Special Education Philosophy - Essay Example

My Special Education Philosophy of the My Special Education Philosophy Introduction Inclusive rooms for gifted learners resolve many issues commonly associated with special education. The unique aspects of this type of teaching methodology help instructors work in an integrated environment and attend the requirements of individual students. On the other hand, self-contained classrooms are difficult to operate in terms of their practical viability in real world. However, the generic approach to special education in the United States has been shaped over the years by a flurry of cultural determinants. Taking this into consideration, contemporary theories of special education have always laid emphasis on including philosophical tenets covering a range of discursive areas, including axiology, logic and metaphysics. I, as a prospective special educator in future, would like take this opportunity to outline and justify my own special education philosophy. It may ne noted that my last assignment contained an overview of special education and its relevant applications. This paper will draw on from what I presented with empirical evidence in my last paper. The primary research tools I shall use are interview findings and literature studies. Special Education Philosophies: Metaphysics The very nature of special education calls for enhanced and innovative pedagogical techniques. Here in this context, I would like to recall Plato’s theory of metaphysics which regards education to be an all-important medium for transformation of raw values and knowledge into superior understanding of the self. Special education mandates a certain amount of clarity with regard to blending theories with calculative means. Plato in his seminal work Republic speaks of the concentric virtues of education (Scolnicov, 1988, p.97). These virtues are reflected in the basic purpose of mainstream educational theories. But the point of departure in enhanced pedagogical setups involves metaphysical understanding of total education, on the basis of putative means. What Plato means by total education is a systemic accumulation of diverse cognitive identifiers, including experience, feeling, attitude, capability to learn and hereditary pattern of students. Since such students invariably lack one or more of these identifiers, it is imperative to mix and match the sophistic determinants of traditional education. The role of an instructor in tradition education is to guide students so that they can learn out of their own accord. But in special education, the instructor cannot reliably leave the task of learning to students only. Learning comprises numerous metaphysical considerations that are abstract and ill-defined to a great extent. For example, the concept of coherence is very important in any learning module. A student learns to apply his/her knowledge in a coherent manner. But can a student sufficiently relate to the metaphysical theory of coherence? In a way, one learns to act and not the other way round. So coherence entails a teleological paradigm that can only be justified following the completion of education (Brumbaugh & Hendley, 1987, p.233). Going by this theory, it is quite apparent that a gifted student needs to be reprised with the key metaphysical concepts of learning. What is also means is that assessment of outcomes should not be done until the last session prior to passing out. But this does not mean that students should be overlooked by the common assessment metrics that are used throughout the term. It only underlines the most crucial factor pertaining to special education, i.e., learning by examples rather than by theoretical understanding. Gaining a comprehensive insight into reality should be the ultimate goal. Epistemology Epistemology deals primarily with human thinking patterns and how those patterns lead to the analogies of behaviorism. Hence it is quite clear that this doctrinal premise has widespread application in the field of special education. In the last century, research on special education had been centered on the epistemological aspects of social sciences and numerous other core scientific disciplines. The real-time value of knowledge was one of the main areas of research. One might say that classical knowledge was an intangible concept nearly impossible to put in real contexts of learning. But with the advent of modern epistemology, dissemination of knowledge and its related semiotic outgrowths has been examined very closely (Paul, 2002, p.322). As far as special education is concerned, both inclusive as well as self-contained classrooms operate according to the fundamental principles of epistemology. Students with impairment need additional teaching tools such as proper introduction to sign languages, vocational training and other training methodologies that are normally not included in mainstream education practices. Now to induct students to offbeat curricula, it is imperative for the instructors to have a firm foothold in the epistemological concept of teaching. Reynolds & Fletcher-Janzen (2007) argue that conceptualizing a particular discipline is one of the major challenges of learning-disabled children. Those children lack in cognitive parameters, including “perception, imagery, symbolization, or abstracting” (p.26). Moreover, concrete reasoning, which is an essential component of learning scientific disciplines, is a procedural offshoot of special education therapies. This type of reasoning does not normally poses too much problem for children with learning difficulties. Axiology Unlike other professional duties, teaching carries with it an enhanced sense of responsibility and belonging to the task of nation-building. Therefore, a teacher’s values are of utmost importance when it comes to role modeling. The study of axiology, which critiques values and value judgments, provide a significant groundwork for collaborative learning. Children tend to emulate everything they happen to observe around them. Their immediate company, be it parents or peers, matters a great deal in molding their intrinsic values, not to mention behaviorist adaptations. So the teacher plays the all-important role of setting examples for them to follow. Again, the educator has the onus of philosophizing over various aspects of life in order to explicate education-related issues that are normally taken for granted by many (Simpson & Jackson, 1984, p.18). Logic Speculative measures need to be taken in special education classes. Ranging from chalking out the teaching curricula to setting assessment criteria, the role of logic or rational thinking is difficult to undermine. As in many