Part A. Introduction to the Demonstration of Learning

               Our answer to the question of the definition of an educated person defines an educated individual as one who has learned through self teaching methods as well as through formal education to better understand the world in which they live. We base this definition on the idea that the educated person must experience different ways of learning throughout their education, posses an understanding of human relationships and character, and have the ability to form their own knowledge and not simply remain a passive receiver of the knowledge that is transmitted to them.

            The role of education within contemporary society is to educate children beginning around age five in kindergarten and continue that education until around the age of eighteen when they will graduate from the twelfth grade. After high school, an individual has the option of continuing their education through college, grad school, and beyond. Education is meant to offer opportunities for individuals to grow. The goal of education is to nurture young minds with essential information that will be valuable to them in the future. Much of what is learned in school can be applied in one’s adult life, and is therefore very important to the success and well-being of individuals. Education does not have to occur exclusively in a classroom through formal education. Self teaching methods can be used by individuals to learn and grow from their own experiences and beliefs. It is for this reason that we believe that the educated individual is one who has learned through self teaching methods and formal education.
Through our past experiences in school, we have formed our assumptions based on the following components of our definition: the idea that the educated person must experience different ways of learning throughout their education, posses an understanding of human relationships and character, and have the ability to form their own knowledge and not simply remain a passive receiver of that knowledge. We feel that these characteristics of the educated person are nurtured and encouraged in the school setting with the help of an individual’s natural ability to think for themselves.
            Schooling offers many different ways in which an individual can learn. The educated person experiences many different ways of learning. Visual learning is a form of learning that allows students to see how a process works. Kinesthetic learning is a hands-on approach in which learning can take place. Auditory learning occurs when a verbal explanation is offered on a subject. Students also experience a large amount of human interaction while in school, an essential element of any classroom to develop necessary education on social skills. Through human interaction, students gain interpersonal relationship skills as well as an understanding of important character traits. The educated individual must also have the ability to form their own knowledge and make their own interpretations, not simply be a passive receiver of the knowledge that is given to them while in school. As students get older and more mature, their ability to make inferences and form their own opinions about what they are taught grows.

                                                                  sitemaker.umich.edu

Part B. Historical Lineage

Supporters of our claim:

Socrates
Socrates felt that the most important knowledge was to know “how best to live” (Brickhouse and Smith 1, p. 1180). He believed that engaging students in the dialogue form now known as the Socratic Method was the best way to help students learn. The Socratic Method consists of the teacher asking their students different questions which allow the student to think critically about what they believe. Because we as a group believe that students should be active learners, it is important that educators engage their students by asking them questions. By encourage our students to participate in the dialogue of the classroom by modeling our teaching on the Socratic Method, we will help our students develop the skills they need to make informed choices about life and the world in which they live.
Source: http://www.newfoundations.com/GALLERY/Socrates.html

rodduncan.blogspot.com

Below is a link to a video that discusses Socrates 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2KzymrmNa0

Rousseau
Although we do not agree entirely with what Rousseau's philosophy, there are still areas of his ideas that support our definition of an educated person.  We believe that an educated person is someone who has learned through self- learning and from previous experiences.  This goes along with what Rousseau believed that we should not have boundaries and constraints but yet learn things on our own.  He suggested that we not give student’s limitations and rules until the age of twelve, that until then the mind does not have all the faculties necessary to do so.  Though our ideas are not as extreme as Rousseau's, we believe that learners should be able to think on their own and have past experiences to base their learning upon.  Instantly having rules and guidelines sets students up to be exactly what we want them to be instead of giving them the chance to be their own person and own learner. 

 

northernblue.org

Below is a link to a video that discussus Rosseau

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlJFKJXHSvU

Jane Roland Martin
Jane Roland Martin, who is a 20th Century feminist philosopher of education, believes that people go through several “whole person metamorphoses” during their lifetime (cite interview). Because “education doesn’t always shape a person for the good,” it is important that we, as educators, do everything in our power to positively influence our students. Martin also asserts that educators should teach the whole-child, not just the mind, “but also the body and the emotions.”  Martin encourages students, particularly women, to “think of themselves as claiming rather than receiving an education (168, Philosophical Documents in Education).  Because she has made this statement and other similar ones, one can safely assume that Martin believes an educated person is a person who takes charge of his or her own education and life.  Therefore, it is our job as educators to encourage our students to be assertive and take control of their own lives.

