EDU 6120: Pedagogical Connections to Classical Thinkers

Pedagogical Connections to Classical Thinkers

The philosophies of classical thinkers have influenced many of our modern philosophies on education. By examining writings of Plato and Aristotle, one can reflect on their own ethics and make connections to the moral fabric of past pedagogues. Over the past two thousand years many theorists have contemplated how to improve moral education and academic achievement. They have read and reflected on the philosophies of the ancient Greeks. This contemplation will be ongoing into our futures, as our societies and cultures continue to evolve. Knowledge is never static therefore today’s teachers must continue this philosophical contemplation. When examining the past, it is also important to realize that new philosophies develop based on modern interpretations of old observations. Therefore, those that teach must continuously learn and reflect on new knowledge in order to provide a good education to students.

Interpretation of Writings by Plato and Aristotle

When reading Plato’s Cave: On Breaking the Chains of Ignorance, it is clear that Plato’s ancient text still holds relevance today. This allegory shows prisoners chained underground in a cave. They cannot move their heads therefore the only sights they are able to witness are shadows cast on the blank wall in front of them, illuminated by the fire behind them. While they can hear the noises of puppeteers and passersby, they cannot see these people. They can only see their shadows cast on the wall. The prisoners accept their chains because when they try to move their heads, the light from the fire is dazzling and painful. They would rather bare their chains of ignorance than be exposed to the light of this new knowledge. In Nicomachean Ethics, Book I, Aristotle also expresses that vulgar men choose to live only seeking pleasure and enjoyment, in other words ignorance presents itself as bliss. As portrayed in Plato’s cave, one prisoner who was originally reluctant to leave his shackles is dragged out of the cave against his will. He begins to see the outside world as it is. Over time, his eyes adjust and he can see the sun.

The writings of these two philosophers hold relevance today. For example, many students may be persuaded to join the military when they graduate from high school. Recruiters might present them with literature promoting the benefits of this investment and the pride that comes with serving their nation. A military career will also provide them with many opportunities, such as obtaining college financing, world travel, hands-on training in a variety of fields, and medical insurance for themselves and their families. In Nicomachean Ethics, Book I, Aristotle states “it frequently occurs that good things have harmful consequences: people have before now been ruined by wealth, and in other cases courage has cost men their lives.” Students who join the military may not be aware of the risks associated with military training, deployment, and war. They could find resources to further information and examine benefits and consequences of making this career choice. It is important for teachers to realize that many students will not look for these resources. Teachers must understand that our students may be like the prisoner in the cave; students need to be led to the sources of knowledge in order to make educated decisions. Otherwise, they may be exposed to harmful, unknown consequences of a “good thing”.

Furthermore, in order to effectively teach students and lead them to accurate information, teachers should increase their own knowledge and academic growth throughout their careers. Aristotle also states in Nicomachean Ethics, Book I:

To criticize a particular subject…a man must have been trained in that subject: to be a good critic generally, he must have had an all-round education. Hence the young are not fit to be students of Political Science. For they have no experience of life and conduct, and it is these that supply the premises and subject matter of this branch of philosophy. And moreover they are led by their feelings; so that they will study the subject to no purpose or advantage, since the end of this science is not knowledge but action.

Teachers should know the subject matter they teach and stay current on pedagogical methods and styles. In a career of education, it is logical that the educator be educated. Plato and Aristotle argue that if we do not search for new knowledge, we are also bearing the chains of ignorance. This necessity to be academic throughout one’s teaching career requires additional flexibility and examination of one’s personal and pedagogical philosophies.

More Recent Applications of Classical Philosophies

            When examining the writings of classical thinkers it is useful to analyze the pedagogical philosophies of those before us. Exploration of the writings of various historic figures such as Plutarch, Martin Luther, and Leo Tolstoy provides examples of how the ideas of the Greek philosophers have been examined and interpreted over time. Plutarch expresses the celebration of Pythagoras, Socrates, and Plato by all mankind in The Education of Children. Martin Luther conveys the importance of learning about the classical era and understanding the past in order to avoid that which-is harmful in his Letter in Behalf of Christian Schools. Tolstoy observes the use of classical and biblical philosophy and their connections with the school of his day in On Popular Education from Yasnaya Polyana. As pedagogical methods have evolved, the philosophies of the Greeks are still continuously interpreted to support the arguments of modern theorists. Stearns (2011) states, “…the classical period gains significance in world history from the fact that each key regional civilization established a number of lasting features…which can still be identified today” (p. 30). Historic and modern thinkers can easily examine and find relevance to the philosophies of the classical time period and choose to agree or disagree with them.

