Voices

After reading the "Voices" article of numerous educational philosophies of pioneers of education, there were only a few that I really connected with. Many of the philosophies had pieces which I adhered with and connected to, however Pestalozzi's philosophy and Herbart's Philosophy were the two I liked the most. Pestalozzi really emphasized motivation and interest of students. He believed learning was stimulated by what interested the student. This obviously makes sense, the student will connect with what interests them the most. With that being said, there are plenty of different interests that go around, so it's important to teach a variety of ways and materials to hit upon all interests.

According to Herbart's philosophy, the purpose of education was to develop a "moral insight" and to "strengthen character". I believe this is what we would call teaching teachable moments. I think that's important, sometimes it's necessary to drop the content and focus on what the student will benefit the most from. Fostering an environment which adheres to this philosophy will build a community of strong intellectual people.

There was a third educational philosophy which I connected with and that was Dewey's. I liked this one a lot because the idea of growth, or the reconstruction of experience was central to Dewey's philosophy. Reconstructing experiences can only be done by actually experiencing. To do so, Dewey believed hands-on activity was key. This is something I completely agree with; learning by doing is essential.