Contents of Education

 Educational Philosophy  Comments Off
Jan 072012
 

An Islamic Perspective towards Philosophy of Education

Introduction

Philosophy is the study of realities, pursuit of wisdom, and commentary on general principles of life. It is concerned with a search of eternal truth, both conceptual as well as practical. It has five areas of search – Epistemology, Metaphysics, Aesthetics, Ethics and History. The instrument used by philosophy to unearth realities or to discover truth is logic, both inductive as well deductive. Educational philosophy is a branch of general philosophy, it gains strength from epistemology. It formulates the aims and objectives or contents of education that, in turn, influence the whole learning environment, society, and future generations.

Philosophy of education is based on general principles of psychology, sociology, politics, economics, history, science, and religion. Education is dualistic phenomenon; it is static as well as dynamic. The major portion is dynamic or provisional and adjusts with the change and growth in knowledge, social structure, and civilization, while the minor but vital portion is static or eternal. We proposed that the contents of education are eternal while the application and explanation of these contents, a major portion, is dynamic. We assumed multi-disciplinary approach towards contents of education. The analysis accommodates the needs of individuals, society, and time and encompasses the cultural, social, and vocational aims of education.

Education may be formal as well as informal. The formal education is given in schools or colleges or universities, on the other hand informal education is obtained and absorbed from society and environment. Education, formal & informal, is developed and internalized in one’s personality through reflection and experience. It means all of us are learners during our lifetime. However, we are going to analyze the philosophy (aims & objectives) of formal education. Moreover, education has three levels – primary, secondary, and higher. Primary education deals with infants of 3 to 11 years old, secondary education covers teenagers of 12 to 18 years, and higher education shapes young learners of above 18 years. A distinctive approach is required for each level of education.

The contents of education vary from community to community. A secular society would have a different approach towards contents as compare to some ideological society. Moreover, the explanation or implementation of contents would be different in different societies. Our analysis is ideological and dominantly based on Islamic view towards education. Continue reading »

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How to Choose University Courses in Creative Writing

 University Courses  Comments Off
Jan 072012
 

University courses in creative writing have become ever more common, in both the US and the UK. But are they worth it? Personally, I’m sceptical. I think most people who do such courses are let down by them. I think the teaching is often far too removed from the market, and the writers who graduate are often hopelessly underprepared for market realities.

In the first place, it’s important to realise that agents and publishers couldn’t care a damn about your academic qualifications. My degree is in economics. I spent ten years working as an investment banker. There was nothing in my history to suggest I had any talent at creative writing – and no one cared. There’s only one aptitude test which matters and that’s whether you can write a good book.

Yes, it is true that agents will tend to stay in close touch with various creative writing schools, watching for emerging talent. But so what? The most that’ll do is ease your path into the industry. But if your book is good enough, and you’re not a total numpty about finding agents, you’ll secure representation anyway.

The killer question then is this: will university creative writing courses help you launch a career in writing? Or rather – because any course will teach you something – are those courses effective ways of teaching you what needs to be learned?

And that’s where I have a problem. In particular, creative writing courses typically teach you how to write short stories and poetry and novels / novellas. You’ll get better at all these things. But there’s no market to speak of for short stories, or poetry, or novellas. If you actually want a career as a writer, they’re irrelevant. Continue reading »

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Education Majors Focus On Different Teaching And Learning Methods In Educational Psychology

 Educational Psychology  Comments Off
Jan 072012
 

One of the many core courses an education major is required to take is Educational Psychology. Many students ponder what psychology has to do with teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic. The truth of the matter is Educational Psychology has a lot to do with effective teaching. Educational Psychology helps emerging teachers become expert learners, which, in turn, helps them evolve into expert teachers.

To gain a better understanding of what the Educational Psychology course is about and how it relates to teachers, we need to define the term. Educational Psychology is the discipline concerned with teaching and learning processes. It is different from other branches of psychology in that its sole objective is to understand and improve education practices.

This course will help you understand what students think and do as they learn and receive instruction. You will gain insight by conducting research and hypothesizing theories. Teachers are encouraged to design and conduct a variety of research studies in an effort to better understand teaching processes and how students learn. You will study the different research methods and how research is used to create successful teaching techniques.

Student teachers will learn how to interpret classroom activity by conducting descriptive research. This type of research can be accumulated from survey results, interview transcripts; samples of actual classroom dialogues, or observing videotaped class sessions. Descriptive research is an effective means for a teacher to research behavior and reoccurring behavior patterns. Continue reading »

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