Philosophy of Education Fusing Humanistic Term Paper

By "personal" and "social" goals, I meant the achievement of ideals set by the individual for himself/herself and for the society in general, respectively. Education and learning gained from it is meaningless if the individual cannot enjoy and optimize it to achieve his/her own needs and aspirations in life. However, similarly, one's success in achieving his/her aspirations becomes irrelevant if these achievements do not benefit society.

A recognize the need to balance an individual's need to favor one's self and accepting the responsibility of being a productive member of the society. I have seen this equilibrium in both the humanistic and progressive philosophies. On one hand, it is in humanistic philosophy that I was able to develop my thoughts on the student being a rational individual, pursuing education for his/her eventual success in life (which is mainly motivated financially and socially (i.e., prestige and renown)). On the other hand, I found in progressive philosophy the significance of the student as a potential productive individual who will help in creating social order and progress (Higgins, 2005:457). Interestingly, humanism for me embodies the relevance of the individual as a member of the society, wherein his/her being a student is already an identity that creates a social status unequaled by one's wealth. I see in progressive philosophy a student's significance to his/her society, as s/he attempts to find out the degree or level of importance society puts on him/her as a contributor to the welfare of the society s/he lives in.

My personal philosophy of education reflects also my position on other issues pertaining to learning and teaching. More than anything, I believe in the usefulness of all models, theories, and philosophies about and of education, because I consider them complements or supplements of each other rather than contradictions or oppositions of each other.

Thus, my personal philosophy is both child- and subject-centered. My philosophy is child-centered because it centers on the student/individual, and it argues how the student/individual is vital to the success, survival, and continued significance of education to human society and civilization. My philosophy is child-centric in that it takes into account the student as an individual and the student as a functioning member of the society.

In addition to being child-centric, my philosophy of education is also subject-centered because there is great consideration given in providing the appropriate training and form of learning that the student/individual shall receive. That is, guided by the principles of humanistic and progressive philosophies, tasks, information, and the learning and teaching processes are based on an interactive, hands-on type school environment. This means that both teacher and student share, rather than transmit information and facts to each other. It is through sharing that learning becomes dynamic and effective, allowing the student/individual to succeed in his/her goal to gain relevance and significance in the society he lives in, and for the teacher to accomplish the same goals the student/individual has set for himself/herself: to gain relevance and significance in the society s/he lives in.

Bibliography

Campbell, a. (2006). "Understanding your motivation for teaching." Intercom, Vol. 53, Issue 3.

Higgins, C. (2005). "Dewey's conception of vocation: existential, aesthetic, and educational implications for teachers." Journal of Curriculum Studies, Vol. 37, Issue 4.