EDUCATION 501: PHILISOPY OF EDUCATION
PERALTA, Exzur J. Peralta MITE, 1st Trimester SY 2001-02
Topic: TAOISM
Meaning:
a major strand of Chinese philosophy, advocating living in harmony with nature and responding spontaneously to circumstances as they arise, following the "Way" or mystical whole.
advises "doing nothing" (wuwei), but rather than advocating passivity it recommends a policy of perpetually succeeding by never forcing things against their nature.
favored reverting to primitive agrarian communities and a government that did not exert control or interfere with the life of the people.
Philosophical Taoism is rational, contemplative, and nonsectarian, and it accepts death as a natural returning to the Tao
Historical Antecedents:
The Warring States (453-222 BC)
Laozi Daode jing (IV-III c. B.C.) is the first scripture on the concept of Dao, described as the ineffable dynamic unity source of multiplicity. Man should reverse the process and return to unity by means of non-action (wuwei), which is also a political ideal.
Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-220 CE)
Legalism and Confucianism form State ideology of the Chinese Empire under Qin and Han dynasties. The Huainanzi (II c. BC) unifies the image of the Saint with that of the political man, promoting a mixture of Taoist and Confucian ideals. A similar sincretic vein characterizes the Huang-Lao school, which unifies the cults of the Yellow Emperor (Huangdi) and Laozi.
At the end of the Han Empire, revolutionary and messianic sects emerged. In 215, Zhang Lu established the first hierarchically organized Taoist "church", concerned with the limitation of popular cults and the establishment of social ideals through moral precepts and public liturgical ceremonies. The school becomes the highest authority on ritual orthodoxy.
Chinese "Middle Ages" (220-581)
Central to Ge Hong's (280-340) Baopuzi is the idea of immortality as a natural physical transformation; among the techniques to obtain it are the "nourishment of life" (yangsheng) through the correct circulation of vital energies - breath (qi) and seminal essence (jing) - and the use of drugs and pills of immortality (external alchemy).
The IV century sees the birth of two of the main Taoist traditions, representing mysticism and ritual, respectively. Then, in 402, the doctrine of rebirth and retribution and develops the ideal of universal liberation in contrast to individual immortality was integrated.
Tang Dynasty (618-907)
Tang emperors generally support Taoism, but the tendency of the period is towards syncretism. The Double Mystery school (Chongxuan) integrates Indian speculation (Madhyamika) to the interpretation of the Daode jing.
Internal contemplation (neiguan) anticipates the birth of internal alchemy (neidan).
Song and Yuan Dynasties (960-1368)
The development of internal alchemy continues with the Zhong-Lü and the Complete Perfection (Quanzhen) schools in the North and the Southern tradition of Zhang Boduan and Bai Yuchan. Breath, spirit (shen) and seminal essence become the ingredients of an alchemical transformation within the human body, a process based on the preservation and circulation of Yin and Yang.
Proponents
Laozi (Lao_Tzu)(IV-III c. BC) It is a viewpoint that emphasizes individuality, freedom, simplicity, mysticism, and naturalness. He described the concept of Dao as the ineffable dynamic unity source of multiplicity. Man should reverse the process and return to unity by means of non-action (wuwei), which is also a political ideal.
Zhuangzi (Chuang-Tzu), the second founding father of Taoism, who lived in the late 4th century BC, concentrated on the private individual, whom he advised to avoid politics altogether. He believed in accepting and going with the flow through a perfect, mirror-like response to changing circumstances. His philosophical position was one of radical relativism, calling for the dismissal of all artificial distinctions generated on the basis of reason. He interpreted Taoism (from Tao, "way") differently from Lao-tzu; Chuang-tzu taught that wise people accept the ebb and flow of life without attempting to challenge it; true enlightenment involves freeing oneself of traditions and personal goals that stand in the way of the mysterious, all-encompassing Tao.
Taoism as Philosophy
Metaphysics
The Tao is the eternal reality and source of all existence. Epistemology
Everything is basically one despite the appearance of
differences.
Logic
Because all is one, matters of good and evil and of true or
false, as well as differing opinions, can only arise when
people lose sight of the oneness and think that their private
beliefs are absolutely true.
Axiology
The goal of life for a Taoist is to cultivate a mystical relationship to the Tao. Adherents therefore avoid dispersing their energies through the pursuit of wealth, power, or knowledge. By shunning every earthly distraction, the Taoist is able to concentrate on life itself.
Taoism as a Philosophy of Education:
Aims
Embraces the idea of a "harmonious existence" between humans and nature because human and nature are completely connected.
Teachers should have students solve problems that deal with improving the human condition or the non-human condition. It can also be implemented by requiring students to use a broad range of sources from various realms.
