference points for scrutiny. The
constant questioning, observing and theorising of life and its realities creates new
knowledge in the learner's very own distinctive situation. It makes us realise that there
are perhaps many more probabilities than certainties where knowledge can be
ambiguous and “unstable” at the same time. In the postmodern age, students can learn
to refute generalized accounts of what realities are, reject singular explanations, and
decipher ideological bias and hegemonic influences from their investigation of issues.

A new educational philosophy for the twenty-first century classroom is born

when we synergistically associate with Dewey's philosophical insights and the
postmodern views in classroom teaching and learning. By applying this philosophy,
we are acknowledging that many issues require ongoing discussions, being plagued
by complexities that can never be fully resolved. Existing issues such as national
sovereignty conflicts, terrorism and environmental problems can never be fully
eradicated. Teachers and students should realize that there are no perfect solutions and
no singular perspective that should dominate these discussions. Such an attitude will
help us reject simplistic responses and avoid complacency and entrenched
interpretations. Eventually, new dialogues will take place and fresh perspectives can
be generated.

Although this new integrated educational philosophy encourages deeper

questioning and active discussion in our classrooms, the inquiry must be approached
pragmatically (Rorty, 1991). Students are advised not to deconstruct all existing social
structures, as the complexity, scope and intensity of issues can be overwhelming,
creating unnecessary confusion and distress. Teachers have a significant role to play
in systematically mediating these discussions to give students some sense of direction
with salient points provided for their consideration. Specific learning materials should
also be provided at appropriate moments to support students in their learning.
Even though I've entitled this my 21st Century Educational Philosophy, many
of my ideas are not new. They've been around for years because learning is not a new
concept. The means by which individuals have attempted to reach levels of learning
have varied.
 From the earliest moments of systematic knowledge acquisition, Aristotle
classified the pursuit of knowledge into three categories: the theoretical pursuit of
truth for truth's sake, the productive discipline of making things, and the practical
discipline of making judgements. All of these disciplines point back to the individual
learning for learning's sake and transferring this knowledge into something useable
that leads to action and yet guided by principles of what is good for all. Learning from
that point forward encouraged the individual to pursue knowledge through inquiry
that centered around the constructivist principle attaching meaning to learning
outcomes or concepts. But somewhere along the way, education was restricted to the
elite upper class, limiting many from accessing formal learning opportunities.

That was the past. As learning theories have swung like a pendulum over the
years, we have moved into the 21st Century, and it is imperative that we base all
educational philosophies upon proven theory of understanding and knowing truth
(knowledge) that places the burden of learning squarely on the individual learner.

Much is being written about Personalized Learning, the 21st Century version
of student-centered learning that places the learner at the centre of all learning
experiences aided by technology to increase engagement. Some suggest that
Personalized Learning is just another educational fad, but it has tremendous merits,
for the following reasons:

1. Learners developing skills, knowledge, and competencies that will benefit them
in school and life,
2. Outcomes and standards are established, and learners are supported in attaining
these outcomes,
3. Learners are supported in the construction of knowledge that links past and
present knowledge with new outcomes in meaningful ways,
4. Greater emphasis on literacy and numeracy skills for lifelong learning,
5. Assisting learners in developing learning pathways based on intrinsic motivation
that integrate personal values, interests, and goals,
6. Each learner is considered unique, allowing flexibility of where, when and how
they are able to learn,
7. Engaging parents as an active and essential role of creating meaningful
opportunities for the learner,
8. Supporting teachers in their role as facilitators of learning through professional
development, and Professional Learning Communities (PLC's),
9. Engage learners through technology connecting them to a world of information,
10. Incorporating technology into the learning experience that embraces creativity as
the highest order of thinking