World View

Using the concept of a ‘world view', identify some of the beliefs and attitudes, particularly to education and learning that you bring to your learning now. Reflect critically on how your worldview has been shaped by factors such as your gender, age or community. In your answer refer to Hobson (1996) and Samovar and Porter (2004) from the SSK12 Reader, and Chapter 1 in A Guide to Learning Independently (Marshall and Rowland, 2006, 1-18). The world view I hold in regards to education and learning is that it is a privilege made available to all of us within Australia. I believe that education is the key to the world. Education is the foundation of life. Everything in life revolves around education and learning. In this essay I will explain to you why I think education is a privilege and that education is an essential part of life. The factors that shaped this world view of mine are my family, age, gender and community. Firstly I will define they key term â€Å"World View† Hobson (1996, p 2) defines it as â€Å"the set of beliefs that we hold and through which we organise our understanding of ourselves and our understanding of others† an other way of defining world view is the way Samovar and Porter (2004, p 1) say that it is an â€Å"overarching philosophy† meaning an overall view. So my world view is formed because of these factors I am in my twenties, I am female, I live in Australia and I come from a family where education is highly valued as it is the key to success. My age impacted my world view towards education and learning. In 90’s at secondary school there was a lot of emphasis on completing your high school certificate (Year 12) and moving onto university learning. I did not however follow this philosophy of going to university. I always knew though that there were many options available to me, if later I wanted to return to study. I did know that I still needed to gain more education so that I could gain employment in a field of my choice. I chose to become a hairdresser and had to gain a Cert III in Hairdressing at a TAFE institution. I excelled in this learning environment and knew that knowledge meant power. I have that knowledge still with me now as I enter into university learning that knowledge means power. This knowledge will provide me with the power to continue my learning to better myself as a person. Having a baby and becoming a mother changed my life, it also made me realise even more so the importance of education and learning. Watching the way my son learnt new skills intrigued me, I wanted to learn more about educating children. This interest led me to explore my options about returning to study. There were so many options now that were not available when I finished school. I decided that I would enrol in a distance course a Bachelor of Education Early Childhood, so that I could still stay home with my child while he was in the most important stage of his life. When learning skills from me, would mean that his foundations for life would be set. I believe that I am privileged to have the opportunity to return to study, to change my career and also to increase my knowledge on education as knowledge is power. Family is the major contributing factor to my world view. My family always regarded education as a major priority and we all agreed that Education is the foundation for life. I believe now that I am a mother I can see even more so the truth behind what I believe and what my family believe about education. I know that providing my child and children in general with the best possible education while they are young will give them a good foundation to base the rest of there life on. Everything in life is about learning, from learning how to walk and talk, to learning to drive a car we are learning in every facet of our lives continually. Within my family, community and culture I believe gender is no barrier, when is comes to education and learning. In some cultures though, woman are seen as being not equal to that of a man. I n the Islamic world view women are definitely seen as a slave to a mans needs. In Samovar and Porter (2004, p1) they quote Bianquis. T. 1996) they see this point as well â€Å"Generally speaking woman as an individual was subordinated to man both Quran and the Hadith. God created woman from a fragment of a man’s body that she might serve him†. My mother was my role model that woman can be educated professionals, and she always instilled in me that woman can do anything a man can. My mother rose up above the notion of her time in the 70’s that woman were to stay home and run a household. So as a result of this I always k new that throughout my education being female would not be an issue. I believe that yes we are privileged to be able to gain a quality education irrespective of our gender. A belief I have is that education is the Foundation for life. If you stop and just think about your life you soon realise that everything you do in life is learnt. Everything we know today stems from education and learning. Just think about all the new drugs that are created to cure diseases, all this brilliance come from educated people that are learning about these diseases in order for them to create these miracles. They are using there educations in the best possible way by helping the people of the world. This is why I believe that education can change the world. What I bring to my learning now is that I understand where education stems from and that is the key and the foundation for life. I have had an up bringing that fostered learning and that is why I am now continuing to study and gain a degree in education. With this degree I will be able to teach Australia’s young children the foundations of learning. We all learn in different ways but we as human being are continually learning and thinking every minute of every day. The following quote from Marshall and Rowland (1996, p10) is proof of what I am saying â€Å"All of us are living and thinking subjects†¦Everybody both acts and thinks. The way people act or react is linked to a way of thinking, and of course thinking is related to tradition. † With this said I believe that yes thinking is a critical part of learning. The most important beliefs and attitudes I hold towards education and learning make me a better and more independent student. It is a privilege that here in Australia any body from anywhere in the world can come and gain an education. Education is a key to the world; anything can be achieved if you have the right education. Education is the foundation of life. Education and learning can even make the world a better place. My world view is shaped around these factors my age, gender community and most importantly my family. It is such a privilege that we are given the opportunity to learn. Education and learning is the way forward to the world being a better place!