Epistemology and Knowledge Essay

Epistemology, or the guide of familiarity, requires the scholar analyze the what, how, and whys of their own fri finisship. Asking these questions of themselves is fundamentally applying that which they fox learned. on that point ar different origins of knowledge as thoughtualized by philosophers, educators, and scientists. Early philosophers defined knowledge as justified true whim (Cooper, pg. 23). In order for an individual to know just aboutthing it must be true, he or she must conceptualize it, and the belief in it must be justified or rationally reasonable. Later, early modern philosophers required knowledge to be proven and absolute.The scientific method was employed to provide trial impression for ideas and beliefs. The means by which knowledge is learnd varies. Feldman cites sources of knowledge as perception, expert testimony, memory, reasoning, and self-examination (Feldman, 2003). As an educator, instructing primary age trail-age childs on a casual basis, I must non only have great insight into what I believe, but I also must have insight into my assimilators knowledge as well. Instructors command to know a enactment of things about their students, such as Do the students have adequate preliminary knowledge to fill wind the new material being presented?Are the students sufficiently motivated to engage in the cognitive tasks required of them? Does the cultivation fit out an existing scheme of knowledge or forget it require some alteration of current understanding? Understanding what my student know and at what depth they argon able to apply that knowledge guides my instruction. My natural curiosity, a natural inclination for question, and a need for answers motivate the search for explanations. companionship and wisdom give an understanding of our position, role, and function in the world.Achterbergh and Vriens (2002) stated, The role of knowledge in generating appropriate carry by dint ofs is that it serves as a patronize ground for articulating possible courses of fulfill (articulation), for judging whether courses of action will yielded the intended result and for using this impression in selecting among them (selection), for deciding how actions should be implemented and for actually implementing action (implementation) (pg. 223). cognition enables interpretation of experiences, predictions of consequences, and provides the ability to make informed decisions.My own personal epistemology is a product of each of these views. Personal experiences have a major process on beliefs and should be an acceptable source of knowledge but not the only consideration when acquiring knowledge. There is also a confide for the scientific method which offers proven data to base knowledge. For me, knowledge is a product of reasoning (Feldman, 2003). I derive knowledge from information trade through different modes and from various sources, such as personal experiences, advice from experts, and data.These inputs of information argon cognitively processed and filtered with the reference to past experience and prior knowledge to become new justified true beliefs (Cooper, ). Thus, knowledge encyclopaedism is a process involving the collection of newfangled data or information, reasoning, and notion making. For example, after my students have taken a test, I consider at the data, think about the images in the data, or the lack of a pattern using prior knowledge and experiences as a filter. Finally, I square up what my next stride or strategy will be.Do I need to reteach the subject because the pattern suggests that most of my students did not adepty understand the skill or concept? Or do I sit off on to another more complex skill or concept because my students have proven themselves knowledgeable? It is in this way that I acquire knowledge and apply that knowledge to planning lessons for my students. Many of my colleagues cuss entirely on the scientific method to make decisions i n regards to student learning. They are satisfied with looking at a spreadsheet full of data and believe that it tells the complete story in regards to students.They are also under the impudence that lashings derived from a series of multiple choice tests given on a set of skills will reveal if a student has acquired the in demand(p) knowledge. Basing swans on these tests is also appropriate. I do not believe that this tells the full story of my students knowledge. These tests may demonstrate the ability to spill this knowledge within a certain place setting, but out of this context this may not be true. I do, however, use this data to support inform many of my decisions, however, I do not make decisions base exclusively on this data.There must be a respiteof reasoning, using my 16 years of experiences and training, as well as raw data tells a more complete story of my students knowledge and abilities. I have worked for Porterville Unified School District (PUSD), in Porterv ille, California, my entire career. PUSDs vision and billing statements read as follows PUSD students will have the skills and knowledge to be prepared for college and career and to make a positive impact in a dynamic ball-shaped society. The mission of PUSD is to provide students a dynamic, engaging and strong educational experience that prepares them with the skills to be productive citizens in a global society. As a