other professions, trial and error methodologies are often adopted in pedagogy also. To know what suits best, one has to experiment with caution and discretion. Logic plays the role of binder between core analytical disciplines and philosophical ramblings. It moves back and forth, so to speak, between the opposite extremes of natural philosophy and apparently dynamic scientific inquiries. Sieving the Elements As a prospective special educator, I would like to opt for my methods very carefully. Given the conjectural nature of the four main aspects of special education, i.e., metaphysics, epistemology, axiology and logic, it is better to rely on interview findings before hastily forming any stereotypical notion about the credibility of any particular set of parameters. My last assignment incorporated interview taken among four teachers – two from self-contained classrooms and two from inclusive classrooms. What I found was special educators supervising inclusive classrooms shared satisfactory opinion about their experience of teaching within an inclusive pedagogical framework. Considering the metaphysical aspects of cumulative learning, it would be worth noting that inclusive classrooms provide greater balance between knowledge accumulations and sharing. On the other hand, self-contained classrooms do not augur well in the long run, thus failing to substantiate the idea of imparting knowledge as a raw material and transforming it to the best of consequences. As for the epistemological construct of education, the harsh reality encountered by gifted learners can never be counterbalanced by mere theoretical illustrations of pedagogy. Students belonging to both inclusive as well as self-contained classrooms require extensive practical coverage, particularly with regard to vocational training, technical training and other personalized forms of education depending on individual needs. The main reason behind discarding theoretical conjectures is that epistemological frameworks of education are more akin to mainstream education than to special education. In other words, what normal children can grasp from books and also from their peers can never be a case of positive simulation for cognitively challenged pupils. I would like to take a cue out of the interviewees to substantiate my argument on axiology and its impact on special education. All interviewees shared similar opinion about their motivation to teach. They highlighted the primacy of feeling at par with progressive learning outcomes. After all, there is nothing like educating a special child and seeing him/her making progress in life just as another normal person. However, I would also want to see my special pupils doing away with behaviorist adaptations. Such actions, according to me, are derogatory for self-esteem and self-reliant approaches. Once a learning-disabled student starts developing the tendency to emulate others, he/she becomes an easy victim of impressionistic psychology, thus losing the innate sense of individuality. There is very little to talk about the excesses of logic in teaching philosophy. However, this notion can be more fruitfully applied to inclusive classrooms with a fewer number of students and each resembling parts of cerebral attributes of one another. Due to lack of guiding material in self-contained classrooms, teaching rationales tend to be more normative than time-tested. Application of Theories & Technology In a nutshell, my special education philosophy will be a combined mix of all practical components from the four major concepts. Gifted students featuring in self-contained classrooms need to be educated with tons of technological apparatus. Regular interactive sessions, computer-oriented learning methodologies and study of semiotics would feature prominently in my model. Inclusive classrooms, on the other hand, provide greater opportunities to learn within a collaborative setup underpinned by steady governance and a methodical system of teaching. Here again though, using technology does no harm to furthering the modern prospects of education. Depending on the learning capacities of individual students, the level of computer proficiency may be increased in phases, so that by the time students pass out, they become comfortable with automation. Besides, introducing vocal tools may help enormously to articulate difficult reading materials. Personal Mission As a special educator, my sole mission will be to improve the current state of affairs in the United States. Albeit remarkable developments have been taking place worldwide, areas such as brain mapping and psychosocial analyses are still needed to be worked on, which I would want to look into more closely. Comparing the Interviewees’ with Mine All interviewees shared similar opinions about the primacy of actual reading in the classes. In other words, they did not stress on the need to have technological aids to expedite the process of learning. I would like to have my model grounded on technological innovations. Secondly, I would like to make even smaller self-contained classrooms, so that every kid may get adequate attention. Teachers of inclusive classrooms endorsed this opinion. Thirdly, I would prefer to have professional counselors from the very beginning of the learning session. Instead of leaving this all-important task until the very end, it is always a good idea to carry out advanced research simultaneously while evaluating the discursive learning outcomes. Conclusion In essence, special education needs are impossible to overlook in today’s world of cutthroat competition. A special child is not supposed to get leeway in conducting daily affairs and duties. So it is the beginning of a long journey that requires to be given direction for a distinctive future. Traditional aspects of education are just as important as the contemporary doctrines for furthering the scope of learning in a mobilized manner. References Brumbaugh, R. S., & Hendley, B. P. (1987). Plato, time, and education: essays in honor of Robert S. Brumbaugh. Albany: SUNY Press. Paul, J. L. (2002). Rethinking professional issues in special education. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group. Reynolds, C. R., & Fletcher-Janzen, E. (2007). Encyclopedia of Special Education: A Reference for the Education of Children, Adolescents, and Adults With Disabilities and Other Exceptional Individuals, Volume 1. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons. Scolnicov, S. (1988). Plato’s metaphysics of education. New York: Taylor & Francis. Simpson, D. J., & Jackson, M. J. B. (1984). The teacher as philosopher: a primer in philosophy of education. New York: Taylor & Francis. Read More