Doing problem solving and learning about environment will geared towards making the world a better place.
Curriculum
The curriculum is focused on the care of the mortal body through the use of natural herbs and elements of the earth. Illnesses (or rather, susceptibility to them) always result from an imbalance of some kind thus, reminds of mans dependence on and connection to the Tao.
Teaching Methods
The private classical tutors were equally active in the south, often
also teaching hundreds or even thousands of students, although
obviously the scholarly fashion there was much influenced by the
"mysterious learning."
Learning experience is more on contemplation, a union with the infinite (Mysticism).
Taoist is able to concentrate on life itself. The longer the
adherent's life, the more saintly the person is presumed to
have become. Eventually the hope is to become immortal.
Strengths of Taoism
Believes that everything is equal despite the appearance of
differences.
Advocated a lifestyle in harmony with nature
Acting spontaneously, responding to change in a flexible manner, and never forcing things, this mystical union with the Way could be followed and realized.
Limitations of Taoism
Traditional Taoism taught that education and knowledge could only lead away from the Tao; Laotze believed that the less "common people" knew about the cruelties of their world, the happier and more content they would be with their lives
Preached withdrawal from the responsibilities and dangers of
public life in favor of self-cultivation.
Taoism maintained that the individual should ignore the dictates of society and seek only to conform to the underlying pattern of the universe, the Dao (way), which can neither be described in words nor conceived in thought.
Teaches that the ruler should fill his people's bellies but empty their minds, so that they know and desire nothing because by emptying oneself of all doctrines and knowledge, one achieves unity with the Dao and derives from it a mystical power.
At the socio-political level, the Daoists called for a return to primitive agrarian life.
The ideal state was clearly a dictatorship by a philosopher-king over an obedient and passive populace.
Cultivation of virtue was decried as potentially disruptive
REFERENCES:
1. Comptons Interactive Encyclopedia
2. Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia Standard
3. www.google.com
4. www.encarta.msn.com
5. www.ut.com
6. www.Yahoo.com
7. http://philosophy.about.com/cs/metaphysics/index_2.htm
8. http://philosophy.about.com/cs/philofeducation
9. http://philosophy.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://commhum.mccneb.edu/PHILOS/phileduc.htm
10. http://www.tao.org
11. http://www.taorestore.org
12. http://www.taorestore.org/taoism.html
13. http://www.taorestore.org/taoistlife.html
14. http://tour.macandbumble.com/index.html
15. http://www.unomaha.edu/~wwwphrel/rbrel1010.htm
TAOISTS WORDS TO PONDER
***
Do Nothing, Nothing Can Be Done
***
Human life is limited, but knowledge is limitless. To drive the limited in pursuit of the limitless is fatal; and to presume that one really knows is fatal indeed!
***
In doing good, avoid fame. In doing bad, avoid disgrace. Pursue a middle course as your principle. Thus you will guard your body from harm, preserve your life, fulfil your duties by your parents, and live your allotted span of life.
***
Virtue evaporates by motion into desire for fame and knowledge ends in contentions. In the struggle for fame men crush each other while their wisdom but provokes rivalry. Both are instruments of evil, and are not proper principles of living.
***
EXZUR J. PERALTA
MITE 502
SAMPLE OF LESSON PLAN USING CONSTRUCTIVISM
Title: Ideal Gas Can
Level: Ist Year High School
General Science Unit: Properties of Matter
Topic: Ideal Gas Laws and Relationships
Purpose:
The purpose of this lesson is to actively involve students in their construction of knowledge about the properties of pressure, temperature, and volume in a gas. Through the use of a discrepant event, the teacher will guide the students in their construction of knowledge by requiring them to predict what will happen in a demonstration and then asking them to describe what actually happened.
Methodology:
The methodology used in the lesson is cooperative learning and group discussion. The structure of the lesson is based on the constructivist view of learning that suggests that learners actively create and build their own understanding of the topics they study. The lesson encompasses the first three phases of the 5E instructional model (engagement, exploration, and explanation). The other two phases could be implemented in successive lessons.
Instructional Objectives:
While working in-groups, the learners will record their prediction of what will happen in the demonstration after listening to the teacher's description. While working in-groups, the learners will use what they know about the properties of gases to form a conclusion that describes what happened in the demonstration. In a class discussion, the learners will describe and discuss the relationships between pressure, temperature, and volume in a gas to the teachers satisfaction.
Resources:
The resources used in the lesson include those used in the experimental demonstration. These resources are: a hot plate, a large glass beaker, tongs, safety goggles, water, and an empty aluminum soda can. Other resources needed for the lesson are several copies of the worksheet to be used in the group discussions.
