Historical Perspectives and Philosophies Research (Admission Essay Sample)

Historical Perspectives and Philosophies
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Historical Perspectives and Philosophies
A Hypothetical Charter School
Melissa School is one of the most reputable institutions in the country. The school boasts a diverse range of curricular and co-curricular activities. In the first place, Melissa School has the best infrastructural development to support the learning activities. Besides, the school has the best-qualified teachers and instructors who help the learners in their studies. Furthermore, moral values are a core value at the institution. As such, parents can rest assured that once their children join Melissa School, their physical form and academic and social life are on the right path.
The Demographics of Your Community
Melissa School is located in a suburbia locality that houses middle-income earners. The residents of the suburbia form primarily the bulk of the targeted customers. Besides, these residents of the suburbia comprise nuclear families of married couples. Furthermore, the literacy level is very high among the residents. As such, it is expected that majority of them appreciate the importance of bequeathing their children decent education. Most members of this community are formally employed or are affluent businesspersons. Equally important, most of the residents have local citizenship.They subscribe to different religious beliefs. Religious inclination underscores the moral upbringing and, by extension,good education. Therefore,Melissa School serves the social, economic, and religious values of the community regarding education.
The Educational Philosophy That Guides the Curriculum and Its Delivery
The educational philosophies that guide curriculum at Melissa School are perennialism, behaviorism, and reconstructionism. Perennialism has a particular concern about a world of reason (Knight, 2008). Furthermore, it does emphasize the ontological importance of God. On the other hand, behaviorismstresses the importance of the external environment in shapinghuman beings. Conversely, reconstructionism takes an intellectual attitude in addressing social questions and reforms (Ozmon& Craver, 2007).In essence, reconstructionism is a quest to improve the society towards universal democracy. A combination of these educational philosophies has an important bearing in accomplishing the mission and vision of Melissa School.
a. The Aim of Education
At Melissa School, the aim of educationis guided by the three philosophies: perennialism, behaviorism, and reconstructionism. In respect to perennialism, Melissa School values the need for consistency of ideas in education. In particular, the aim of educationshould be on personal development and emphasize principles that guidehuman life. Besides, education should aim at conditioning human behavior. This makes the foundation for intellectual development. Education should first nurture the behavior and character of the learner. Once the character is shaped, it is easier to instill the professional knowledge. Finally, education in the view of reconstructionism aims at encouraging learners to bring positive change in society and to question social inequalities. Education hence strengthens sound reasoning and ethical ideals (Parkay, Stanford, & Gougeon, 2010). These values create an individual who is sensitive to the society and its diverse needs.
b. The Role of Education
The first role of education is disciplining behavior to reason. This involves bringing up a well-disciplined learner and a responsible member of the community. The importance of behavior is informed by the fact that no amount of personal growth and development can be sustainable without considering the behavior of the person. Hence, Melissa School recognizes that for the young learners to be transformed into productive global citizens the right behavior should be instilled.
Secondly, education empowers the learners towards becoming active participants in the transformation of the society wherever they go. As crusaders of social transformation, learners are bound to exercise equality and democracy. Besides, they will also be actively involved in questioning social injustices. As such, the learner goes beyond being a passive partaker to active participation. The diversity among the learners also provides a crucial understanding of the world. Furthermore, the learner can help in shaping the destiny of the community. Hence, the education system is a tool for making a better, cohesive society.
Finally, education instills knowledge and confidence among the learners. This is also supported by the consistency of ideas in education. This consistency emboldens student behavior and character as they become familiar with the approved pattern of actions. Besides, consistency of ideas is important since the expectations of the learners can rely on the learning pattern offered.
c. The Focus in the Curriculum
As per perennialism, the educational system at Melissa Schoolis liberal and principle-based. In particular, the curriculum takes keen focus in arts, sports, and music. Arts provide a way of understanding global cultural diversity. Besides, arts also give a historical background on social issues of concern. The learners hence are well informed of the different aspects of the society. In addition, arts help the learners to express their feelings and social perceptions. This means that the students can use art to advocate for global equality and justice. Sports, on the other hand, provide an excellent way of maintaining physical health. The learners can maintain healthy bodies as well as pursue careersas sportspersons. Hence, besides nurturing talent, sports help in grooming professional sportspersons. Music is also important for the development of a personality.
d. Curriculum Trends
The trends witnessed in the curriculum include the appreciation of the technology in the learning process. Classroom environment can be simulated, using computer technology. Besides, learners can do research on the internet. Visualization of learning the material through computers screens and projectors make it easier to deliver curriculum content.
Figure 1: Technology and curriculum delivery.
Another important trend is that the curriculum has become more skills driven. There is more inclination towards providing global citizens with skills necessary to meet the requirements of the 21st century. These skills are guided by the needs of the job market (Anthony &Kritsonis, 2006). The learners can also research further on courses that align with their skills. Besides, the world economy has created a greater emphasis on the skills set as a tool for determining employability.
Finally, the curriculum has become more interest driven. Interest-driven curriculum is more tailored to accommodate the diverse needs and skills of the learners. As such, the curriculum has greater variation in the formulation and delivery of content. By identifying the individual skills of the learner, it is possible to expound the curriculum development around these skills.
Melissa School has recognized the global curriculum trends and the need to embrace the ever evolving c...