                                                                           ask.com

Part C. Your Definition

To be an educated person it is important have learned through both self teaching methods and also formal education.  To have learned from one’s personal experiences aids one in their ability to relate to an idea and have first hand examples of it instead of strictly having it memorized or knowing something based only on what has been learned in the classroom. For example, when a student is learns that procrastination on a project results in them rushing to get their work done at the last minute, which in turn results in them creating a poorly done project that receives an equally poor grade, they will hopefully learn from this experience and apply what they have learned for the next assignment that they are given. Although it is important to have these experiences so that one has relatable knowledge, it is also important to have structured knowledge on a particular subject matter.  One cannot learn everything by experience. History, for example, is an area in which formal education is helpful and necessary.  Through history, one is taught about specific events that have occurred and specific time periods, knowledge that cannot be gained through experiences. Furthermore, since history tends to repeat itself, learning about past events through formal education helps an individual to be better prepared for life in the world around them. Everyone needs basic background knowledge to be productive in society, and many times background knowledge is learned through formal education. Possessing both experience and formal education is a crucial part of our definition of an educated person. 

Another component of an educated person is their ability to understand human relationships and character.  This is a major portion of what our students should learn in school.  Not only should they be learning about particular subjects, they should also be building human relationships. If one does not know how to relate to their peers in a positive way, it does not matter how much they know about a given subject. Learning how to function together in school helps students learn how to function cooperatively as adults. As educators, we should aid our students in becoming prepared for necessary human interaction in the real world.  A useful way of working on human interaction skills is through group work and giving students time to work with their peers on specific assignments. Though many do not like group work assignments, the process and experience is invaluable to their human relationship skills and experiences. It is important to know how to learn and work with an array of different individuals, the educated person has sufficient knowledge on how to do so.

Below is a video of  Kagan Structure cooperative learning, this program allows students to work together and participate in an active learning process:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0s_qxJDuas&feature=related

The educated individual must have the ability to form their own knowledge and not simply receive knowledge. The educated person must be able to create their own ideas and opinions, and not be confined by the constricting limitations that are placed in front of them telling them what and how to think. If they learn how to be active and independent thinkers in school, they will be able to thrive as adults. Creative projects and problem solving assignments are an excellent way to promote this type of thinking in the school setting. For example, if a student is given an open-ended task that asks them to find a way to help twenty people in some way without using monetary resources, they can go in any direction that they choose. They can be allowed to be creative and formulate their own ideas, opinions, and questions that relate to the society in which they live. Active thinking is the key to the definition of the educated person, to have the ability to formulate one’s own ideas and opinions is an essential component to our definition of the educated person.

Below is a link to video of a school that supports independent thinking and inquiry based learning for students. Teachers provide education and guidance, but these young students become engaged in the lessons through formulating their own questions and ideas and holding their own experiments.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S62Fx14gRdw&feature=related

eastasia.britishcouncil.org

Part D. How Might Someone Disagree?

            Some may disagree with our definition and views of an educated person.  Our assertion that the educated person is one who has learned through self-teaching methods as well as through formal education could easily be refuted by those who are in favor of one form of learning or the other. Some believe that self-taught individuals can be just as successful as those who have had a formal education. For example, a self-made business man who only has a high school degree can be just as successful as one who has a business degree. In contrast to this belief there are those who think that a formal education is the only option to achieving success, those who support this educational belief see formal education as a system that has a large advantage over self-teaching methods. As we have stated, our view of an educated person is someone who learns through self teaching and learns from their own mistakes.  A higher degree doesn’t make you more of an educated person.  “An educated person should possess the general knowledge needed for making informed rational decisions and inferences on familiar and novel situations in personal and intellectual life” (Mohanan 2005).  We believe that there is room for both forms of education, education and learning is not black and white; we like to think in the gray area where self-teaching and formal education can coexist.

            There can be further disagreement with our idea that the educated individual must experience different ways of learning throughout their education. We discussed visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning earlier; some believe that a student can only learn one of these ways – mostly through visual and auditory learning. We believe that individuals are capable of learning in a variety of ways, not just one form of learning. We do not argue against the fact that some individuals experience more successful learning with certain methods of education, we simply believe that there are areas within a student’s education where visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning can and should take place.

            There may be further dispute with our idea that the educated person must possess an understanding of human relationships and character. Those who disagree may be driven primarily by the argument against group work – collaborative student assignments that offer positive and negative experiences. Many feel that group work does not offer any positive experiences or lessons for students, often, group work is seen as unfair because the work is rarely distributed equally and conflict often arises when a member has not done their part or the group disagrees on a certain aspect of the project. We feel that the educated person must have a solid understanding of human relationships and character, group work is an excellent way to nurture this knowledge and understanding. It is imperative to know how to work with different types of people, even if some of those individuals do not pull their weight when working on a project.

