Philosophy

Educators love to ridicule No Child Left Behind (NCLB). Many have said the law, in fact, leaves behind the very children it was intended to help. American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten said (2008), "These are the children who have the least opportunity outside the schoolhouse walls to be exposed to all the elements of a well-rounded education: the arts and physical fitness, the ability to think critically and to argue logically, the value of active citizenship, and a knowledge of different people and places. NCLB slams the schoolhouse door on what makes up modern civilization and replaces it with multiple choice questions."

I suspect complaining about educational policy is an ancient pastime. Even John Dewey got in on the game in 1938, saying, “Conservatives as well as radicals in education are profoundly discontented with the present educational situation taken as a whole.”

NCLB’s implementation is flawed, but the intent is golden – how we can, as a nation, ensure that every child has access to the best education and educational tools. As the literature suggests, the biggest factors that prevent access are race/ethnicity and socioeconomic class. Another group of underserved students are those with divergent learning styles, especially those with learning disabilities.

My philosophy of education will first explain my understanding of mathematics then detail my thoughts on ensuring access for all and teaching to divergent learning styles. Finally, I will address using technology to maximum advantage.

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