Ok so here was my final assignment for my Philosophical Foundations of Learning and Knowledge Class...
The purpose of higher education can be defined in several various ways, but whatever the motivation for a college degree, the primary objective is to learn. An idealistic hope for those who work in higher education would be for students to gain knowledge to be a better well-rounded individual who with her talents can help further society. College is a unique time where students can figure out who they are, what their likes and dislikes are, what their gifts and talents are, and also what they are passionate about. It is also a time where students will be pushed and molded. Students will not always get what they want, even though they feel entitled to it and will learn from discipline and difficult trials. Knowledge is acquired in the classroom and also outside the classroom by everyday social interactions, and individual decisions. Professionals in student affairs are put in place to help with the knowledge gained outside the classroom.
It is a daunting feeling to realize that you don’t know everything, and that you are one individual in a very vast and diverse world. This realization is the first step in becoming open minded and progressive to new and foreign ideas. Individuals are prideful, which leads to hurt and suffering. This mentality leads people to believe that their own opinions and beliefs are superior to others. Unfortunately no one likes being told what to do, how to think, or that there belief in a certain political party is inferior to another’s. The knowledge gained of taking in another person’s perspective on politics is an example of a social interaction that helps the process of an individuals learning outside of the classroom. How the person uses this experience is a different story.
My passions lie in racial reconciliation. My hope for students who come to college is for them to experience the joys and pains of human culture. As a student learns more about themselves, it is important for them to never stop being satisfied. This is not a call to be negative and pessimistic about everything, but a call for students to not give up on the unanswered, not to lose their inner childlike mindset of curiosity, and to never stop learning. The moment you stop learning and decide that you know everything is the moment that you stop living. No day is the same, and if you spend most of your energy trying to make it comfortable and safe, you miss most of the great things that are passing you by.
It is important for students to relate to others, realize their own gifts and abilities and care for others. These ideas are based off of learning theories of various philosophers, teachers and psychologists. The idea of relating to others is taken from Pablo Freire’s “Pedagogy of the Oppressed”. Freire believed that meeting people where they are would help bridge the gap that individualism creates and the end product would be far more productive. The realization of gifts and abilities is taken from Howard Gardner’s “Theory of Multiple Intelligences”. Gardner believed that each individual has different intelligences whether they be mathematical and rhetoric or musically and spatially. If each person uses his or her intelligences and talents then the world would be a better place. The idea to care for others is taken from Nell Nodding’s “Feminist Learning Theory”. Nodding believed that every person needs to be cared and loved for. This is shown in different ways, but if a person is cared for then the idea is that she will then pass that love to another person, and in turn would cause a domino effect on society.
Many students don’t realize that racism and prejudice opinions still exist in the United States of America. The problem definitely exists, but is somewhat socially accepted through different cultural jokes and undertones. The root of racism is ignorance. Ignorance towards not knowing much about another culture and believing that one’s own culture is superior to others and ignorance that learning of other cultures and ethnicities is unnecessary. It is necessary that students in college learn the importance of culture and ethnicities, while their minds are being shaped, molded and influenced by new thoughts, ideas and concepts. One of the most important ideas that is not being embraced, is multiculturalism. Multiculturalism can be defined in several ways, but my definition of multiculturalism is to understand, and respect different cultures and ethnicities. The biggest deterrent for multiculturalism on campuses is that students do not want to learn and embrace the idea, because as stated before they see no importance in learning about other cultures and ethnicities. As our society becomes more technologically advanced, and communication with other countries becomes more of a regular thing, as our economy continues to struggle and new creative ways of outsourcing products to different business across the world, students better realize that the world does not evolve around the United States of America anymore. Student Affairs must provide opportunities to learn the concept of multiculturalism. If students do not embrace the opportunities then the fault is placed on them, not the faculty and staff.
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