hey, i would like you to give a 200 word reply to all of the following 3 word document which talks about
Existentialism
As stated in Gutek (2014, p. 105), Existentialism is “a philosophy that encourages us to reflect on our life and situation.” The educational reflection includes, who they are as educators and the choices that they have as teachers. This philosophy considers their personal choice is unlimited and the choices and decisions that they have made help them make who they become in the future. This idea comes from a concept of “uman beings first exist” (Gutek, 2014, p. 106). There are current trends in education. For instance, one of the trends, the standards movements, is defined as a movement that sets “levels of academic achievement (…) to measure students’ academic competencies” (Gutek, 2014, p. 314), and common core curriculum movements use standardised tests to see their achievement (Gutek, 2014). Also, currently, it is considered important to teach children multicultural and diversity to help to develop their skills to respect others, as stressed in the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF, Department of Education and Training [DET], 2019). This community forum post will examine if these current trends encourage or discourage Existentialist themes, including authenticity, cultivating an intensity of awareness, and self-definition. Getting straight to the point, the current trends in education discourage Existentialist themes. As previously mentioned, this philosophy values who each person is. On the other hand, by using standards movements and common core curriculum movements, children are divided into two groups, which are below average or beyond average. There is no choice for teachers to reflect on themselves because they are not allowed to choose what they do for children’s learning when it is already set. Also, even though teaching multi-culture and diversity is vital for educators in order to help children understand the variety of different people in the world, it may provide the idea of having stereotypes on each culture. A stereotype is defined as “an assumption that people who identify with a particular way of being are ‘all the same’” (Scarlett, 2020, p. 155). For example, if a teacher introduces Japanese culture to children by stating that Japanese people eat sushi and wear their traditional clothes called kimono, their children are likely to think that people in Japan like eating sushi and wear kimonos every day. However, this is not true as some people may not like sushi and they wear normal clothes in their everyday life. If there is a Japanese child in their class, their classmates may think that their Japanese friend likes sushi and wears kimono at home even though the child may not do so. By teachers who provide children with an opportunity to share various cultures with stereotypes, children’s choices are limited, which may potentially lose their freedom to choose who they are and who they want to become. As highlighted in Gutek (2014), people who believe in Existentialism think that culture shapes people but does not define who they are. Even though Existentialism discourages the current trends in education, it is vital for educators in early childhood settings to utilise this philosophy in their curriculum. Without the idea of Existentialism, children are likely to have no freedom to define themselves through various scenes. When self-definition is limited and not respected, children may fail to feel a sense of ‘belonging’, which is one of the important elements in the EYLF (DET, 2020). Existentialism is an individual and his/her sense of agency. Existentialism is more about the philosophical approach where an individual is given freedom to make choices in-regards to his/her self-awareness and self-reflection (Koirala, 2011). Likewise, Gutek (2014) mentions that the protagonist of an individual’s life choices is oneself. Husserl’s phenomenological method justifies the Existentialism as he mentions that phenomenology is the structure of consciousness one describes based on their experiences. I agree to above post as Ma Radomes has highlighted to the freedom of choices. However, existential angst (dread, anxiety or anguish) may arise from past experiences impacting on the child’s decision making. Satre emphasis on the word ‘freedom’ highlighting that “Freedom is what you do with what's been done to you” and further mentions one is responsible for their own decision making to live a life (Acrilla, 2013). Also, children being competent and confident learners, they are always developing their learning dispositions such as curiosity, enthusiasm and confidence. They make their choices based on experience and reflect on their choices based on the consequences as mentioned in EYLF Outcome 4. they must use their own ideas make their own choices and decision to develop their positive self-concept, awareness and existence of oneself (DET, 2019). According to Sartre’s theory, Existentialism can be defined as focusing on the overall importance of human ‘existence’ (Mittal, 2017). As human beings we are all entitled to our own freedoms and freeness through our own choices that we make along with having our own responsibility that is connected to our own senses of agencies. Choices and decisions that are made by individuals reveal and, in some instances, define us to what we believe a human being should be or be doing (Mittal, 2017). Existentialism can additionally be seen to challenge tradition idealism and realism perspectives to create new philosophy’s based on pragmatics (Gutek, 2014). Through this, this paper will be discussing and reflecting upon current trends in education such as the standards movement, multiculturalism, women’s studies programs, authentic assessment, the common core curriculum, and constructionism. With these trends encouragement or discouragement will also be looked upon and compared