Tobinism: The Educational Philosophy of Tom Tobin 28 October 2010
I believe that the role of the 21st century teacher is to teach the whole child, as is stated in the philosophy of existentialism. In the fast paced, highly technical, and ever changing world of today, our children need to be taught, not only mathematics, science, reading and writing, and social studies, but also the accountability and responsibility that is placed on each individual member of our democratic society. Thomas Jefferson is quoted as saying that “. . . whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government; that, whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, they may be relied on to set them right." (Padover, 1939, p 88). I believe in the accuracy of the content of this quote and I feel that educators of the youth of tomorrow are responsible for and should be held accountable for ensuring that our future is preserved through the sharing of history and knowledge of the operational principles of our great republic. Our children need to be taught the difference between what is right and wrong, and how to identify with a moral code that remains at least somewhat in line with that of our courageous founding fathers.
I believe that children, and learners of all ages, learn by observation of others as well as by hands-on, problem solving types of learning environments. Whether the subject being observed is providing a positive learning experience or a negative one, the learner is influenced by the outcome of the observed action. For example, if a child watches their parent work hard on a home improvement project and then is able to enjoy the benefits of the work with the parent, (such as swinging from a new tree house swing), then that child has learned how hard work can result in enjoyable results. Equally as important, if a child witnesses the death of an elderly loved one due to lung cancer caused by decades of cigarette smoking, and then with the right mentorship and guidance that child will learn that smoking is detrimental to my health and “maybe I shouldn’t do that”. This type of learning by observation is the reason that I believe all parents, educators, and school administrators need to act as moral, as well as educational, compasses and role models to the children. We all need to be able to, and be willing to, make the courageous decisions that will demonstrate to our youthful observers the appropriate actions and behaviors necessary to succeed in the society that we live in today.
Of course, in addition to being taught how our government was established, how to successfully maintain and grow its place well into the 22nd century, and the difference between right and wrong, our children need to be lead to the top of the scientific and technological era that we are facing today. I believe that this is an attainable goal, and that we must all be proactive in pursuing the latest technologies and methods of learning that will act as catalysts to propel America into the unforeseen future. Allowing our children to take a leadership role in their own development and make guided decisions about the direction that we as a country are to go in the science and technology fields is imperative. Topics such as undersea development, space exploration, stem cell research, nuclear power, and chemical, biological, radiological (CBR) warfare are some areas that I feel are vital areas of concern that we must push our youth to pursue aggressively and purposefully.
In regards to classroom instructional methods, I believe in a constructivist approach to mathematics. By allowing the students to explore math problems by focusing on the mathematical processes used, not necessarily focusing on just the correct solution, they will be challenged and achieve higher levels of success and learn to apply the processes in other real world situations. My pragmatic approach of allowing the students to learn through first hand experiences and allowing them to explore the process of problem solving openly and cooperatively, will facilitate their learning while I am alongside the students, not by leading them by the horns. I agree with Paulo Friere who pointed out in his book titled Pedagogy of the Oppressed, that “students are not empty, rigid vessels that need to be aimlessly filled with knowledge and information”; I feel that they are more like fluid and shapeable containers that can be filled, but also, reshaped and grown through experiences and the use of resources that we can share with them.
I believe that although the classroom must have strict rules in place and consequences established for violators of the rules, the high school adolescents that I intend to teach, should be allowed to make decisions democratically concerning the government of our community of learning. This will serve several purposes. First, it will create an environment conducive to safe and effective learning in which all students are encouraged to participate. Next, it will give the students a sense of ownership in their own learning process, which I feel is extremely important in the success of educating high school students. Finally, it will give them a real understanding and appreciation for the country in which they live and how it can be beneficial to them to participate in how it is operated on a daily basis.
I have always felt that one of the most phenomenal attributes that our founding fathers handed down to us was the adaptability that was inherently built in to our constitution and the government that they created. We have been given the opportunity to be able to change and improve upon our system of laws and guiding principles since its inception. The power of this ability is immeasurable. Through observational learning we can look back and see what has been successful in the way of creating the most powerful nation in the world and we can learn from those things that maybe weren’t so successful and we can implement amendments or policies that correct our deficiencies. The term that I associate with this is “Lessons Learned”. While serving in the United States Navy I learned that keeping a log of your lessons learned, albeit good or bad, is vital to ensuring progress for the individual, the unit, and the country as a whole. By studying the successes and failures of our past and learning how to replicate or not replicate those actions we can progress towards higher achievement in a concrete and measureable way. I intend to incorporate this philosophy into my classroom as well. By keeping tabs on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis of the things that have produced favorable results, and recording those specific incidents that that resulted in failure, and being proactive in my attempt to duplicate or change those actions for future applications, I will ensure success for all students.
Works Cited
Friere, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Herder and Herder.
Padover, S. K. (1939). Thomas Jefferson on Democracy. New York: Appleton-Century Company, Inc.
