What I Believe About Philosophy, Ethics, Adult Education,...

Adult educators must strive to understand their beliefs, the perspectives that they shape and the ethics that drive their profession. As Merriam and Brockett said, â€Å"The practice of adult education does no happen in a vacuum. It occurs in a context that manifests certain beliefs and that values certain behaviors over others. Understanding what those beliefs and values are can only lead to more informed and reflective practice.† (2007) This essay will outline what I believe about philosophy, ethics, adult education, the learner, the instructor, and the curriculum. This will ultimately help guide me and focus me to my view of this profession and myself as an adult educator. Before I go into how I see things, I first must define a few terms and decide where I stand. First, what is a philosophy of education? Lorraine M. Zinn (1998) Explains a Philosophy of Education represents a comprehensive and interrelated set of values and beliefs as applied to education- including beliefs about the purpose and nature of human life, the role(s) of teachers and learners, important subject matter, and effective teaching approaches. Who is an adult educator? The term â€Å"adult educator† may describe anyone who helps adults learn something, gain knowledge, or skills for a variety of purposes. Adult education doesn’t always happen in a classroom setting. It may be in the form of formal or informal settings, for credit hours or not for credit hours. Not knowing where I stood as far asShow MoreRelatedI Am A Professional Teacher Essay959 Words   |  4 Pagesminds. Education is extremely important to go through. Teachers have many different philosophies to choose from when teaching in a classroom. Out of the five philosophies, I ranked the highest in Essentialism and Progressivism. 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