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This 8 page paper discusses several educational philosophies, and suggests that postmodernism, for all its difficulties, might be best in meeting the demands of a rapidly changing world. Bibliography lists 5 sources.
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8 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_HVPhilEd.rtf
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as the most effective. Discussion There are more than four philosophies of education, but the ones the student is asked to consider are: essentialism, pragmatism, postmodernism and perennialism. Briefly, essentialism
says that teachers should concentrate on teaching the "essentials"; and pragmatism, from the word "pragmatic," suggests that the teacher approach subjects with a view to their application in the real
world. Postmodernism is a bit more difficult; there is no one definition of the word itself, for one thing; for another, arguments rage over its application to education. However, one
source suggests that a postmodern theory of education questions whether or not the current model (a teacher lecturing to a group of student who are minimally involved) is the most
effective (Atkinson). Finally, perennialism ("perennial") means teaching subjects that are always (perennially) of interest to everyone ("Educational Perennialism"). Many sources today suggest that there is a something of a battle
going on in education, or at least, discussion about the way subjects are taught. Most people are used to a teacher-centered class, which, as noted above, consists of the teacher
standing in front of the class delivering a series of lectures to students who may or may not be interested in the subject. Some educators are now suggesting that the
traditional model is not meeting the needs of students, who are required to do little but learn relevant facts so they can parrot them back on tests and in class
discussions. The two sides are well represented by E.D. Hirsch, Jr. and Theodore Sizer, who are both committed to developing a system of quality education, but diametrically opposed as to
how to do it (Toch). A brief summary of the controversy will allow the student to back up their choice of educational philosophy. Hirsch is a traditionalist; in the language
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