My Portfolios
My Interests
Miscellaneous
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This Website has been accessed
times since July 10, 2005.
This website
was created & is maintained by
Emily Gung,
VSU Graduate Student.
VSU is a Regional University of the
University
System of Georgia.
Copyright © 2005 Emily Gung |
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Emily's
Educational Philosophy & Leadership Style |
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Throughout my teaching career, I have consistently applied
and have found relatively enough educational success within the following
humanistic model: |
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Purpose |
To develop
people open to change and continued learning; to enhance
personal growth and development; to facilitate
self-actualization, to reform society. |
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Learner |
Learner is
highly motivated and self-directed; assumes
responsibility for learning and self-development. |
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Teacher |
Facilitator;
helper; partner; promotes, but does not direct learning,
sets mood for learning, acts as a flexible resource for
learners. |
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Source of Authority |
The self /
learner. |
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Key Words/Concepts |
Experiential
learning; freedom; feelings, individuality;
self-directedness; interactive; openness; co-operation;
authenticity; ambiguity; related to existentialism. |
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Methods |
Experiential;
group tasks; group discussion; team teaching;
self-directed learning; discovery method. |
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People/Practices |
Erasmus,
Rousseau, Rogers, Maslow, Knowles, May, Tough, McKenzie;
encounter groups; group dynamics; self-directed learning
projects; human relations training; Esalen Institute. |
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Time Frame |
Roots go back
to classical China, Greece, and Rome, but became a
movement as we know it in the U.S. in 1950s-60s through
work by Maslow and Rogers. |
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The above line of teaching works fine
for a student-centered approach towards learning. However,
this educational philosophy seems to lack the quick
responsiveness and solvency that is needed for a more effective
outcome, especially in a time of unrest and change.
Therefore, my views have evolved over the years, integrating
some of the humanism with a newer model of learning and
teaching. Along with the development of post-modernism (or
"pomo" as my professors like to call it) through the years, I have
experimented with definite changes my teaching style, towards a
more post-humanistic ("post" meaning "in challenge to") model,
emphasizing radicalism and super-individualism:
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Purpose |
To bring
about fundamental, social, political, economic changes
in society through education; to change culture and its
structure. |
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Learner |
Equality with
teacher in learning process; personal autonomy; people
create history and culture by combining reflection with
action. |
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Teacher |
Provocateur;
suggests but does not determine direction for learning;
equality between teacher and learner. |
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Source of Authority |
Socioeconomic
and sociopolitical imbalances. |
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Key Words/Concepts |
Consciousness-raising; praxis; noncompulsory learning;
autonomy; critical thinking; social action;
de-institutionalization; literacy training. |
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Methods |
Dialog;
problem-posing; maximum interaction; discussion groups. |
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People/Practices |
Brameld, Holt,
Kozol, Reich, Neill, Freire, Goodman, Illich, Ohliger;
Freedom Schools; Summerhill, Freire's literacy training;
free schools. |
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Time Frame |
Origins are
found in the 18th c. anarchist tradition,
Marxist thought, and the Freudian Left. Modern movement
began in early 1960s in Brazil with Freire. |
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Therefore, I have focused on several themes that has
become my new philosophy
of education and leadership style:
1.
Quiet Leadership.
As espoused and embodied by the Japanese in their organizational
philosophy of kaizen management, "quiet leadership" requires
both teacher and student to be quiet listeners of each other,
building consensus through mutual service, toward
the idea of what is "right and wrong" as well as what is "good"
for the community as a whole. Although seen as “soft”
sometimes, Quiet leadership still requires the creation of vision, the setting of challenging
goals, the sharing of information, performance and skill with
conflict resolution.
2.
Education as
an End in itself, instead of a means.
Our world, and all of the great things in it, is interdependent
with education:
“Education is a companion no misfortune can depress, no
crime can destroy, no enemy can alienate, no despotism
can enslave, at home a friend, abroad an introduction:
in solitude a solace, and in society an ornament. It
chastens vice, it guides virtue, it gives, at once grace
and government to genius. Without it, what is man? A
splendid slave, a reasoning savage.” -- Joseph Addison
3.
Multiculturalism. At first came "university" with
prefix "uni-" being the binding force that holds the institution
together as one. However, these days, "diversity" has
become the new buzz word these days -- a response to the growing
division of departments or groups within the "university",
especially seen in the narrowing of expertise in specific fields
of inquiry. However, we have not gotten any better from
the division. Diversity has somehow pulled us apart into
separate and conservative ways, at the compensation of our
dreams to one day cross those cultural boundaries. It is
not enough to be sitting in the sidelines, only having a
peripheral view of things to come. We need to be more dynamic
as the word "education" calls us to be: constantly changing,
sharing and reaching for our full potential.
4.
Open
Access and Proactive Outreach.
Public education has a responsibility to both the individual
and to the greater community. In addition to sharing
"bodies of knowledge" with students, education needs to also
share "bodies of awareness" that consistently addresses the
needs and inequities in our society. Being more connected to the outside world through cooperation,
service, and partnerships, fosters the innovation and learning
that we are looking for.
5.
Long-term, Holistic Thinking.
Deming sought improvement through the eradication of "fear".
Yet, we have all had anxiety, fearful for things unknown, and
scared of the challenges that lay ahead. If we continue to
hide in fear, how
will we ever be able to take that first step towards change, respond to
the challenges that lay ahead, or prepare for our future?
In order to improve and continue towards success, one need to
think farther than before, beyond what is close, near or
comfortable. Out of the darkness and into the light, I
say. Take technology, for instruction. These are the
kinds of changes that will most likely
occur during the next 25 years in American society, and they will have the most impact on higher education.
If we fail to change along with the evolution of things to come
in the complex future, we as a society fails to
grow.
6.
Strong
Teacher
Development -- I believe we should send all of our teachers to
Japan on the JET Program!
America needs more teachers who have seen more of the world, who
will bring their experiences abroad, back into the classroom,
impressing our students with the wonderful beauty of the world.
7.
Shared
values and shared resources.
The allocation of funds need to shared across any organization
as a whole.
8.
Team development, relationships, shared visions and
values. Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary intellectual
activity is a sign of a healthy university. My greatest hope
as a teacher, is that I could facilitate this kind of activity
and talent out there, help everybody realize that we are
intertwined in very many fragile, yet special ways, and
encourage and inspire others to join our glory for a better future. |
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