One example of a modern application of classical philosophy is observed when examining Plato’s three values, wisdom, moderation, and courage. The Greeks understood this concept as the balanced life (Scheuerman, 2014). As represented by the illustration of Tholos in Figure one, these three values form the structural supports of the stones above. If one of these three values is missing, the structural column will disappear and justice will fall. If these values are not balanced, in other words, if one is courageous to the point of foolishness, justice also cannot prevail. This balance can also be compared to situations in modern education. For example, in a school, an administrator may manage a budget to facilitate that the financial needs of a school district or school are met. He or she may exhibit courage when communicating budget allowances to stakeholders within the school and local community, use moderation when balancing budgets for resources such as new technology, athletics, or special education, and utilize wisdom to ensure that the resources are utilized as efficiently as possible. If any of these values are weighted unequally, it is likely that this administrator may make unjust decisions.

Figure 1 Plato’s answer to human fulfillment, represented on the ruins of Tholos

The Source of Individual Philosophies

While many of the philosophies of classical thinkers can provide usefulness today, we should also understand the context of the culture that they came from. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle have significantly influenced the practices of educators throughout history yet they also “…lived in a slave society…where each new generation within the leisure class had a claim on higher education because of membership in the class…[and] that education provided an entry into the ranks of the virtuous” (Finley, 1987). This was also a time of aristocratic rule, where politics were very important to the functioning of civilization and religion was polytheistic. Schlesinger (1998) states “it may seem more important to maintain a beneficial fiction than to keep history pure–especially when there is no such thing as pure history anyway” (p. 53). Much of the knowledge from this period is lost therefore the knowledge we obtain from the writings of previous pedagogues are interpretations of this era. This is yet another reason why teachers should continuously study their own philosophies during the course of a lifelong education. While the philosophies of those past may hold significance today, this information should be exhibited with tact, understanding that knowledge evolves and interpretations of the past evolve as well.

Figure two illustrates Plato’s three values again, using a different view of Tholos surrounded by its ruins. Much of the knowledge from classical times was destroyed or lost in the post-classical period, what little we have left has been translated and interpreted over a vast expanse of time. When reflecting on history, it is important that we observe that we are missing information and our philosophies must reflect this knowledge as new discoveries present themselves.

Figure 2 The site of Tholos representing the remaining pieces of knowledge lost with time

As time progresses, the stones and ruins of the past will continue to be uncovered revealing new truths; the future will also present new advancements in technology and wisdom leading to new philosophies. When examining new methods to improve education, teachers should be aware of the sources of information they are teaching from and continue to learn about that subject matter.

Conclusions

Plato and Aristotle’s philosophies come from a very different era of education. Much of the information from this time period is missing therefore the writings must be interpreted with modern philosophies. Based on the writing of pedagogues before us, it is useful to examine the interpretations of classical philosophical theorists. Plutarch, Martin Luther, and Leo Tolstoy utilized classical knowledge to support their own philosophies. Many universities and educational institutions embrace the teachings of a Socratic era although we will never truly comprehend this knowledge in its originality. By examining the works and interpretations of other thinkers, we can further understand and develop our own pedagogical philosophies. Ellis (n.d.) states, “No one philosophy is right for all people. …What is important is that you, as a future teacher, carefully examine [multiple] philosophies as you begin to define your own personal educational philosophy” (p. 5). Moreover by continuing to uncover the past, we can try to build upon the philosophies of the ancient Greeks as well.

Although the concepts presented by Plato and Aristotle are out of historic context, they also provide insight when developing one’s own pedagogical philosophies today. When reading Plato’s Cave: On Breaking the Chains of Ignorance and Nicomachean Ethics, Book I it is useful see the relevance these texts hold in today’s world. In a modern interpretation, these writers inform us of the importance of providing a well-rounded moral and academic education to our students. They also communicate that we must be well versed in existing and new knowledge. Therefore I can summarize that teachers must remain academic throughout their careers to facilitate they are prepared to provide new instruction to students as new information presents itself. Furthermore, by examining the teachings of Aristotle and Plato, teachers can build on their own philosophies, as many pedagogues refer to the writings of classical thinkers. It is unfortunate that much of the knowledge from this time is lost and therefore essential that material is referenced accurately and with truth. As knowledge continues to evolve, teachers must comprehend that they will continuously need to break the chains of ignorance.

