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How Progressivism Can Be Utilized Within Curriculum Essay

. Introduction (include a definition of curriculum based on the literature cite accordingly)

Progressivism is a philosophy based on preparing students for a much more difficult and competitive global environment. Espoused by award winning psychologist John Dewey in 1938, this concept of education attempts to avoid much of the impractical theory that pervades current education curriculum. It also advocates for continual learning on the part of the instructor as to keep their skills up to date in order to properly instruct students about real world applications. This is my opinion is the more preferrable approach as it best prepares students for active participation in a globalized world. Likewise, as technology continues to permeate throughout the world, it is critical for students to develop strong critical thinking skills that continually challenge the status quo. This is important for a number of reasons. First, technology is predicated on rapid change. As it permeates the entire world, the industries in which it interacts with are therefore subject to large amounts of change. Industries once thought untouchable such as banking and retail are now being challenged ration dramatically be technology. It is therefore important to teach students the latest critical thinking skills as oppose to theory that might be obsolete in just a few years. The antiquated teaching methods and curriculum, are in my opinion, serving to harm the competitive position of the United States relative to the world. For one, a large number of students are graduating with degrees that are neither demanded or needed by society in any large scale. Disciplines with degrees such as Dance, Psychology, Creative Writing, History, Archeology, and Anthropology are not in very high demand by society. All these disciplines are needed to a certain extent, many of these disciplines simply are not needed in the relation of the number of people graduating with these degrees. In addition, many of these graduates end up working in fields completely different than their degree discipline. Saddled with debt, a useless degree, a very slim job prospects, society ultimately suffers. These can not be completely erased with progressivism but they can be mitigated by providing students with a honesty and real-world perspective of life and skill applications. With functional expertise, students can then be better prepared to properly matriculate into society in a manner that not only benefits the student but society overall (Flinders, 2013).

2. (Your) Educational Philosophy (label it according to one of those discussed in Ornstein and Hunkins text)

My educational philosophy is predicated on three key tenets with directly correlate to the principles of progressivism. First and arguable most importantly, students must take ownership of their learning experience. They should be empowered to speak up and engage with both the instructor and school leadership. Students should look to help improve the overall learning experience by providing constructive criticism when needed. In addition, students must look to engage with the education material in a manner that is beneficial for the them. With progressivism, the learning will be based on practical outcomes. As...

…This is exacerbated by school funding programs which are predicated on overall school performance on standardized tests. As a result, teachers often teach towards the test as oppose to teaching towards comprehension and retention. This creates a conundrum of sorts as teachers are essentially depriving students of the real-world applications that are needed for success in the real world. Instead, they are replacing these applications with memorization that does nothing for the student expect for their scores. In addition, constructivism can be very dangerous as it is based heavily on past experience. This past experience can be very negative further contributing to negative outcomes for a student who relies on them (Graham, 2007).

5. Suggestions/Recommendations for Improvement

As it relates to suggestion for improvement. First, students must leverage real world experience to compete in a much more competitive and dynamic labor market. Second they must leverage soft skills such as crucial thinking, change management, and collaboration, all of which will be needed for the jobs of the future. Finally, students and teachers must commit to educating themselves on a long-term basis to ensurethat their skills remain relevant in a rapidly changing environment.

6. Conclusion

In conclusion, progressivism is the best solution to many of the education and academic problems facing the world today. Students should have an education focused on skills they can personally leverage in the future. They should also have an environment focused on continual learning and development. This will prepare the nation for the jobs of the future predicated on critical thinking, real…

Sources used in this document:

References

1. Flinders, D., & Thornton, S. (2013). The curriculum studies reader. (4th Ed.). New York: Routledge.

2. Ford, B.A., Stuart, D.H., & Vakil, S. (2014). Culturally responsive teaching in the 21st century inclusive classroom. The Journal of the International Association of Special Education, 15(2), 32-42.

3. Graham, M.A. (2007). Art, ecology, and art education: Locating art education in a critical placebased pedagogy. Studies in Art Education, 48(4), 175-187.

4. Gutek, G. (2014). Philosophical, ideological, and theoretical perspectives on education. (2nd Ed.). New York: Pearson.

5. Higgins, P. (2009). Into the big wide world: Sustainable experiential education for the 21st century. Journal of Experiential Education, 32(1), 14-31.

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