Personal Philosophy on Education relating to special education

Becoming an educator requires one to be open and responsive to all learners and learning styles . This encompasses the ethnic diversity special needs , as well as the special skills of each and every student In this I will address my personal philosophy of education specifically as it relates to students with disabilities and key CEC standards , and refer to the foundations which I have drawn upon in developing this philosophy

First and foremost , I believe that every student has within them the ability to learn and grow . More traditional methods of education

, such as direct- instruction , work well for some learners , while they are completely ineffective for others . Not every learner is on the same level of readiness for a given task

If a learner is instructed in and expected to perform new tasks that are only slightly beyond their current skill level , they will be more likely to be actively engaged and successful in learning (Ryder , 2006 . This is in keeping with Vygotsky 's zone of proximal development (ZPD ) which is : the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance , or in collaboration with more capable peers (Vygotsky , 1978 ,

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Allowing the learner flexibility in how they reach a goal is also extremely important . The student not only has their own unique way of learning but also their own way of interpreting information based on the context in which the learning occurs . These components of background knowledge are referred to as cultural mediators (Vygotsky , 1978 The importance of understanding the student 's present levels of performance , and existing background knowledge is intensified when working with students who have special needs . By taking these into consideration we are given a focus for individualizing to meet the student 's learning needs

I also believe that students with special needs are frequently enabled to fail . Perhaps this is due to a lack of high expectations , or poor goal setting , but too often I believe it is because once a student is labeled with a disability they are given information more than challenged to learn . In to create life-long learners we need all students to be educated in a way that encourages them to be active learners , problem-solvers and cooperative thinkers . This focus on problem solving is supported by the theory of Reconstructivism (Brameld 1965

How to define teaching and learning ? The face of education is ever-changing . What may be best-practice now , will perhaps , someday fall out of favor . I find this encouraging because it speaks of a continued desire to improve upon what we already have . Because of the motile nature of education , an educator must also be a life-long learner . Actively seeking out current research , best-practices , and ways to build and enhance upon their own teaching skills . This is true as well for the ever changing laws regarding education for students with and without disabilities alike

While educational approaches may...