I thought today's discussion went really well. I'm pleased that our class seems to feel comfortable sharing with each other, because it really does make the material more effective for me. I get a lot more out of class when I have other people's opinions to build on.

As far as the readings go, I think there was a lot of valuable information presented. All in all, I think reading these three philosophies of education will be really helpful in providing a basic structure for writing my own philosophy of education.

I agree completely that education needs to be more than just filling heads with facts and having them regurgitated. I know that from my experience as a student, I get a lot less out of a class where the teacher only lectures, than in a class where I am more of a participant in my education. Personally, I am much more of a visual learner than an auditory learner, so lecturing, while sometimes interesting, is not the most effective method for me to learn by. I know that in a history class, for example, where it is the norm to be taught through reading, lectures, and note taking, I do not test as well as I do in other classes where I can learn the information using multiple intelligences.

I also agree that children need to be actively involved in questioning their education and thinking critically. It seems to me that the workforce is seeking out critical thinkers and problem solvers instead of the machines that the educational system tends to produce. While I believe that it is important that children gain a healthy respect for authority figures, I also believe they need to understand that it is only right to question what you are learning. By not questioning your own education, you are allowing yourself to become robot-like and obedient. However, I do think that it may be challenging for current educators to change their methods so as not to turn out another generation of children raised to always be obedient. It is our job as future educators to understand the importance of critical education so that we can, potentially, save future generations of children from this same fate.