References:

Ellis, A. (n.d.). Philosophical perspectives. Personal Collection of (Ellis, A.), Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA.

Finley, M. I. (1987). The use and abuse of history: From the myths of the Greeks to Lévi-Strauss, the past alive and the present illuminated. (Revised edition). New York: Penguin Books.

Stearns, P. N. (2011). World history: The basics. London & New York: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.

Scheuerman, R. (2014). Session 2: Paideia and panhellism: The Greek experience. Personal Collection of (Scheuerman, R.), Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA.

Schlesinger, A. M. (1998). The disuniting of America: Reflections on a multicultural society. (Revised and enlarged edition). New York & London: W. W. Norton & Company.

EDU 6120 Session 9: Authentic Applications

When exploring curriculum and educational delivery methods, one approach will not facilitate effective teaching. In every classroom, regardless of age level, a layered approach to curriculum design is most effective to reach a large variety of learners. Reflecting on this week’s reading by Arthur Ellis, I am further convinced that a layered approach to educational philosophical practices accomplishes dynamic and intriguing classrooms. There are advantages and disadvantages to every teaching style, therefore it is important that instruction is flexible and dynamic based on student populations every given school year. Teachers should model curriculum based on age-levels, abilities, and knowledge of individual student populations; it is therefore of the utmost importance that teachers assess and gather data on every classroom consistently throughout the year to evaluate individual students’ progress and growth. Furthermore, learning should be intriguing and curriculum should be designed to facilitate a yearning to learn.

Ellis (n.d.) determines that there are several models of instruction that can be employed in a classroom, the didactic model, the problem solving or inquiry/discovery model, and the interpersonal learning model. Ellis states, “…A teacher will want to combine these elements for the most effective approach to teaching. The teacher will want to encourage creative thinking and intuition as well as a firm understanding of the basics of education” (p.11). People receive information through various sources throughout their lives and educators should recognize that the classroom is a real-world model of a miniature society; students in the classroom environment should learn to coexist, receive factual information, experience learning in different ways, effectively solve problems, organize and group content, adapt information making comparisons to information they already know, and receive information in cooperative, competitive, and individualistic settings (Ellis, n.d.). I embrace multiple teaching methods understanding that certain situations allocate different pedagogical styles and philosophies. The approach that I favor is the experiential approach to learning, as Jerome Bruner states:

We teach a subject, not to produce little living libraries from that subject, but rather to get a student to think mathematically for himself, to consider matters as a historian does, to take part in the process of knowledge-getting. Knowledge is a process, not a product.

            –Jerome Bruner, the Process of Education (1960)

While I embrace this approach, I also understand that various methods to conveying knowledge will effectively reach more learners.

Reference:

Ellis, A. (n.d.). School curriculum. Personal Collection of (Ellis, A.), Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA.

Scheuerman, R. (2014). Session 9: The courts and education. Personal Collection of (Scheuerman, R.), Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA.

EDU 6120 Session 8: I Can Teach as Time Progresses

In response to conversations and readings in regard to student-centered versus knowledge/society-oriented education, it is logical to reflect on the balance of how information is deemed worthy of instruction. Student centered education is focused on the individual student, building on their ability to continue to intellectually grow and “focus on practical instruments and scientific approaches to solve problems” (Scheuerman, 2014). In the early twentieth century, a time when American culture was changing quickly, student-centered progressivism was a motivating concept for pedagogical models. Many minorities were seeking equal rights in education and Native Americans were becoming United States citizens. Vocational training was also becoming more prominent in schools. As time progressed, after WWII, the United States was in an era of more educational reform, a time of promoted consumerism, a national race to technological and military advancement, and quickened urban development. The G.I. Bill of Rights was even giving common people opportunities to seek out higher education, further promoting an interest in university level degrees. The factors of this time period promoted a new era in American education, focusing on a movement of social change. Education was evolving in unfamiliar ways to promote a fact-driven, society approach to teaching, college entrance testing was becoming a common occurrence, and minorities were still fighting the battle for equal rights.

