Benchmark Educational Philosophy

BENCHMARK EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY IN PRACTICE ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS INSTRUCTIONS This paper is to be 5 pages in length from the introductory paragraph to the conclusion, which does not count the title page, abstract, or reference pages. This paper is a statement of your personal philosophy of education. It should focus on the purpose of education, which is why education is carried out and not so much how it is carried out. Your purpose of education is to emphasize the long-range impact you believe education should have on individuals and on society—the outcome of education. As you convey your philosophy, you are to focus on its outcome rather than on the methods, practices, instruction, or classroom activities. Those are tools of carrying out your philosophy; therefore, a simple discussion of teaching strategies does not make up your philosophy of education. As an academic paper, it is to be supported by the body of knowledge in the field, which is to include references to the literature from educational philosophy, psychology, curriculum, and learning theory. Treat this as a position statement, a persuasive paper. Make declarative statements of “ought” and “should.” Follow the length requirement outlined in the syllabus, use APA format, and include a minimum of four references. HEADINGS: See the rubric for this assignment; it will be used for assessing the paper. To ensure the paper meets the requirements of the rubric, you are to include the elements listed below. Note the required headings that are to be placed in the same order in your paper as they appear in the outline below. Please be sure to address each bulleted point as you formulate your responses. 1. Title Page a. Title: Consider the title of your paper to be your motto, slogan, or bumper-sticker version of your philosophy. It should be clear enough to give the reader some idea of what you believe about the purpose of education. Avoid statements that sound vague or flippant or that focus on the process of education. Consider adding a subtitle. Subtitles can bring clarity to the main title. b. Other Information on Title Page • Please follow formatting for a professional paper per APA style. 2. Abstract • Place the abstract after the title page and before the introduction to the paper. • The abstract should be what you would write on an employment application or what you would say verbally in an interview if asked directly about your philosophy of education. • Abstract’s First Sentence: Write your thesis statement first. It should state what you believe the long-range impact education should have on students and society. • Abstract Paragraph: Subsequent sentences should practically explain what you will do in your instructional practice to carry out the philosophy you stated in the first sentence. 3. Introduction (Do not use a heading for this section.) • The purpose of the introductory paragraph is different from the abstract. Do not simply copy the abstract. • In this section, introduce your thesis statement that will be developed throughout the paper. • It is best to place the thesis statement at the end of the introduction. This serves as a transition into the rest of the paper. o Thesis Statement: The thesis statement and introduction to it should focus on the purpose, outcomes, goals, and impact of education. It should not address how important it is to have a philosophy of education and should not focus on the process of instruction. Focus on the “why” instead of the “how.” 4. Philosophy of Schools & Learning (first heading) • This section should focus on the “why” of education—the long-range impact you believe schools and learning should have on individuals and on society. Save the “how” of education for the next section. • This is the core part of the paper where you expound more specifically on your thesis statement. • State what you believe. Do not feel obligated to embrace a particularly established philosophy. However, you are to situate your beliefs among others by citing ideas that illustrate yours or are in opposition to yours. • Identify one or two key theories that might illustrate your own beliefs about the purpose of schools and learning. 5. Instructional Practice (second heading) • This section focuses on the “how” of education. • Discuss how learners come to know truth. What causes learning to occur? (Epistemology) • What pedagogical practices, instructional strategies, or methods will you tend to use most frequently to promote academic development? • How might you differentiate instruction and classroom management to meet the diverse needs of students? Provide specific examples of how you would modify or adjust your curriculum, lesson plan, and classroom management strategies. 6. School Counselor-Learner Relationships (third heading) (Remember that the questions listed in this guide are only to stimulate thought. You are not required to answer them systematically. Doing so might make your paper too rigid.) • What is the role of the learner? • What is the role of the school counselor? • How should they relate to each other and why? • How might school counselors collaborate with other educational partners to work together to foster academic, career, and social emotional development for students? • How might you use data to identify and evaluate your interventions? 7. Diversity (fourth heading) • What diversity factors need to be taken into account by the school counselor? • How do factors of student diversity impact instruction? • What are some strategies that can be implemented to promote equity and inclusion within academic achievement, college readiness, and other postsecondary opportunities? • How might you use data to identify and evaluate your interventions? 8. My Calling (fifth heading) • Briefly discuss your journey toward becoming a school counselor. Please be sure to incorporate scripture(s), quote(s), or other sources that align with a Biblical worldview. 9. Conclusion (final required heading) • Your conclusion should tie in with the introduction somehow so that your paper displays coherence. • If your introduction included a metaphor, quote, theme, etc., it would be appropriate to tie back into that. • Both the introduction and conclusion should focus on the thesis of the paper, which is to address the purpose/outcome/impact of education TIPS • State where you agree or disagree with some of the leading theories and theorists. • Because this paper is made up of your personal views, it will be graded on how well you followed the rubric, supported your ideas, and presented them in a clear, consistent manner. You may disagree with the instructor without any penalty. • Avoid dwelling too much on biographical or testimonial information. How you came to believe what you do is not as important as what you believe and your rationale for it. REFERENCES You must use your textbooks in your reference list. Incorporate into the paper some key ideas from the textbooks to support or illustrate your philosophy of education or to cite ideas that are in opposition to what you believe. You may use a variety of other sources, such as... • Your methods and psychology textbooks • The Bible (APA requires you to cite the Bible in the body of the paper and on the reference page) • Educational journals • Books you’ve read that have influenced your philosophy of education. • Do not use Wikipedia as a source in an academic paper. Because it is an open environment, the information is constantly being changed by registered users and is not always reliable. • Include at least four references. • A variety of resources should be represented: books, journals, online, Christian, secular, etc. POINT OF VIEW Because this is a Personal Philosophy of Education paper, you may use first person pronouns such as “I” and “me,” but do not overuse them. For example, try not to overuse “I believe...” or “I think...” This is a position paper; therefore, it is assumed that the entire contents contain your beliefs and thoughts. Do not use “I feel...” PRONOUN USAGE Two problems students frequently have in their writing tend to be (1) pronoun-antecedent agreement and (2) the gender issue of “he or she.” Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement: Pronouns must agree in number with their antecedents. It is incorrect to write, “Each school counselor [singular] should manage their [plural] own classroom.”