For this field activity you will use a portion of the 15 Dimensions of Schooling, as developed by Wiles and Bondi (2015) to determine the actual educational practices and compare that to the stated educational philosophy at a K-12 school of your choice. While schools all promote learning, the curriculum design of schools differs, as do their educational philosophies.
The desire is for the stated educational philosophy to be as close as possible to the actual curriculum design and educational practice of the school.
The 15 Dimensions of Schooling can be used to compare any school's espoused educational philosophy and curriculum design with its actual practice (Wiles & Bondi, 2015).
For this LASA you will observe the educational practices in 6 of the 15 Dimensions of Schooling at a K-12 school of your choice using this classroom rating chart.
You will then develop a paper discussing your observations and analysis of the six Dimensions of Schooling listed below. These Dimensions will give you an insight into the educational practice of the school.
You will compare that with the school's mission, vision, or educational philosophy and provide some insight into how to better align the school's educational philosophy with its curriculum design and educational practice.
By the due date assigned, submit your education philosophy analysis in the Submissions Area for review and critique.
In chapter 2 of Curriculum Development: A Guide to Practice by Jon W. Wiles and Joseph C. Bondi there is both a discussion of the various dimensions as well as charts with rubrics to use for observations. The charts and rubrics for the six Dimensions we will use are included with the LASA 1. For the Dimensions that we will use, listed below, the number corresponds to the Dimension number for Wiles and Bondi's list of 15 Dimensions of Schooling.
3. Classroom spaces
5. Use of Learning Materials
6. Philosophy of Education
7. Teaching strategies
8. Staffing Patterns
9. Organization of Students
Each Dimension is rated on a 5 point scale representing most structured (1) to most flexible (5). Each subcomponent is rated based on the rubric for the sub-dimension. The average of the subscales then represents the school's level of flexibility. The 5 levels of structure are based on Wiles and Bondi's discussion of the various educational philosophies. Perennialism being the most structured is represented by (1), Idealist is (2), Realist (3), Experimentalist (4), and Existentialist (5).
The six Dimensions and their sub-dimensions are listed below.
3. Classroom spaces
classroom organization
classroom movement
classroom ownership
5. Use of Learning Materials
Sensory Stimulation
Diversity
Location
6. Philosophy of Education
Instructional Format
Acceptance of Diversity
7. Teaching Strategies
Motivational Techniques
Interactive Distances
8. Staffing Patterns
Role of the Teacher
Organization of Teachers
9. Organization of Students
Criteria of Organization
Grouping Patterns
For Dimensions 3, 5, 6, and 7 you should observe 3-5 classrooms in different content areas/grade levels to get an overall sense of how things function in the typical classroom. Each sub-dimension has a rubric for you to apply in your observation. Keep in mind this is not an evaluation, but an observation of what is occurring in the school.
For Dimensions 8 and 9 you should get an overall sense of the school. This may come from general observation and/or discussion with an administrator.
The goal of this observation is to determine the difference between the school's stated educational practice and its actual practice. As a conclusion you will be asked to make recommendations to help align the stated educational practice and actual educational practice as observed in the six Dimensions listed above.