STATEMENT OF PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY
OF EDUCATION
Harry J. Bury, Ph.D.
While I
believe that everyone is ultimately responsible for their own learning, I
believe, as a professor, I have been given the opportunity to influence the
motivation of participants in the learning process. My part in this interaction
is that of change agent, helper, guide, encourager, consultant, and resource -
rarely if ever that of transmitter, disciplinarian, judge, and authority.
I attempt to
play this role:
By being a passionate learner myself. I want my love of learning and my
love of the subject matter to be contagious.
By being a dreamer and encouraging others to dream; I seek not to destroy
the dreams of others because of life's disappointments.
By opening my mind and heart to imagination and encouraging and enabling
participants to imagine and to trust and value their imagination.
By approaching the subject matter as a mutual exploration and learning
experience, modeling openness to different ideas, to new behaviors.
By providing the "salt and pepper" that makes the subject matter
not only palatable but delightful.
By facilitating a process in which the learning experience taps the
resources of the group. As a professor, I recognize that I am not the sole
resource, but every participant is a resource to the learning community.
By involving individuals in the learning process so that they leave the
classroom with heightened curiosity and with increased ability to carry on
their own learning. The goal is not to simply know a large number of facts, but
rather to grow in knowledge and the wise use of such knowledge. It is less
important for participants to know the answer to questions that I perceive are
important than that they know how to ask the important questions and find the
answers for themselves.
By designing assignments not as "busy work" but opportunities for
discovery, for creativity, for achievement.
By utilizing examinations not as one-upmanship instruments to demonstrate
my knowledge and superiority, but rather as a learning tool to give
participants feedback on their achievement and direction for further study.
By realizing that everyone is knowledgeable; we are simply knowledgeable
about different things and, therefore,
By not punishing participants for not being knowledgeable about what I am
knowledgeable about, but rather
By helping participants feel good about themselves through designing
challenging but achievable learning experiences. Success breeds success. My
role is to forget the normal distribution curve and enable everyone to become a
winner.
By recognizing the uniqueness and individuality of participants and thereby
creating learning experiences appropriate to different styles of learning.
By really listening to what the students say.
By caring genuinely for students. How can I relate to them in a
facilitating mode, if I do not like them or enjoy being with them?
MY