2.4. Develop learning environments that lead to desired behaviors in students
2.5. Positive and negative reinforcers
3. Positivism
3.1. Limits truth and knowledge to what is observable and measurable
3.2. Rejects what can't be measured
3.3. Provide students with exact and precise information
3.4. Repetition
3.5. Develop skills of observation, classification, and logical analysis
4. Teacher-Centered Philosophies
5. Essentialism influences my teaching in that teaching shouldn't just be helping students learn traditional knowledge. I appreciate that essentialism is characterized by changing with the times and focuses on skills. I also want my classroom to honor the cultural heritages of my students and to be a place where they grow to be better citizens.
6. Behaviorism influences my teaching in that I want to have clear expectations for students and want them to have move toward internal motivation. However, I this philosophy doesn't work for me in that it doesn't foster creativity, individuality, or critical thinking.
7. Positivism influences my teaching in that I do want to teach students how to prove mathematical statements and to think scientifically. However, I want to include more creativity, open-endedness, and divergent thinking.
8. Progressivism
8.1. Ideas should be tested by experimentation
8.2. Learning is rooted in questions developed by the learner
8.3. Favors human experience rather than authority as a basis for knowledge
8.4. Scientific method of teaching and learning
8.5. Allows for beliefs of individuals
8.6. Students should be actively prepared for change
8.7. School has goal of improving society
9. Humanism
9.1. Humans are innately good but are enslaved by institutions
9.2. Enhances the individual development of the student
9.3. Students make their own choices
9.4. Divergent thinking
9.5. Education should be a process of developing a free, self-actualizing person
9.6. Curriculum is found in the environment in which the subject matter is taught
10. Constructivism
10.1. Hands-on, activity-based teaching
10.2. Students develop their own frames of thought
10.3. Associated with existentialism
10.4. True learning is the active framing of personal meaning
10.5. Development of critical thinking and understanding of big ideas
10.6. Problem-based learning with teachers as coaches
11. Student-Centered Education Philosophies
12. Progressivism influences my teaching the most. I appreciate the flexibility in this theory where students are taught how to think for themselves. I want to have a balance for my students where they can both think scientifically and have their own beliefs. I took a class on divergent thinking and I'm excited to find ways to improve students' divergent thinking skills in math
13. Humanism influences my teaching in that I do value students as individuals and believe there should be choice activities in the curriculum. However, I also believe this philosophy doesn't have enough structure, doesn't prepare them for the 'real world' where they do have to follow rules they didn't help make, and doesn't focus enough on teamwork.
14. Constructivism influences my teaching in that I want to incorporate problem-solving and divergent thinking my my classroom. I don't think every topic should be taught this way because then there may not be time to cover certain content. I want students to find ways they can use math concepts outside of math class.