result, it is perceive that all students will develop and demonstrate critical thinking and hassle solving skills cultural awareness and the ability of collaborate with diverse groups trenchant communication skills of sense of hearing, speaking and writing creativity and innovation leadership, self-management and organizational skills obtained through real world applications and community involvement (and) the ability to navigate the global world of work and further their education (Porterville, 2012). Porterville Unified (PUSD) has given obvious expectations for what students should know at the end of their educational career with the govern, how students get to these end goals is a little less clear and left to the judgment of the teachers. There are some expectations of teachers and lessons presented to students given by the zone. Many professional festering hours have been spent on instructing teachers about the specific things that administrators will look for as they do brief observations of classroom instruction.The expectations include teaching explicitly to the essential standards posting of the essential standard being taught 80% student engagement during the lesson display of exemplary work higher order quizzical and thinking skills. Administrators collect this data and share it with grade levels and school all-embracing to help teachers management on areas that are lacking. Administrator walk-throughs give a quick snap shot of the type of teaching and learning fetching place during a lesson and they help to build a hol istic portray of the teaching methods and resources being used (Hetzner, 2011).PUSD has placed an emphasis on the strategies involve for effective lessons and, in turn, effective student learning. As a fourth grade teacher for Porterville Unified School District, my task is to create daily lesson plans that serve to guide me as I teach my students. My first step in creating these lessons is to determine my students level of prior knowledge. I can accomplish this by looking at formal and everyday assessments and data. Observation of this data gives me a better understanding of what my next travel with my student should be.In some cases, I need to go back and reteach skills, while in other cases I can teach my students a new skill. I have to make an informed decision as to what cognitive level I need to teach to next. Awareness of how my students are performing as well as where I need to be as far as pacing and staying on track to get through all the skills needed to be taught wi thin the year are vital to my daily task as a 4th grade teacher. As I compare my personal epistemology with that of my district, I realize that I spend more time assessing data after the lesson has been taught while the district places more emphasis on data collected during a lesson. some(prenominal) of these approaches are valuable and, in fact, the district does place value on the end result (i. e. State test scores), however, there is little action that can take place after the end of the year data is collected. PUSD has placed and emphasis on good instruction because they see it as the road to a good education, as well as, the skills and goals they have set in the mission and vision statements. Our epistemologies align in that we both rely on the research of experts.I trust, as does PUSD, that the data given by experts is valuable to our own knowledge and it should guide how I teach my students. The district also views its teachers as experts in the field and has given many free doms in the presentation and uses of resources when teaching students. As I reflect on my school districts focus as compared to me I realize that til now though our epistemologies are not exactly aligned we are aligned in our focus of the students. Students come first. That means I will use whichever strategies I need to in order to create effective student learning.Reviewing test scores and planning lessons are vital to student learning, however, I have been so centered on what I am teaching that my students have not been engaged as well as they could be and thus have not learned the subject matters to their full potential. Also, although pacing is important, it should not be of top priority. Top priority should be assessing my students during the lesson and changing strategies, or even the skills being taught, if my students are not engaged.There is no point in plowing through a lesson if the majority of my students are not listening to what is being taught. This new insight will definitely help to stick my instruction and will help make me a more effective teacher. References Achterbergh,J. , Vriens, D. (May-June 2002). Managing viable knowledge. Systems Research and Behavioral Science. V19i3p223 (19). Cooper, D. E. (Ed. ). (1999). Epistemology The classic readings. Malden, MA Blackwell. Feldman R. (2003). Epistemology.Upper lodge River, NJ Prentice Hall. Hetzner, Amy, 2011. Walk-throughs give school administrators firsthand view of supply in action. JSOnline Milwaukee, Wisconsin Journal Sentinel. May 14, 2011. Retrieved on November 20, 2012 from http//www. jsonline. com/news/education/121843078. hypertext markup language Porterville Unified School District, 2012 . PUSD Vision and mission statements. Retrieved on November 20, 2012 from http//dnn. portervilleschools. org/dotnetnuke/District/VisionMission. aspx.