Engagement Phase:
To actively engage the students in the lesson, the teacher could begin class by using the guided imagery strategy. In this strategy, the teacher structures a "daydream" for the students as they sit quietly with their eyes closed. For this lesson, the teacher could say something like the following: "Close your eyes and tell your muscles to relax . . . You are enjoying a beautiful day on a white sandy beach in Dos Palmas Beach Resort. The day is a hot one, and the temperature is up over 95 degrees Fahrenheit. You and your friend are playing with a beach ball. As the beach ball comes your way, you catch it and hold it between your hands. The ball is firm and bouncy. It almost feels as though it is about to pop! "Now, imagine yourself at Siberia or Alaska. You and your friend are now bundled up heavily because the temperature is freezing. For fun, you decided to bring your beach ball to the football game to toss it around. Your friend tosses you the ball and you catch it between your hands. The ball is soft and not very firm at all . . . Now open your eyes and let's talk about what you observed." The guided imagery strategy is meant to help students connect what they "see" to what they will be learning. After completing the "daydream" the teacher could ask the students to think about what they "saw" in the guided imagery exercise as they approach the day's lesson
Exploration Phase:
Step 1:
At this point, the teacher describes the process of the experimental demonstration so that the students know exactly what actions will be performed. The teacher then shares the objective of the lesson; that the students will need to be able to describe the relationships between pressure, temperature, and volume in a gas. The teacher then breaks the students up into groups to predict what will happen in the demonstration.
Step 2:
After the students break up into groups (no more than four students per group), the worksheets are handed out. The first task is for the students to elect group recorder and a group presenter. The recorder writes down the groups conclusions and the presenter presents them to the rest of the class.
Step 3:
Each group is asked to make a prediction about what will happen when the demonstration is performed. After about three or four minutes, each group is asked to share their prediction with the class and the teacher writes these on the board.
Step 4:
The teacher now performs the demonstration. Assuming that the demonstration works, the groups will then be asked to describe what happened based on the three properties of a gas: pressure, temperature, and volume. After another four minutes, each group will report their conclusions about what happened and these will also be written on the board.
Explanation Phase:
Step 5:
The teacher has the students outline the relationships between the three properties of a gas by asking questions based on the conclusions of each group. The amount of discussion necessary is dependent on the accuracy of the responses, the prior understanding of the students, and the amount of time remaining. It may be necessary to continue the discussion the next time the class meets. One of the most important factors in the student's learning is the teacher's understanding of the demonstration and the teacher's ability to provide concrete examples and descriptions during the discussion.
Closure:
To close the lesson, the teacher asks several students to state the relationships between temperature, pressure, and volume of a gas. If further description is needed, time will be taken the next day to review the investigation. Finally, the teacher will relate the new information to future material by telling the students that these relationships are put together in a useful formula called the ideal gas law.
"Ideal Gas Can" Demonstration Description
Resources:
The resources used in the demonstration include: a hot plate or Bunsen burner, a large glass beaker, tongs, safety goggles, water, and an empty aluminum soda can.
Step 1: Fill the beaker approximately 2/3 full with cool water. Place the
beaker nears the heating element on a stable surface like a counter or table.
Step 2:
Pour about 1/2 inch of water into the empty soda can.
Step 3:
Put on the safety goggles. Place soda can on hot plate or Bunsen burner. Heat the can for several moments until the water inside begins to boil and lots of steam is seen coming out of the opening.
Step 4:
Using the tongs, carefully remove the can from the heat source and quickly overturn it into the beaker of cool water. Make sure to fully submerge the opening of the can in the water. If everything was done correctly, the can should be crushed!
Explanation of Demonstration:
When the water inside the can begins to boil, the air inside the can becomes filled with water vapor at a high pressure. The only place that the water vapor (steam) can escape is through the small opening in the top of the can. When the can is turned over into the water in the beaker, this opening is sealed. The water vapor inside the can quickly cools (condenses) when it comes in contact with the cool water in the beaker. This causes the pressure inside the can to drop dramatically. Since the opening of the can is sealed and there is no way for air to get in, pressure equilibrium cannot be attained. The atmospheric pressure on the outside of the can is much greater than the gas pressure on the inside of the can. This atmospheric pressure is what causes the can to crush. In other words, a vacuum is created inside the can that makes the can no longer able withstand the normal atmospheric pressure that is pushing on its outside.
From this demonstration, the relationship between temperature, pressure, and volume in a gas can be inferred.
The volume and pressure of the gas inside the can was seen to increase as the temperature of the gas increased (steam rising from the opening).