Education has continued to evolve with society and the knowledge centered on this evolution has continued to change. Knowledge therefore, is information that may be adjusted or just become inaccurate with time. If one were to live for hundreds of years and teach in an American culture, their pedagogical philosophies and strategies would require continued adjustment. If one were to teach in a career span of ten to fifty years, this would still be the case. Therefore, there should be a balance of student-centered and society-centered education in the classroom. As worded by Dewey (1897), “if we eliminate the social factor from the child we are left only with an abstraction; if we eliminate the individual factor from society, we are left with only an inert and lifeless mass.” There has been a surge of change in a globalized and technologically advanced modern era. Knowledge is not static, it evolves and the effective educator will have to evolve with it. Tolstoy (1860) brought up an applicable observation to this point:

A beautiful school for a Russian village of the steppe, which satisfies all the wants of its pupils, will be a very poor school for a Parisian; and the best school of the seventeenth century will be an exceedingly bad school in our time. On the other hand, the very worst school of the Middle Ages was in its time better than the best in our time, because it better corresponded to its time, and at least stood on a level with the general education, if not in advance of it, while our school stands behind it.

Tolstoy’s observations from the nineteenth century mirror many similar observations made about education today, as we compare and critique our schools, within our communities and across our nation. Moreover, one educational model may be somewhat sufficient in a particular circumstance but may be a failure in another. It is important that as time moves on, teachers continue to remain flexible and reflective about their teaching. As time moves on, teachers should adjust with new knowledge presented to them.

Reference:

Dewey, J. (1897). My pedagogical creed. The school journal.

Scheuerman, R. (2014). Session 8: Progressivism and intellectual development. Personal Collection of (Scheuerman, R.), Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA.

Tolstoy, L. (1860). On popular education. Yasnaya, Polyana.

 

EDU 6120 Session 7: All Things Considered

Why should everyone have access to education and is public education the key to instilling economic prosperity? Horace Mann’s Twelfth Annul Report, On Education and National Welfare, discusses the repercussions “…if one class possesses all the wealth and the education…” I agree with Horace Mann, that education for Americans “…does better than to disarm the poor of their hostility toward the rich; it prevents being poor” (Mann, 1848). Mann’s published works in the 19^th century inspired the beginning of the foundation of what developed into today’s modern, American education. His methods of reform led to a system where people from various backgrounds and classes would have access to the fundamental skills and knowledge that come from a public education.

If Horace Mann were alive today, would he agree with this concept, of agrarianism, perhaps if applied to a globalized culture? In a current age when westernized countries are commonly considered the wealthier nations, it may be necessary in many cases to bring education to the poorer nations across the world. We live in a complicated global society with varying human issues; the problem is that the roles and goals of education for individual countries and communities will most likely differ from today’s American educational beliefs. While I agree with Horace Mann from an American perspective, I feel I must disagree from a global standpoint; it is a far too complicated issue to apply to every country and community. This concept of education for all may be applicable in many cases but it is also dangerous to apply the concept to every community scenario. Perhaps some cultures may be lost in the process.

Reference:

Mann, H. (1848). On education and national welfare. 1848 twelfth annual report of Horace Mann as secretary of Massachusetts state board of education.

Scheuerman, R. (2014). Session 7: Practical Universal Education. Personal Collection of (Scheuerman, R.), Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA.

Washington, B. T. (1895). On achieving social equity. Atlanta Exposition Address.

EDU 6120 Session 6: Search for Meaning

When researching a topic, particularly for educational instruction, how does one go about the task of this research? A student should be taught to think, not just to parrot the material provided by an instructor (Scheuerman, 2014). If curriculum is also constructed in a manner to problem solve, teach students to construct new knowledge, and to promote transformative knowledge, students should be able to memorize information as well as be informed to construct criticism about those facts. When researching material for a lesson, it is essential to research in order to teach the material, but furthermore, to instill and inspire students to want to learn more about the topic.