I believe that the role of the 21st century teacher is to teach the whole child, as is stated in the philosophy of existentialism. In the fast paced, highly technical, and ever changing world of today, our children need to be taught, not only mathematics, science, reading and writing, and social studies, but also the accountability and responsibility that is placed on each individual member of our democratic society. Thomas Jefferson is quoted as saying that “. . . whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government; that, whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, they may be relied on to set them right." (Padover, 1939, p 88). I believe in the accuracy of the content of this quote and I feel that educators of the youth of tomorrow are responsible for and should be held accountable for ensuring that our future is preserved through the sharing of history and knowledge of the operational principles of our great republic. Our children need to be taught the difference between what is right and wrong, and how to identify with a moral code that remains at least somewhat in line with that of our courageous founding fathers.
I believe that children, and learners of all ages, learn by observation of others as well as by hands-on, problem solving types of learning environments. Whether the subject being observed is providing a positive learning experience or a negative one, the learner is influenced by the outcome of the observed action. For example, if a child watches their parent work hard on a home improvement project and then is able to enjoy the benefits of the work with the parent, (such as swinging from a new tree house swing), then that child has learned how hard work can result in enjoyable results. Equally as important, if a child witnesses the death of an elderly loved one due to lung cancer caused by decades of cigarette smoking, and then with the right mentorship and guidance that child will learn that smoking is detrimental to my health and “maybe I shouldn’t do that”. This type of learning by observation is the reason that I believe all parents, educators, and school administrators need to act as moral, as well as educational, compasses and role models to the children. We all need to be able to, and be willing to, make the courageous decisions that will demonstrate to our youthful observers the appropriate actions and behaviors necessary to succeed in the society that we live in today.
Of course, in addition to being taught how our government was established, how to successfully maintain and grow its place well into the 22nd century, and the difference between right and wrong, our children need to be lead to the top of the scientific and technological era that we are facing today. I believe that this is an attainable goal, and that we must all be proactive in pursuing the latest technologies and methods of learning that will act as catalysts to propel America into the unforeseen future. Allowing our children to take a leadership role in their own development and make guided decisions about the direction that we as a country are to go in the science and technology fields is imperative. Topics such as undersea development, space exploration, stem cell research, nuclear power, and chemical, biological, radiological (CBR) warfare are some areas that I feel are vital areas of concern that we must push our youth to pursue aggressively and purposefully.
In regards to classroom instructional methods, I believe in a constructivist approach to mathematics. By allowing the students to explore math problems by focusing on the mathematical processes used, not necessarily focusing on just the correct solution, they will be challenged and achieve higher levels of success and learn to apply the processes in other real world situations. My pragmatic approach of allowing the students to learn through first hand experiences and allowing them to explore the process of problem solving openly and cooperatively, will facilitate their learning while I am alongside the students, not by leading them by the horns. I agree with Paulo Friere who pointed out in his book titled Pedagogy of the Oppressed, that “students are not empty, rigid vessels that need to be aimlessly filled with knowledge and information”; I feel that they are more like fluid and shapeable containers that can be filled, but also, reshaped and grown through experiences and the use of resources that we can share with them.
I believe that although the classroom must have strict rules in place and consequences established for violators of the rules, the high school adolescents that I intend to teach, should be allowed to make decisions democratically concerning the government of our community of learning. This will serve several purposes. First, it will create an environment conducive to safe and effective learning in which all students are encouraged to participate. Next, it will give the students a sense of ownership in their own learning process, which I feel is extremely important in the success of educating high school students. Finally, it will give them a real understanding and appreciation for the country in which they live and how it can be beneficial to them to participate in how it is operated on a daily basis.
I have always felt that one of the most phenomenal attributes that our founding fathers handed down to us was the adaptability that was inherently built in to our constitution and the government that they created. We have been given the opportunity to be able to change and improve upon our system of laws and guiding principles since its inception. The power of this ability is immeasurable. Through observational learning we can look back and see what has been successful in the way of creating the most powerful nation in the world and we can learn from those things that maybe weren’t so successful and we can implement amendments or policies that correct our deficiencies. The term that I associate with this is “Lessons Learned”. While serving in the United States Navy I learned that keeping a log of your lessons learned, albeit good or bad, is vital to ensuring progress for the individual, the unit, and the country as a whole. By studying the successes and failures of our past and learning how to replicate or not replicate those actions we can progress towards higher achievement in a concrete and measureable way. I intend to incorporate this philosophy into my classroom as well. By keeping tabs on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis of the things that have produced favorable results, and recording those specific incidents that that resulted in failure, and being proactive in my attempt to duplicate or change those actions for future applications, I will ensure success for all students.
Works Cited
Friere, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Herder and Herder.
Padover, S. K. (1939). Thomas Jefferson on Democracy. New York: Appleton-Century Company, Inc.