The pressure of the gas was seen to decrease when the temperature decreased (the can was crushed by the atmospheric pressure).
The volume of the gas inside the can decreased when the temperature and pressure decreased (the crushed can has much less volume than the original can).
Ideal Gas Can Worksheet
for Cooperative Learning Group on Pressure/
Temperature/Volume relationships in gases
NOTE: Before beginning this activity, select one student to be the Recorder and one student to be the Presenter.
Student Names:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Responsibilities:
Recorder:
Read out loud the questions on this sheet and record the groups responses.
Presenter:
Report these responses to the rest of the class.
Purpose:
This activity will require your group to make predictions about an experiment before it is performed. Then, after the experiment is performed, your group will make a conclusion about what happened. The overall purpose of this activity is to investigate and describe the relationships between pressure, temperature and volume in a gas.
Step 1: Based on the description of the experiment and what you know about gases; predict what will happen when the can is overturned into the beaker of cool water. You will have four minutes to discuss and record your prediction.
Step 2: Now that you know what happened, try to describe why this took place. Base your descriptions on what you know about the relationships between pressure, temperature, and volume of a gas. Again, you will have four minutes to discuss and record your prediction.
 EXZUR J. PERALTA
MITE 502
REACTION PAPER RE: LEARNING FRENCH
The activity that was undertaken re: learning French revealed that humans are born to learn and learning is what we are better at than any other species. It proved that human brain is more flexible, self-adjusting, biological system that grows and reshapes itself in response to challenge, or withers through lack of use.
Human nature matters enormously in learning. I percieved that language and social empathetic skills need to be seen in a survival context. French language was simply too
complex for each individual brain to learn from scratch. Each brain is born with the predisposition to learn lang-uage in a particular, natural way. Human brains owe their basic design to our genetic program.
However, though all humans of normal intelligence can learn any language(French in this case), but as one grows older,the ability to learn can completely disappear.
After puberty, it is almost impossible to perfect the pronunciation of a second language. Thus as the Italian geneticist Lugi Luca Cavalli-Sforza notes, "This is an excellent reason to begin foreign language instruction in elementary school..." NOT during Graduate Studies!
But it does not mean that the activity was in vain. In fact, I learned that the brain is essentially economic.What is not needed is replaced by a more appropriate function. That's why a few hours after the activity, I can only remember the processes and NOT the French language. What can I expect for a Filipino attempting to learn to speak French at the age of 30 or 48!Indeed, it presents an almost impossible task of correctly articulating the sounds. Oh..my...ability has just disappeared!It is for this reason that no matter how hard I work at learning French language as "young adult" I will always have an accent discernible to native speakers.This does not mean, however,that I do not appreciate the significance of learning in later years. In fact, I believe just the opposite.
Another predisposition that I am beginning to appreciate far better is that of social skills. Even though it may seem counterintuitive to those of us living in an era
that glorifies individualism and cut-throat competition it seems that humans are predisposed to friendliness and cooperation. My survival in a "French world " was almost totally dependent on my relationships with other people-my classmates. The "beauty" of collaboration surpasses the "magic" of the French words I was trying to learn!
The activity reaffirmed my belief that developing young people who excel as life-long learners require the involvement of the whole community; it has its own immediate feedback; children and adults working together stimulate community regeneration as well. "Turning education systems inside out" so to speak because the focus of learning has now to extend well beyond the classroom.
In conclusion,it is necessary to remember that learning is an intensely subjective,personal process that each person constantly and actively modifies in light of new experiences. Learning is an open process, but sad to say many schools by their very bureaucratic, rigid and hierarchical nature are closed systems.Honestly, we spent many hours in our formal education sitting in a classroom listening to a teacher drone on while we watched the clock move at a snail's pace, and dreamed about our real interests.This is not a criticism of teachers, but a realization that the closed, rigid and decontextualized setting of a classroom is by its planned nature limiting.
More activities Ma'am! It broadens our perspective as educators.
EXZUR J. PERALTA
MITE 502
1. What activities/innovations on traditional activities can you suggest that would encourage whole-brain learning?
ANSWERS:
Examples of the shifts some schools have made to brain-based learning:
TRADITIONAL
Students used paper and pencil to regurgitate knowledge.
INNOVATION Students use multiple ways to express their knowledge (examples: rap songs about math problems or history facts in Social Studies classes or drawings of flat boats to understand how early Filipinos migrated from the rest of Asia).
TRADITIONAL Students are required to wait for class changes, lunch or recess for water fountain breaks.
INNOVATION Students are allowed frequent water breaks and many have water bottles on their desks to avoid brain dehydration.
TRADITIONAL Students are expected to learn the same way, often through lecture.