            Some may also disagree with the final portion of our argument: the educated person must have the capacity to form their own knowledge and not simply absorb information given to them. Those who may disagree with this statement could believe that knowledge is not inherent, one must be taught to learn and understand subjects and concepts. We believe that learning is inherent, if one can learn, one can form their own knowledge and ideas and be an educated individual.

           

Sources:

http://www.cdtl.nus.edu.sg/publications/educated/ingred.htm

Mohanan, K. P. (2005). Who is an Educated Person? Centre for Development of Teaching & Learning .

Part E. Implications for Schooling

         The key to being a successful school leader in schools is having an open mind and being sensitive to the student’s ideas and interests.  Research has found that teachers should keep an open mind in diverse needs by “designing and implementing culturally sensitive curricula, hiring and promoting staff from a variety of backgrounds and cultures, as well as addressing gender and racial issues in the school” (Therrien).  Teachers should learn how to relate lesson content to the cultural backgrounds of the students.  “This means taking such simple steps as walking around the community, talking to leaders and people to find their needs and habits, and being exposed to the media and issues that are important” (Therrien).  Students should also be given the opportunity to share their personal experiences that relate to the topic at hand.  By doing relating personal experiences, students can connect their personal experiences to the subject area on which they are focusing.  As teachers, we should understand what an educated person is and encourage parents, staff, and the community to actively participate and help students grow in their education.  We believe it is important for teachers to allow their students to set goals and reflect on their progress.  This allows for teachers to monitor the achievement of the students and it gives us a chance to help them improve in any area needed.  We also believe that it is essential for school teachers to work with their staff to plan and implement goals and activities.  This not only allows the students to become more successful in their education but also allows the teachers to see what they need to work on by getting ideas from their colleagues.  As we have stated earlier, it is important to involve the parents in the student’s education.  It is as simple as sending home progress reports or having meetings to talk about their views on their child’s education.  This is a great way to get ideas on how you can better reveal the content for your students, by getting suggestions and help from the parents.  Another method we would use in our classroom to help make our students a more educated person is by implementing group work in the classroom.  Giving our students the chance to work together with their peers on assignments helps them learn how to get along with other people and how work together as a team.  Students must also be encouraged to exercise their independent thinking skills and formulate their own ideas and opinions. Teachers can encourage this type of thinking through creative writing activities and creative thought projects and assignments.

 Therrien, R. (1999). The School Leader as an Educated Person.

learningtolovelearning.co.uk

Part F. Efficacy and Limitations

            Our proposal is beneficial because we could possibly use it as future educators in the classroom. A self-made educational philosophy is extremely beneficial to any teacher. As educators, it is essential to possess beliefs regarding education that act as a foundation of the manner in which they teach throughout their profession.

            A possible drawback of our proposal could be that some people believe that knowledge can only be gained through formal education rather than through methods of self teaching. Also, it is possible that some people could be critical of having students work in groups, and learn from this group work. It is a sound assertion that group work is often a negative experience because all members are not engaged in the work, causing work to be distributed unevenly, which reflects varying levels of individual effort.

            We did not address the fact that some students do not do well working with others, however, it is important for individuals in society to learn how to get along with one and other. This problem could be addressed in a response that takes student preference into account: Though some students do not do well in group work settings in the classroom, it is essential for them to gain this experience during their education. Without this experience, students will have little understanding of how to work with others, a skill that they will utilize throughout school as well as beyond their formal education.

            Our proposal is realistic because it is easy to achieve. By realistic, we mean that we believe students would be likely to comply with our proposal and that is can be easily executed. We believe that students would enjoy teaching themselves and formal education. Many people like to do things on their own, self-teaching methods foster this interest. Formal education is available to students to explain and nurture their intellect, and teach them many things that they need help and resources to learn. We also believe that it is realistic to expect that students should and will learn in a variety of ways. Students should be exposed to different types of learning; through this experience, they will grow intellectually and learn which learning style is best for them. We also feel that it is realistic to expect students to work in group settings during their formal and informal education; many students enjoy learning in groups because it gives them the opportunity to work with their peers. It is essential for students to experience group work in school to give them a realistic conception of what they will have to face in their future as educated adults – they will have to deal and work with a variety of individuals, some easy to work with, some not.

            As a group, we combined our ideas to create our thesis. We fused our ideas on our definitions of an educated individual. We worked together to decide how we wanted to form our proposal based on our common beliefs. We worked together very well and did not have to compromise our thoughts because of the similarity of our ideas on the definition of the educated person. Finding connections to philosophical thinkers was the most difficult aspect of this project. We had to dig into the philosophies of Socrates, Rousseau, and Jane Roland Martin to connect educational philosophy to our proposal.