EDST 200 Rud

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EDST 200 - Rud Week 1-1
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• Part 1 Introduction
• I Welcome
• II Index Cards
• ? Name
• ? Class
• ? Area of Teaching Interest
• ? High School - demographics
• Where do you want to teach?
• ? Brief Personal Information - What interests
  you?
• III Syllabus

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IV Why history and philosophy of education? ?
More than just a course, a way of thinking and a
way of looking at the world History So we can
learn from the past and understand who we are and
how we got where we are ? That gives us POWER
To be able to make wise decisions about our lives
and those of others
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Philosophy philo/sophia Love of wisdomnot
love of knowledge or theory ? The Greeks,
especially Socrates The unexamined life is not
worth living. ? Not something just academic
but useful in life and in teaching!
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? We will be looking to see how different
outlooks affect ones teaching and learning. ?
You already have a philosophy but it may be
inconsistent with some other things in your life.
You may or may not have examined what you are
doing. ? Journaling is a good means to reflect
and examine how many keep a journal or diary? ?
Dialogue and exploration of ideas and views with
others is very good too.
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Areas of Philosophy ? Metaphysics questions
the nature of reality what does real mean? Is
a chair real? How about reality TV? ?
Epistemology What is knowledge? ? Axiology
deals with values and norms --Aesthetics
beauty and art --Ethics morality and human
conduct
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Methods of Philosophy ? Thought ? Dialogue ?
Argument ? Logic ? Imagination ? Critical
Thinking
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Part 2 I. Terms and Questions Related to
Them A. Metaphysics Reality and existence.
What is reality? What does our existence mean and
what does it involve? B. Epistemology Sources of
knowledge. How do we know what we know? What do
you all know? We will discuss later Platos
view Knowledge is justified true belief. C.
Axiology Values, ethics, aesthetics. What is
good? How should we live? D. Logic Systems and
rules of reasoning. Formal and Informal Logic,
both offered in the philosophy department. E.
Back to History Keep in mind.
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• II. Philosophy Traditions in Education
• These traditions are distinguished by the above
  factors metaphysics, epistemology, etc.
• Idealism
• 1. Philosophers Plato, Froebel
• 2. Basic Concepts
• a. Concerned with ideas, reason, spirit, not the
  reality of
• the material world. (We might even question the
  material
• world because our senses can deceive us.)
• b. The mind should grasp truth and beauty which
  are
• universal and absolute, and unchanging. How
• mathematics exhibits these characteristics (with
  caveats of
• course, as math is a developing discipline).

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B. Realism 1. Philosophers Aristotle, Rousseau,
Locke 2. Basic Concepts a. Reality based
upon concrete, observable world. So knowledge
comes through our senses, is empirical.
Aristotle is a scientist, one of the first
biologists. b. The world can be rationally
understood and categorized.
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C. Pragmatism 1. Philosophers James, Dewey
stress its American roots 2. Basic Concepts
a. Reality is based upon experience and
interactions (with others, nature, and/or
things). b. Reality is therefore subject to
change and is relative. c. Pragmatism is
based upon the biological science model of
organic growth and change. Implicit in the model
is the concept of progress. Keep in mind a
growth metaphor.
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D. Existentialism 1. Philosophers Kierkegaard,
Sartre 2. Basic Concepts a. Reality is
within individual and so is unique to each
person. b. We are "condemned" to be free the
importance of making choices, acting upon our
freedom and individual existence. c. Our
choices determine our existence and vice versa.
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E. Postmodernism 1. Philosophers Derrida,
Foucault 2. Basic Concepts a. Reality and
interpretations are not universal or essential
but particularistic, i.e., based upon aspects
such as gender, race, class, and so forth.
b. Rejection of Eurocentric worldviews and
values. Rejection of modernism and view that
truth is the same for everyone.
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c. Knowledge based upon cultural, historical,
and political specificities. Who you are
determines your outlook. AGR, a white middle
aged professor, born in Massachusetts different
than you in many respects, some similarities (we
all find ourselves here at Purdue now, for
example). We each have a particular history and
background, and that informs our knowledge and
its means of acquisition. d. Blurring of
objective and subjective. Subjective experiences
influence our interpretation of reality and
material world. e. Relativism and absolutism
Keep that distinction in mind.
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• IV. Educational Ideologies Corresponding to
  (Philosophy Schools)
• Perennialism (Idealism)
• 1. Educators Hutchins, Adler
• 2. Basic Concepts
• a. Knowledge Classical knowledge mirrors
  universal truth, i.e., the classic literature and
  arts.

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b. Teacher Are transmitters of knowledge of
classical and academic knowledge. Compare to
what Freire says about a banking concept of
education (insert cassette or CD in ones head
metaphor). c. Curriculum Academic and
classical, i.e., the Western canon. Exposure to
a liberal arts education. d. Pedagogy
Lecture, Socratic dialogue, seminars, discussion,
essay writing (or research papers). e.
Outcome Students who are intellectual and who
seek truth and beauty. What about vocational
training? What would a perennialist say about
that?
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B. Realism (Realism) 1. Educators Locke,
Rousseau 2. Basic Concepts a. Knowledge
Subject-centered, i.e., math, science taught
separately. b. Teacher transmitter of
organized, single subject material. c.
Curriculum Math, science, technological focus.
d. Pedagogy Lectures, labs, demonstrations,
objective tests. e. Outcome Students with
technical knowledge that can be applied.
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C. Progressivism (Pragmatism) 1. Educators
Dewey, Kilpatrick 2. Basic Concepts a.
Knowledge Experiential, problem-solving
knowledge that which contributes to an
individual's growth. b. Teacher Facilitator
of knowledge, who guides students to form their
own hypotheses and ideas. c. Curriculum
Identification of problem, hypothesizing,
data-gathering, and evaluating material which is
student-centered. d. Pedagogy Experimental,
cooperative group and individual projects. e.
Outcome Students whose growth is based upon
progressive and cumulative experiences.
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D. Reconstructivism or Reconstructionism
(Pragmatism and Existentialism) 1. Educators
Counts, Illich, Freire, Giroux, Greene 2. Basic
Concepts a. Knowledge Knowledge can be used
to not only evaluate but to transform the world.
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b. Teacher Social activist and cultural
worker. Involved as a change agent. c.
Curriculum Problematizing learning discussion
and social/political enactment of knowledge,
connecting "lived experiences" to school
curriculum. d. Pedagogy Discussion,
simulations, debates, community activities.
e. Outcome Students help to reconstruct society
to redress social injustices. They should
critically think and act upon their knowledge.