Purposes of Education
One of the major purposes of education is the cognitive and intellectual purpose. The cognitive and intellectual purpose is important because it focuses on improving the higher order thinking skills and knowledge of the student so that they can be “literate and knowledgeable thinkers” (V-PoE). True authentic education requires higher order thinking. Not only should schools teach basic knowledge, but they should also build on this basic knowledge by teaching students to think rationally and broadening their cognitive perspective. Students who can use higher order thinking skills will be more competent in the social and economic areas of their lives. Education allows students to choose the job of their choice, earn higher wages, contribute more to society, etc.
Teachers
As a teacher using the theory of behaviorism, I will start the first day with a well-organized classroom. I will have a clear set of rules and expectations posted for my students that I will explain and demonstrate to them. I will have a schedule that includes pictures posted in the classroom to ensure that each student knows in advance where and what they are supposed to be doing at all times during the day. I will also play musical cues for children to inform them that it is time for a different activity (e.g., “The Clean-up Song’, or “It’s lunch time”). I will use praise and stickers to enforce good behavior (e.g., “Good job Brandon! You completed your work and wrote your numbers all the way to ten. Brandon gets a gold star”). I believe that “Most behaviors can be taught, changed, or modified” (83). “The basic principle of behaviorism is that education can best be achieved by modifying or changing student behaviors in a socially...
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... says, “The teacher works with others to create environments that support individual and collaborative learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and – motivation” (9). One way to meet this task would be to take students on field trips to various places that would promote these goals. A field trip that would be good for first graders would be to the Sam Noble Museum, located in Norman, Ok. At the Sam Noble Museum students as individuals and as groups, will be able to interact socially in a very active and engaging educational environment. By providing these outside experiences for students I will be exposing them to activity outside their families, and schools so they can be active participants in the community. People who are more active in their community are more likely to be active in national and world events.
Having a well thought-out comprehensive behavior management plan, and well- designed lesson plans, which addresses the various learning styles of the students in the class and gets all the students engaged in the learning activity.
Discipline is important in maintaining a positive classroom environment and influencing a child’s development. During my field experience at S.H. Elementary, I have observed Mrs. Branson using various techniques to reinforce positive behavior in her 3rd grade classroom. Mrs. Branson’s teachers 3rd grade in a charter school located in the south suburbs of Minneapolis. Her class consist of 23 diverse student learners from various racial, ethical, cultural, and economic backgrounds. Each student acquires individual wants and needs, and exhibits a range of behaviors. Mrs. Branson practices operant conditioning techniques to acquire the good behavior she wants and needs from her students.
Behaviorism revolves around the measurable and observable characteristics of human behavior, and is based off of the principle that behavior is a result of stimulus-response associations. The purpose of this learning theory is using conditioning in order to acquire a desired behavior. Once understood, the use of behaviorism can be an effective tool in the classroom for educators to use.
Reece & Walker states the behaviourism is teacher centred and relies upon the expectation of the provision of a stimulus to produce a response however, ‘students are often seen as passive’. Therefore, without a stimulus there would be no response and is only visible externally. The teacher provides the stimulus for a response to occur, resulting in a change of behaviour that can be measured.
Education remains a cornerstone for society as it has for decades. Technology advances, the economy fluctuates, and politics change, but education remains, not only important but imperative for personal and social growth. Yet, as important as it is touted to be, the quality and purpose of learning is often lost in the assembly-line, manufactured process of education that exists today.
In light of my School Experience (SE), I will be analysing, discussing and evaluating an aspect of classroom practice. The practice that I have chosen is ‘Behaviour Management’. Behaviour management plays a key role within the classroom and there are a number of techniques used by teachers on a day to day basis. I will look at these techniques in detail, analysing and evaluating them with the work of behaviour management authors and also taking into account my SE observations.
I believe that the purpose of education is to produce the next generation of leaders who are intelligent and have great character. This idea is supported in the article “The Purpose of Education” by Martin Luther King. Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights activist who fought for black and white people to have equal rights in America. He writes about the true purpose, and meaning of education in the article by saying, “Education must enable one to sift and weigh evidence, to discern the true from the false, the real from the unreal, and the facts from the fiction (MLK1).” This quote from the article explains that being academically educated is very important. It will help people stand up, be a leader, and take charge to make the world a better place for everyone. That gallant leader will argue against the fallacy, lies,
I believe that the aim of education is to create well-rounded citizens in a democratic society. This means that students are not only being taught just the academic standards by also being taught social skills. The students will be able to be a citizen that will improve their society and be a person who is diverse and who is open to the differences in people. With this comes a couple of barriers, such as the desire to learn new things in both teachers and students in the classroom is lacking and the worker-as-machine model.
...s in this field. Behaviorism can be used to improve our understanding of children and the learning process. However, factors other than environmental need to be taken into account. Children’s natural curiosity, prior knowledge, and early nurturing also play important roles in how children learn and behave (education website).
The reasons we educate our children have changed over time. However, some of the core values remain the same. One of the most important purposes of schooling is the transmission of a culture from one generation to the next. It is important to pass on our culture, values, and beliefs to our children so we continue to have a cohesive population. Schooling offers opportunity to our children by teaching them valuable skills that allow them to be self-sufficient and lead successful lives. Schooling also serves to decrease the social ills those without an education suffer from. A final purpose of education is to create people who are active in civic life.
Mather and Goldstein (2015) stated that behaviors can retained or changed with appropriate outcome. Teachers can use the procedure defined by them to accomplish students’ behvaiour using the following outcomes. The very first step is to describe the problem. The second step is to adjust the behavior by emerging a behavior management strategy. The third step is to recognize an effective reinforce and the latest step is to use the reinforce on a regualr basis in order to change the
My goal as an educator is to continually learn, reflect and change my practices in order to ensure all students learn at high levels. As I stated earlier, my initial educational philosophy was behavioral. I was somewhat surprised to find that I still scored the highest in this category on my self-assessment. However, after further reflection and reading B.F. Skinner, I believe that behavioral aspects still have an important role in education today. As an educator I have a moral responsibility to help students learn how to function as members of a classroom community. Skinner believes that the environment of a classroom and school should be as “conducive as possible to students’ learning”. Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports is a model I truly believe in and have used with success with children. Through PBIS, expected behaviors...
The main instance that I use behaviorism in my classroom is through positive reinforcement. I praise, praise, praise my students all day. Students who are such young learners receive much motivation when they hear praise and specific praise at that. It allows them to be eager to please their teacher and provides a sense of self-accomplishment. In my classroom, I also use a treasure chest, reward coupons and PBIS reward money as major components of positive reinforcement. At the beginning of the year, I teach my students my classroom expectations and that I expect the best from them. This includes all of their daily work, including journal writing, morning work, etc. My students know what my desired outcome is. Student’s behavioral efforts are measured and collected on a weekly basis through a behavior chart. Their assignments are measured on accuracy and completeness in order to help them recognize the importance of their effort in finishing an assignment. I utilize a rubric on many of my assignments in order to help them achieve their best. Their meeting certain standards on their weekly behavior chart allows them to receive
Education is a vital part of society. It serves the beneficial purpose of educating our children and getting them ready to be productive adults in today's society. But, the social institution of education is not without its problems. Continual efforts to modify and improve the system need to be made, if we are to reap the highest benefits that education has to offer to our children and our society as a whole.
Education is the very foundation in which we as individuals grow, and formulate the knowledge we gain through life into meaningful ways of adapting to the world.