Froebel



I chose to further research Froebel because I am a Early Childhood major and Froebel's contributions greatly impact my concentration. Froebel coined the term "kindergarten" and started the new foundation of modern education for young children by recognizing that children have unique needs and capabilities. Froebel recognized that hands on learning and " free play" is best for children. He believed that humans are essentially productive and creative and that these qualities should be practiced, even at an early age. He had a passion for Education and its purpose. "The purpose of education is to encourage and guide man as a conscious, thinking and perceiving being in such a way that he becomes a pure and perfect representation of that divine inner law through his own personal choice; education must show him the ways and meanings of attaining that goal. (Friedrich Froebel 1826 Die Nenschenerziehung, pp. 2)"

Also Froebel is famous for the "Froebel Gifts" which advocated the importance of free play. These gifts consist of hands- on activity based wooden shapes and spheres. (below is an example)

Froebels "gifts" are still used in classrooms today, and his theory of Kindergarten is still used today. His contributions to the unique needs of children are profound and are still great value today.

http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-froeb.htm

http://www.froebelweb.org/

How important is the "critical" classroom?

 

 The answer is to the question how important is the "critical" classroom is, VITAL. A critical classroom equips the curriculum with an emphasis on the students "talking back." The students will learn the importance of posting critical essential questions that enable them to think outside the box. For example, if the class is learning about the Mayflower's voyage the students should pose questions like "What is religious freedom?" "Do people still seek religious freedoms today?" Learning the skills of asking essential questions shapes the students into a critical thinkers. Being a critical thinker is not only valuable for a student during their educational journey, but it is also important for them when they become adults and are in the working world. Learning to ask critical essential questions also make students more aware of what is going on in today's societies and promotes students to be problem solvers, and possibly leaders. It was once said, "There is no such thing as a stupid question." This perfectly describes the environment of a "critical" classroom. Questions are important to learning, therefore a "critical" classroom is VITAL!   

Is pragmatism applicable in a classroom?



       What is pragmatism? Pragmatism defines the truth and meaning of ideas according to their physical consequences and practical value. Can pragmatism be applicable in a classroom? the answer is YES. Pragmatism has great goals for a classroom and provides a great teaching method. The pragmatism goal for education is "Develop and apply practical knowledge and skills for life in a progressive democratic society." This goal  provides students with great skills for their futures. Also the teaching method suits many different students' needs. The teaching methods are  "Use of hands-on curricula, group work, and experimentation." These methods will not only teach student valuable skills, but they are also fun for students. The more fun students have with instruction the more engaged they will be and they will learn more. Another main point of pragmatism is the emphasis of practice. Students need to learn the value of practice at a young age; the more practice a student demonstrates the more success they will have.

Education is like a garden

       Education is like a garden in many aspects. In a garden you start off with a seed, and this seed has full potential to be a beautiful flower BUT without proper care the seed will not grow. Kids start will full potential and need the proper care just like a seed. But remember, not all flowers are going to be the same color but they are just as beautiful and need just as much care and attention. Perhaps a flower isn't growing properly; maybe that flower needs a little extra water, sunshine, and love. Teaching students is like taking care of a garden. The teacher needs to protect, nurture, teach, and know every single student in and out. Throughout this semester, through readings, I have learned that every student needs particular attention. Also I have learned that a lot students  that are minorities, are gay/lesbian, and that are disabled, are underrepresented. It is our jobs as future teachers to make sure that every student has the proper care and attention.