to through Externalist themes such as authenticity, cultivating and intensity of awareness and self- definition. The standards movement defines itself as a movement that provides levels of academic achievement to test children’s academic competencies whereas common core curriculum movements use standard level tests to measure children’s achievements and reflect children’s best interests in understanding education and learning in the early years (Gutek, 2014). With this, children are separated into sperate groups one being for beyond average and the other being for above average. Alongside this common core curriculum approach, by segregating children into divided groups and outlining their abilities, questions for reflection regarding educators evaluating upon how they can better improve children’s learning to make them all equal instead of dividing them into separate groups can be questioned to further reflect on educator’s pedagogy and teaching practices through e.g. intentional teachings (DET, 2019). Existential pedagogy can also be primarily focused upon individuals and relationships that are free of choice at a learner’s best interest or focus (Gutek, 2014). However, how are children supposed to achieve their focus if they are constantly separated and divided? The discouragement of Externalist can be seen being misused in the sense of cultivating and excluding children by separating them accordingly to their abilities (Cologon, 2014), (Gutek, 2014). Within the Early Years Learning Framework, multiculturalism can be reflected within children creating strong senses of identities by showing diversity through respecting and acknowledging different approaches of different children’s cultures, communities and families (DET, 2019). This can be achieved through outcome one being children having strong senses of identities (DET, 2019). The idea of having a strong sense of wellbeing and belonging through multiculturalism also outlined in the EYLF can correspondingly be argued against allowing children to have their own freedoms to express themselves, however if Existentialism promotes the use in having no freedoms for children to express themselves then how are they supposed to create their strong senses of identities or feel a sense of belonging or respect in their own environments and worlds? (DET, 2019). The women’s studies program also provides ways in which people can understand gender as a social, cultural and political process to structure and better organise society through putting gender into the agenda (Gutek, 2014). This can reflect upon Simone de Beauvoir’s theory of considering men being defined as human being’s and woman as females (Gutek, 2014). This is not to judge the fact that children nowadays reflect these categorises through designating colours such as blue being for boys and pink being for girls. Through this, how can children be seen being authentic individuals or create their self- definitions if colours for instance are being judged upon what toys they might play with e.g. the pink doll or the blue truck or even what clothes they decide to wear? To reflect upon these themes, educators can critically evaluate openly on the use and cause of creating authentic environments for children to engage in holistically as well as in an inclusive manner so that children such as boys e.g. do not exclude girls when playing with the blue trucks etc. (Cologon, 2014). Nonetheless, in education authentic assessment can argue the fact that students and children have the right to build upon and construct their own learning, identity as well as create their own stories through their own lives and different situations in the reflection of their environments such as in their own classrooms. However, the argument correlates the fact that things such as actions come before theories etc., as examined in the earlier example (Gutek, 2014). Constructionism attributes additionally note that truths can be constructed through scientific enquiries along with from personal, subjective choices that children make in order to create or construct their own worlds (Gutek, 2014). The overall intensity of awareness of constructionism can be further promoted through gender stereotypical colours as exampled earlier for the purpose and instance to limit children’s own freedom choices. Existentialism can be seen being an important aspect in incorporating this approach and philosophy into curriculums however educators must ensure that this approach is utilised in an effective and appropriate manner. In conclusion, Existentialism can shape the overall person you become but does not mean or define who you are as an individual (Gutek, 2014). www.tafensw.edu.au/degrees Moodle: courses.highered.tafensw.edu.au Week 4: Existentialism ECTPP402A Philosophies, ideologies and theories of education www.tafensw.edu.au/degrees Moodle: courses.highered.tafensw.edu.au Topics Existentialism • Key concepts and arguments • Historical foundations and key proponents • Existentialism in the 21st century • International policy an educational implications • Australian policy and educational implications www.tafensw.edu.au/degrees Moodle: courses.highered.tafensw.edu.au Exist - entialism Focuses on the importance of human ‘existence’. Especially human beings as free and responsible individuals with ‘agency’. www.tafensw.edu.au/degrees Moodle: courses.highered.tafensw.edu.au Existentialism Vs the others • Challenges tradition idealism, realism and Thomism and certain features of the ‘new’ philosophy of pragmatics. • Totally different from other philosophies because it is not concerned with the nature of reality or the structure of universe but things like “What it is that makes one’s life valuable? How can a person live a life that is true, good, and beautiful?” www.tafensw.edu.au/degrees Moodle: courses.highered.tafensw.edu.au Key concepts and arguments • Suspicion of grand theories • Multi-perspectives