Any topic (writer’s choice)

My Philosophy of Education Paper Rubric

Philosophy of Educationa set of ideas and beliefs about education that guides the professional knowledge, attitude, behavior, and dispositions of educators. In essence, it is the why, what, and how of ones teaching and learning beliefs.
Note: Write your Philosophy of Education in first-person (e.g., I, not You, Teachers, or He/She), also use the present tense point of view (e.g., teach not taught).
Idea Development (50 points)- Student logically develops views about the purposes of education.  The student clarifies guiding pedagogical principles and discusses what it means to teach and learn. 
The paper should be organized in the following format and should answer the following questions. 
Introduction:

Begin by explaining your philosophical and theoretical framework. What is your school of philosophical thought? What is your psychological orientation/s (e.g., behaviorism, constructivism/social constructivist, humanism, humanist phycology, etc.)? How have these beliefs and ideas influenced your Philosophy of Education and why? Remember there should be congruence between the school of philosophical thought, psychological orientation, and pedagogical approaches. 

Body:

1.    What do you believe is the purpose of education?
2.    What is the nature of knowledge (what does it mean to learn)? 
3.    As a future teacher, what is your pedagogical approach to teaching? What knowledge do you believe is of most worth? What content do you believe should be taught? What is your understanding of what students should learn, particularly for your discipline? What are the best strategies for teaching, particularly for your discipline and why are these the most appropriate ways to teach and learn? 
4.    Who do you believe should decide what should be taught and why?
5.    What are the teachers roles and responsibilities? How should learning be evaluated?
6.    What are the students roles and responsibilities?
7.    As a future teacher, how will you measure your effectiveness as a teacher?
8.    How will you continue to grow and learn as a life-long learner?

Conclusion Paragraph:  The student is able to make a connection back to the information presented in the introduction. No new information is presented in the conclusion paragraph.

Illustrative Examples (25 points):Student provides specific examples from personal experience, academic work, or field experience into the narrative.  The student illustrates points in a vivid or memorable way. The student uses at least three direct quotes from chosen sources to support their narrative.

Quality of Writing (25 points):The narrative is coherent, utilizing appropriate, professional terminology and features of formal writing as well as is free of grammatical errors. Direct quotes, when used, are of reasonable length and are used to support the ideas presented in the narrative. The general format, text citations, and references follow the latest edition of APA formatting without errors. The philosophy paper is written in the first person and in the present tense.  The final paper includes the title page, paper (Required length is 3 to 3.5 pages) & reference page with 3-5 sources.