For example, perhaps an educator decided to research Anne Frank, in order to teach a lesson about the repercussions of the Nazi reign. How would one find the material to instill a sense of creative and intellectual inspiration for their students but also provide a factual knowledge of Anne Frank’s contributions to human rights? It is deemed common knowledge that Anne Frank wrote a diary, one that educators can easily access and have read in their classrooms. When searching for meaning about an individual and their sufferings and reflecting on those that perished in the Holocaust, it is wise to also make personal connections to that circumstance.

The word “interest” stands in general for that kind of mental activity which instruction seeks to incite. Mere information does not suffice; for this we think of as a supply or store of facts, which a person might possess or lack, and still remain the same being (Herbart, n.d.).

An instructor can provide outside resources to their class such as a museum, memorial, library, monument, textbook, and so on, but perhaps forming a personal connection to the material, prior to the lesson, may instill a curiosity for students to search for more meaning in the lesson. Through transformative learning practices, teachers can instill a curiosity for students to empathize with those that suffered the Holocaust, being inspired to learn more about this situation.

There are many scenarios in which educators can inspire students to search for meaning in their educational content. Perhaps first it may be helpful to hold some preliminary reflection, asking the class if they know of relatives or other people that survived the Holocaust? There are also organizations, such as the World Affairs Council Seattle, that provide workshops and lectures for students and teachers about world issues (many of which can possibly connect to the study of Anne Frank). Another concept is to provide a classroom simulation of what it would be like to live in a fascist world, how that would impact the decisions and choices that they make (although this would have to be handled with care). The class may also reflect on modern suffrages and genocides in their current society. Facilitating a sense of importance, personal meaning, and self reflection will help instill a purpose for students to not only search for facts about a time period but to reflect on how to search for meaning about that period, perhaps in hopes to prevent it from reoccurring in their futures.

Reference:

Herbart, J. F. (n.d.). The ethical basis and aim of instruction.

Scheuerman, R. (2014). Session 6: The enlightenment-rationalists and romantics. Personal Collection of (Scheuerman, R.), Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA.

EDU 6120 Session 5: Key Idea Identification

“Philosophy pervades all aspects of education. It is the underlying basis for everything we do in the classroom.” – Arthur Ellis, Philosophical Perspectives

As educators, we each develop our own pedagogical philosophies, driven by our general beliefs of what a fulfilling life may entail. Arthur Ellis (n.d.) presents five educational philosophies in his article titled Philosophical Perspectives; these five philosophies are perennialism, essentialism, progressivism, reconstructionism, and existentialism. I agree with Ellis, “No one philosophy is right for all people” (p. 4). Moreover, these five philosophies could very well be inherited in duplication. Perhaps an educator possesses some essentialist traits but may also inherit some existentialist ones as well. Teachers may prefer the classroom to be under their influence and control, yet may also embrace more self-guided, nondirective methods of pedagogy.

Reflecting on the information presented in this article, I’ve found that my educational philosophy continues to evolve, embracing all five of the educational philosophies presented by Ellis. I’ve come to appreciate traditional schools of thought yet I also experiment with more contemporary models of educational philosophy in the classroom. As knowledge and information continue to metamorphosize in a changing society, our methods of pedagogy should also be flexible enough to bend with this change. Beliefs should therefore be flexible enough to evolve with knowledge, noting the irony that this philosophy is experimentalist, therefore making my personal philosophy one of pragmatism. In closing on this post, I also agree “as you grow and develop both as a teacher and as an individual, you will need to study philosophy in more depth” (Ellis, n.d., p. 1).

Reference:

Ellis, A. (n. d.) Philosophical Perspectives. Personal Collection of (Ellis, A.), Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA.

 

EDU 6120 Session 4: Learning Illustrated

Learning is a process of knowledge acquisition, knowledge that can be received/revealed, discovered, or constructed. Our role as educators is to instill a foundational knowledge of academic curriculum with a basis of current moral understanding and ethics in order for our students to be fulfilled, contributing members of our present and future societies. Variable approaches can be utilized to instill a moral, academic, and community oriented education. The educational process will continuously evolve around our ever-changing culture yet the methods of knowledge acquisition will essentially remain consistent. It is “therefore essential for the instructor to be artful, mastering what it is that they want students to learn and invoke interest in that material” (Scheumerman, 2014). Furthermore, it is also relevant that the instructor instill an education of moral value, facilitating a life of action and fulfillment in each individual student, as curriculum and knowledge will always evolve with time, but society will also be progressing with this evolution. We live in a current American culture that is driven toward a broad sense of individualism, yet it has also been proven throughout human history that the individual can also contribute to their society in many ways, through learned ethics and morals.

