Teaching is a broad field which not only covers numerous topics, it also encapsulates
a variety of methodologies, philosophies if you will.  These philosophies often coincide with each
other, offering various viewpoints on education and its entire realm.  It is through these
philosophies that we are able to depict our own opinions concerning the extent of education.  By
choosing a philosophy which we relate to, we are able to examine our thoughts more closely.  In
doing so, I have chosen a philosophy I feel strongly in favor of, cognitivism, as well as several
other philosophies which assist in incorporating a classroom environment similar to that which I
desire, constructivism, progressivism and existentialism.
      Cognitivism, a theory related to behaviorism, yet one which takes a drastic turn.
Developed from the term cognition, the process of thinking and learning, cognitivism involves
active rather that passive learning.  It stresses an active formation of knowledge about reality
through ones’ own experiences.  A person must reflect on his or her interactions to form their
own understanding.  It is with this understanding that one examines the world around them in
order to learn and draw conclusions.  A great deal of emphasis is placed on thought and self-
reflection.  Due to this, learning is not easily examined.
      The goal of cognitivism is to develop a life-long, self-directed learning system.
Schooling should provide the tools necessary for students to think and question for themselves
and to reflect on previous experiences so that learning may occur.  The students’ role is to
actively assimilate ideas, knowledge, and culture though their own experiences.  The teacher’s
role is to create intrigue, provide background information, to scaffold, and to monitor thought
processes.  The teacherinitiates learning, then it is the students’ responsibility to think through
the activity, to relate it to points in memory, and to use this to formulate new ideas, meanwhile,
the teacher monitors and provides support to students.  Manipulatives and self-guided activities
are used to make learning meaningful.  Lessons are often integrated, tying all parts of the
curriculum together.  Since life-long learning is the goal, emphasis is placed on thinking,
critical thinking, study skills, and problem solving.  These skills will give a student the
opportunity to take an active role in their education.
      Most of the learning experiences I encountered as a student, which I feel, were
meaningful and beneficial were centered around an individual exploration activity.  In some
instances I worked alone, others in small groups, and in others still as a class.  No matter what
size the group happened to be the simple idea that we influenced our learning was important.
Students hold on to these activities, they learn from them, and they apply them.  Classrooms
where I grew the most as a person and a student incorporated student-centered approaches
which enabled me to expand in many directions rather than solely academically.
      As a teacher, I hope to inspire my students with a desire to learn.  I want to provide
the cognitive tools essential for this.  I wish to have a classroom where the basis is covered,
but the end is learned through self-discovery.  This is a student-centered approach, not a
content-centered approach.  Content is necessary, but it is not the focus.  The means is not
the issue--the way is.  Questioning, relating, thinking; these are skills I want to impart.
Providing facts will only stimulate memorization.  Providing experiences fosters learning.
Cognitivism is closely related to constructivism, which calls for teachers to have a great
knowledge of students’ understanding.  Students again are key participants, formulating their
own learning process by which to gain a better understanding of learning.  In both
cognitivism and constructivism, teachers and students are both active participants, shaping
the educational process.  Progressivism calls for focus to be placed on the needs of the student.
What the student requires and will benefit from is far greater than the subject being taught.
This, too, relates to the approaches discussed here.  Progressivism places emphasis on reflection
—having the student relate experiences and learning together in order to understand thinking
and problem solving.  Existentialism also ties into cognitivism, yet it tends to go farther in the
direction of self-thought and individual decision making rather than widely accepted thought.
John Paul Sartre, a French philosopher and existentialist declared that “existence precedes
essence.”  This idea follows the path that each person must decide for himself who he is to
become.  Many of the ideas within these philosophieswork together to balance a creative,
inspired, self-directed, and focused classroom, which is what I strive for.
      There are benefits to every philosophy.  I have found ties to cognitivism, constructivism, progressivism,
and existentialism that allow me to analyze their components and chose those I want to employ.  Students are
actively constructing their own knowledge and relating it to prior experiences within these philosophies.
“Experiences” is a key word—this makes learning come alive.  This is similar to learning through realism
where something is true because of verification and justification.  In cognitivism, my main focus, it is the
student who verifies and justifies.