BEFORE WE BEGIN'

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BEFORE WE BEGIN.

• HELLO TO EVERONE AT THE WIDE BAY CAMPUS FROM ALL
  OF US HERE IN TOOWOOMBA!

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2. EDUCATIONALTHOUGHT FOR THE DAY!

• Education does not occur in a vacuum!

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3. REMEMBER

• Various forces act upon it
• political, economic, ideological, societal
  and/or cultural
• Education can never be divorced from the society,
  time, environment, or the influential ideas or
  dominant philosophies of the day.

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4. SOME BASIC QUESTIONSABOUT EDUCATION?

• What is its present function in society?
• What should its purpose be in society?
• Who ought to be educated?
• Why?
• When should education be provided?
• How?
• By whom?
• And what does the term to be educated mean?

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5. ANY ANSWERS?

• Some can be be answered through what we call the
  dominant educational paradigm.
• This may mean that there are common ideas
  operating and an identifiable theme can be
  discerned.
• The unit tries to point out some of these
  different paradigms and themes and some
  different answers to the same questions!

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6. WHAT IS A PARADIGM ?

• A paradigm is simply something that is accepted
  as serving as an example or model for how things
  should be done.
• It is based on Thomas Kuhns propositions for how
  scientific thought developed.
• It is not linear. It can be steady for along
  period but than a crisis occurs and new models
  have to be developed and thinking has to be
  re-aligned.

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7. EDUCATIONAL IDEAS

• This happens in education. As new ideas or
  issues emerge, and one or other influences or
  factors dominates, then educational thinking can
  change direction.
• A new paradigm can be proposed or become
  dominant.
• Educational though then can be re-aligned because
  of this new paradigm.

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8. OUR INTENTIONS?

• In this unit we hope to demonstrate that
  education
• Did not just develop in a straight line.
• Contains many similar views and ideas
• Contains very different approaches
• Can be reactionary or radical
• Needs to be thought about and reflected upon to
  develop meaningful personal views.

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9. TO CONCLUDE

• Just to demonstrate three important points
• Diametrically opposed ideas can both be called
  education
• What was once regarded as as the dominant
  educational paradigm has to shift when societal
  attitudes change so much it is no longer seen as
  relevant to the society in which it is operating
• Different ideas could lead to problems in an
  educational system. A Code of Ethics is an
  attempt to present ethically acceptable ideas.

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10. The 1950s Home Economics Handbook versus
Summerhill

• Girls were taught to
• Have dinner ready
• Prepare herself
• Clear away clutter
• Prepare the children
• Minimise all noise

• And advised to
• Make him comfy
• Listen to him
• Make the evening his

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11. THE FREEDOM SCHOOL

• Just watch the beginning of the video.
• Any similarity with the school you went to? Do
  you think Education Queensland would approve?

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12. BTR CODE OF ETHICS

• Each of you has received a copy.
• Please read it as we move through the unit.
• Look at ideas/views that appear to correspond and
  ideas that appear to contradict the code.
• What other codes does our profession include?
• Finally, you will be asked to reflect upon Why
  have a Code of Ethics?
• END