Time has proven that instruction will evolve with educational changes and reform. When looking throughout human history and culture, education in the United States has evolved from a wide range of revolution and cultural world history. Our history of the world has proven that reform, in a broader sense, is the evolutionary change of knowledge and virtue over time, involving changes in the knowledge that would be delivered to the populace of these vastly diverse time periods. Based on the more recent histories of reforms (or better stated changes) in education in the United States, it is clear that educators will certainly require flexibility, as teaching methods will continue to revolve around our society as a whole. Therefore, flexibility and wisdom are two essential qualities inherent to an effective educator.

Reference:

Scheuerman, R. (2014). Session 4: The Roman way and traditional values: Philosophical roots of education. Personal Collection of (Scheuerman, R.), Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA.

EDU 6120 Session 3: Six Cardinal Values

Methods of Socratic method utilized by the ancient Greeks can be displayed by a triangular model including courage, wisdom, and moderation at the three outer points of the diagram, highlighting justice at the center of this model, justice connecting the other values together. Below is a diagram of the model that was presented to the class:

The Greeks understood this concept as the balanced life, noting that too much of too little of one of these three values would throw off the outcome of justice. For example, to be too courageous would potentially provide a display of recklessness therefore justice may not be achieved. To lack the appropriate level of wisdom may result in excessive foolishness. Furthermore, to live a life of too much excess or limitation, will outweigh a life of moderation. In this model, in order for justice to prevail, there must be a balance of the three cardinal values, courage, wisdom, and moderation.

This week six cardinal values to a moral education, developed by the United States Government, were also presented to the class. This example was detailed on an elevation drawing of the Pantheon, representing these six values as the six pillars that support the freeze and roof of the architecture. Commitment, participation, kindness, civility, honesty, and service are all structural columns, supporting the freeze and roof above, including the individual, political, and economic structures of society. Without the foundation and columns of this metaphorical structure, the freeze and the roof would most likely collapse. This model is useful when approaching a pedagogical design for any classroom environment; academics can be transferred through lesson planning and instruction, using a balance of these six cardinal values/pillars to verify a solid framework to mold a moral individual, preparing them for societal responsibilities. Examples of these six values can be modeled in anything an educator does, such as planning lessons around community service, exhibiting kindness in challenging situations, exhibiting honesty (especially when one is wrong), respecting colleagues and others surrounding them, participation in the community and school, and a commitment to work ethic. When working with children at any age level, it is appropriate and important to consistently utilize these six values. Instruction requires a balance of approaches, to reach all students on varying levels of participation; it is important to be kind, but without the other five values represented on the Pantheon model, there would be an imbalance of responsibilities. Furthermore, teaching a moral education, without leading by our actions, is a lazy and inefficient example of transferring knowledge.

In everything that we do as educators, we should lead by example. Our responsibility to our students is to teach by communicating. Communication, by definition, is a means of transferring information and connecting people and places together. While knowledge may be provided in a worded format, knowledge is also transferred through our actions. We as teachers have a moral requirement to provide knowledge to our students through an equal distribution of commitment, participation, kindness, civility, honesty, and service. To add to that, we should continue to exhibit a passion for what we do and ambition for successful outcomes, for this could serve us well in remembering to use these values throughout our lives and careers. Without passion and ambition, the six cardinal values represented on the Pantheon example would be quite difficult to achieve with balance and integrity. As the actual Pantheon has eight columns on its front elevation, perhaps passion and ambition would fit perfectly in a revised metaphoric model of moral education.

EDU 6120 Session 2: I Learned

A term that I have come to understand and inherit during this session is paideia. The purpose of paideia is to provoke a common progressive order, for members of society to convene and participate in community gatherings in order to promote democracy. This concept of becoming involved in “the public square” is essential in a democratic society, and is also symbolic in the gathering of students for instruction. A meeting of the minds to encourage and attempt to accomplish that of the greater good is a concept that links directly to classical thinking.