INNOVATION Parents are sent home questionnaires to determine the brain-based strengths students have; teachers tailor lessons to meet those strengths.
TRADITIONAL Kids sit quietly at their desk during lessons.
INNOVATION Teachers are encouraged to allow kids to move around during or between lessons to improve attention span. Because movement can open up neuro-pathways.
SUGGESTED BRAIN-BASED TECHNIQUES FOR THE CLASSROOM
Technique How this relates to the brain
water bottles, more bathroom breaks
Results Most students have a water bottle from which to drink freely. With increased hydration, the students needed more bathroom breaks. No thirsty students anymore! Students can also tell why it's important to drink water.
How this relates to the brain
Research has shown that dehydration causes higher salt levels in the blood, which in turn raises blood pressure and stress. Also, since the brain is made up of more water than any other organ in the body, dehydration takes a toll quickly. It causes a loss of attentiveness, and lethargy.
Technique
morning snack
Results
Students have a small snack, drinks, and they are ready to listen. No complaints about hunger anymore!
How this relates to the brain
Eating certain types of food like fruits and vegetables, nuts, and lean meats may lead to optimal learning. While students may not eat these types of foods, studies show that the brain needs energy and learners need to be comfortable in order to learn.
Technique
provide breaks between activities
Results
Start taking bathroom break in the middle of reading time rather than before or after. When activities are continued after the break, students were more focused and ready to work.
How this relates to the brain
Movement can help focus attention Providing processing time after teaching enhances learning-it solidifies learning. This, however, pertains more to down time when external stimuli is shut down and allows the brain to make associations.
Technique
change schedule to fit students' needs
Results
Schedule work time when students are ready to work, and rest time when they are ready to rest. After lunch, is centers or instructional time. After snack, is rest time. Everybody's happy!
How this relates to the brain
Everyone has natural attentional highs and lows throughout the day. Teachers should take advantage of these cycles rather than fight them.
Technique
have positive interactions with students
Results
Personally greet each student when they arrive in the morning, and be more aware of what I to say to students.
How this relates to the brain
Threats biologically impair a student's ability to learn. There are three areas of threats: threats from outside class, threats from other students, and threats from the teacher. The teacher can control threats from him or herself and threats from other students.
Technique
Improve transitions
Results
The students have a set routine they follow during transitions, and teacher ALWAYS warn them 5 minutes ahead of time.
How this relates to the brain
Like threats, stress also biologically impairs a student's ability to learn. Knowing what to expect and establishing a routine helps reduce stress.
Technique
Rearrange the room
The furniture has to be rearranged to provide more space, and to more comfortably seat students. Add a small table for groaner, which made table time much easier for him.
How this relates to the brain
The new arrangement reduced stress by allowing students to have more personal space, and see the front of the room without having to turn their chairs around.
vary learning activities
Technique
Use musical instruments to find beats in words, cut apart sentence strips and used bodies to order words in sentences, played rhyming games, and cut back on activities with less active student involvement.
How this relates to the brain
We remember that which is most emotionally laden. Emotions stimulate brains to recall things better. Choosing activities that are new, or require students to engage their emotions, facilitates learning. Novel activities also attract attention.
2. What ways can you think of to assess improved brain function and higher order thinking skills as a result of using intellectually challenging techniques in appropriate ways?
ANSWERS:
There are ways to assess improved brain function as a result of using intellectually challenging techniques though many educators still assumed that learning primarily involves memorization of facts and skills. We practically ignored the natural capacity of the brain to make meaning. The fact is, as we become more familiar with the brain's capacity to seek and perceive patterns, create meanings, integrate sensory experience, and make connections, we can also become more adept at solving practical problems, such as selecting appropriate methodologies, effectively assessing learning, designing schools, and administering education.
We can tell whether a person has improved his/her brain function if we try giving him/her chances to talk, to listen, to read, to view, to act and to value things. Then observe his/her reactions and actions. The brain is a better pattern detector than a data gatherer. Traditional objectives-based teaching and evaluation focuses upon surface knowledge, conditioning, and rote memorization; modern cognitive teaching involves active learning and authentic assessment and focuses upon meaning making.
Maintaining portfolios is important for reflective improvement and self-assessment. These help teachers, parents and students observe demonstrated growth over time. Teachers also need to maintain appropriate content mastery through regular testing programs. And, demonstrations, writing and art are ways of assessing students progress, as are pre and post surveys and tests useful in assessing students progress. Both verbal and written self-assessments are important parts of proving academic growth, and interdisciplinary and cross-curricular projects provide realistic assessment tools. In essence, students should be exposed to multiple assessment methods. |
