Education is a Piece of Music

A song is a great metaphor for how I see education. As a concept, both are difficult to explicate how and why they can be effective. But, when they work it is undeniably engaging. It has a way of pulling you in and engaging you on a deeply personal level. The metaphor deepens when you consider the variety of songs and educational philosophies. Some promote social justice while some are just about having fun. Either way, they are always experiences. You react on a personal level and you sometimes can't explain why you like a certain teacher or why a song just gets stuck in your head. On the negative side, it also very easy to get defensive about a belief you have. It's easy to judge someone who like country music or who believes in environmental education. But these arguments overshadow what makes music and education so great. It's supposed to be about a group of people working together to understand or create something. Oftentimes, the process is difficult and requires practice and effort, but in the end it's always worth it when it finally clicks.

In this class I have learned and reevaluated many things regarding my educational philosophy. By reading other people's posts I was able to understand the importance of communication. It is essential collaborate and work on ideas together. Personal experience is something I have unintentionally ignored. Theorizing something is one thing but actually going out and doing it is another. I also realized the importance of environmental education. Since I did not have much of it during my adolescence it is something that I now strongly believe in. Children should not be restricted to classrooms. They should be able to experience nature and learn valuable life skills. But, most of all this class strengthened my belief in social activism in the classroom. Education is not a system to crank out like-minded people who conform to the same beliefs. Children should be passionate and yearn to make the world a better place. That requires action and thoughtful teaching but it is something I hope to achieve.

Thanks for a great semester, Shawn.