When making connections to our reading, Plato’s Cave: On Breaking the Chains of Ignorance comes to mind, noting the metaphor of the cave used as a den of ignorance and unawareness. Those within the cave must break their chains of ignorance yet may not be willing to do so; it is in fact painful and dazzling to turn around from the shadows and look into the light. I relate this metaphor to the pain and torment that is usually necessary with the acquisition of wisdom. Sometimes it is easier to accept our chains of ignorance rather than endure what it takes to allow wisdom to reach us. Those that stayed in the cave still chained and facing the shadows may represent the concept of “meism”; perhaps they are unable or more likely unwilling to turn around and face the light. My favorite excerpt of this reading is as follows:

…The power and capacity of learning exists in the soul already; and that just as the eye was unable to turn from darkness to light without the whole body, so too the instrument of knowledge can only by the movement of the whole soul be turned from the world of becoming into that of being, and learn by degrees to endure the sight of being, and of brightest and best of being, or in other words, of the good (Plato).

EDU 6120 Session 1: I Learned (Reflection on Career Change)

The concept of the role of knowledge really stood out for me during session one of this foundations course. In my previous career, I designed interpretive learning environments, layering the way a story could be told, or experienced, to reach various visitor audiences. In the classroom, it is important to also layer the way content is taught in order to reach a variety of learners while also carrying a thorough understanding of the material being provided to students. One of my personal goals as an educator is to try to reach every student, organizing my planning to educate learners utilizing the three levels of knowledge acquisition, knowledge “received/revealed, discovered, and constructed”. My secondary goal is to be collegiate throughout my career, consistently enhancing my curriculum to increase and maintain its effectiveness as time progresses.

An enlightenment that presented itself when reviewing the materials presented in session one was the reminder of why I chose to work in a profession like this. When I made the decision to become an elementary educator, I received an incredible amount of support from colleagues/friends and family; I also received a lot of constructive criticism about this decision. Many people were curious to hear from me after I had spent some time in the field, probably thinking I was out of my mind to leave the exhibit design trade (after years of building my career) to become a low-paid, overworked teacher. Arthur Ellis presented some interesting points in The Teaching Decision, on the possibilities and limitations educators face, or may potentially face. It was interesting to review some of the data presented in this reading, especially the number of reasons educators leave the teaching profession, as gathered from the Gallup/Phi Delta Kappa Poll of Teachers’ Attitudes toward the Public Schools, taken in 1989:

1. Low teacher salaries
2. Discipline problems in schools
3. Low status of teaching as a profession
4. Students are unmotivated, uninterested in school
5. Lack of public financial support for education
6. Parents do not support the teachers
7. Outstanding teacher performance goes unrewarded
8. Difficulty of professional advancement
9. Parents are not interested in children’s progress

What I found humorous about this list is I can reflect on when each reason noted on this poll for leaving the profession has come up in conversation about my career change in the past year. This is not discouraging to me, but reinforces that I made the right decision to teach. Furthermore, the article on Native American Influences, Sharing the Fire: Exploring Our Place and World through Native American Mythology encouraged me to reflect more on my decision. I agree with the concept that “storytelling fosters understanding of experience,” noting that I myself have learned a lot of varied information over the years with a career of storytelling (Scheuerman, Gritter, Schuster, Fisher, 2010). I relate this story-telling idea to a charette process I’ve used with many clients, where I asked them what the “big message” was that they wanted their audience to take with them, the over-arching theme of the exhibit “experience”. This primary message would create a hierarchy of the story topics to be told and their arrangement in the exhibit environment. Visitors would then “experience” these stories through a layered approach, with lectures, readings, videos, games, immersive environments, docents, websites, and other activities. By experiencing different approaches to storytelling, visitors would be further enabled to take some knowledge with them after they left the exhibit.

Although I will probably increase my workload significantly, I’m excited about the notion of educating children at the elementary level, utilizing many of the ideas that have been presented so far in the first couple of weeks of my education at SPU and some of the connections I have made thus far to my previous career. In my previous career, I designed how knowledge was received/revealed, discovered, or constructed and am excited to do the same when I am a certified teacher.

Reference:

Ellis, A., The Teaching Decision. Personal Collection of (Ellis, A.), Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA.

Scheuerman, R., Gritter, K., Schuster, C. J., Fisher, G. (May 2010). Sharing the fire: Exploring our place and world through native American mythology. The English Journal, 99:1.