Practicum and Application #1

Author

Institution

Introduction

The importance of appropriately structured lesson plans cannot be gainsaid as far as the academic and intellectual growth of a child is concerned. Needless to say, the lesson plans change as the child progresses through the various stages of education. This is because the requirements and the learning methods or capabilities change significantly with growth. However, there are fundamentals that never change irrespective of the stage in which the child learns. This statement stands true from the Birth-PK stage, Birth-grade 3, as well as grades K-3. From the lesson plans examined for the three classes, it is evident that the teachers have adopted progressivism as their teaching philosophy.

Progressive educational philosophy underlines the fact that the education must concentrate on the entire child rather than the teacher or the content (Dewey, 1944). It stresses the fact that students have to test different ideas through active participation. In this case, the foundation of learning is the questions that learners are having through experimenting and experiencing in the world (Dewey, 1944). This education philosophy underlines the fact that, learners are thinkers and problem solvers who make meaning of the various lessons through his or her personal experiences in the cultural and physical context. This was evident in the lesson plans for the Birth-PK stage, Birth-grade 3, as well as grades K-3. The lesson plans outline the various instances when the students will be participating in the lessons. These could include counting for PK lesson plans, reading out loud for birth-grade 3, or asking questions pertaining to local symbols as K-3 grade students learn on symbols and celebrations in America. K-3 Students progress by asking questions on detailed information incorporated in nonfictional texts. This teaches them to write and even understand informative pieces pertaining to what they have read, and with richer content. Progressivist philosophies of education state that effective teachers have to come up with experiences so that the students can learn via doing, which is what the lesson plans indicated (Dewey, 1944).

In the progressive educational philosophy, the content of the curriculum is derived from the questions and interests of the students. This philosophy underlines the use of scientific method so that students can study events and matter first hand and systematically. The philosophy defines education as the active participation of an individual in the race’s social consciousness (Hayes, 2006). In essence, education has to consider or view the student as a social being so as to enhance learning. This philosophy states that the learning process starts once the child is born. The child unconsciously gains knowledge and eventually develops knowledge to partake and share in the society. Education is, therefore, a social construct and a part of the society in which case it should be a reflection of the community (Hayes, 2006). The lesson plans of birth-PK stage, K-3 grade and birth-grade 3 stage underline the importance of interactions among the students, this is because the students are required to share knowledge and information gained in the course of learning.

On the same note, the curriculum outlined in the lesson plans is a perfect reflection of the society. The progressive education philosophy states that the curriculum has to reflect human development in the society (Cremin, 1962). This explains why the study of core subjects has been coupled with other lessons on seemingly extracurricular activities such as manual training, cooking and sewing. Progressivist education philosophy states that, progress in education is not merely in the succession of studies rather it is the development of entirely new interests in and attitudes towards experience (Cremin, 1962).

References

Hayes, W (2006). The Progressive Education Movement: Is it Still a Factor in Today’s’ Schools? New York: Rowman and Littlefield

Dewey, J (1944). Democracy and Education. New York: Free Press

Cremin, L (1962). The Transformation of the School: Progressivism in American Education, 1876-1957. New York: Knopf