Importance of Ethics Nowadays: Being a Graduate Student in Notre Dame of Marbel University (NDMU)

Ethics nowadays are certainly important. As people tend to be immoral, there’s the time it is really important! Inhumane acts are here and there. Without ethics nowadays, this Earth will be a living hell. 

Being a MAED student in NDMU, we are directed to have family spirit (to be collaborative and cooperative with our colleagues and build a strong bond with them); to be Marian (we must embody faith and simplicity of Mama Mary in all our deeds); love of work (we must love our work to have high level performance and avoid being a copy cat); preference for the least favoured (be generous and compassionate to the less fortunate); to have a quality education (to learn, to know, to be competent, to live together, to grow as a person);  integrity of creation (love of nature); and cultural sensitivity (openness and respect to other cultures). These are NDMU’s core values from the Graduate school Manual 2011 that each student must imbibe. I have a high regard in the teaching and learning experiences in NDMU. It was all worthwhile though we only got short time. I learned so much because our professors are ethically upright. Because of that, I want to imitate them, be like them. They always remind us to put integrity in our works and avoid plagiarism. 

Peace Education in the K-12 Curriculum Considering the Moral Theory of Kohlberg

K- 12 curriculum tends to have graduates that are holistically trained and developed. In this sense, they advocate peace education as an aspect of their curriculum. Peace education is the study of both the causes and consequences of war and peace; transmission of knowledge about and skills to achieve and maintain peace, and the obstacles that stand in the way (Hirao, 1987; Reardon,1988). Peace education tackles about the whole process and aspects of attaining peace from conflicts. In Kohlberg’s individual moral developmental stages (1976), stage one is identification of bad acts and those are against the law, as prohibited by external punishments. To teach this to students is to be interactive with the use of dialogue. A teacher may use the Socratic Method or the question and answer method. It can also be imparted through watching film strips and videos. Stage two is the establishment of right and wrong. It can be taught same as in stage one. You can also do role playing in this. Stage three is the good girl/good boy stage when they reflect concerns for the opinions of others. This will take discussions about given scenarios. Stage four is concern for social order. Laws are seen as agreed upon duties that should be followed for the social good. In this stage, deliberations and critical learning will take place as laws are present. Stage five recognizes differing but equal moral values, holding certain principles as non relative in the interest of fulfilling a kind of social good. This will also take deliberations and critical learning and observation. Also, teaching this age peace education will take gamut of understanding other cultures thus learning other cultures’ norms and beliefs is essential. Stage six embraces a set of universal and self chosen ethics. The law is based on such ethics and should therefore be followed. Teach children to be a law abiding citizen. All the said approaches in teaching peace education can be appropriately applied in this stage especially the discussions, film viewing and cultural exposures such as fieldtrips and cultural exhibits. This is all for the critical learning of the students so they know what is all about peace and conflict; that they will choose peace over conflicts.

How Teachers Become Instrumental in Making Students Imbibe Values, Morals and Ethics in Their Day-to-day Routine.

Education renders a prime service to the society. With trainings and just preparations, it delivers satisfaction in every life it touches through experiences. Educational experiences presumably promote the intellectual openness, flexibility, and breadth of perspective essential for self-direction values (Schooler, 1983). As people in the academe, teachers expose and propagate needed knowledge as well as values that children will need to survive their lives’ everyday struggle.

Teachers’ basic but tedious job is to disseminate education to our children. They tend to facilitate learning in many ways. They encourage children to go to school as it is the prime factor to elevate lives to a more beautiful experience.  Moreover, teachers are instruments of education to lead children to a better life. What they offer in school are experiences that students will eventually use in the future. It will mold them to face challenges that will be present in their lives. Above all these, teachers must be ethical.

Educators must be ethical in every single thing they do in school and also in their own houses. Apart from student’s parents, teachers are also the role models that they imitate. In order to be a good role model, teachers must know and do the right and just deeds mandated by their job and the Higher Order. According to Hill IV and Zinsmeister, some basic ethical codes are (1) ethical teachers should have disciplinary competence or they must be expert on what they teach; (2) teach effectively through effective pedagogy. In other words, teachers must use appropriate instructional strategies to certain group of students or he/she must use varieties of instructional materials to accommodate multiple intelligences; (3) ethical teachers must provide balanced content and free inquiry or he/she must give concepts/perspectives that will encourage students to use their mind critically in different points of view; (4) Must respect students. not only students will respect the teachers but also the teachers do vice versa; (5) ethical teachers foster academic integrity, must promote honesty and no plagiarism rule; (6) use objective and fair assessment so that students are treated equally and be given fair grades; (7) ethical teachers must protect their student’s confidentially. They also tend to do a job like of a priest. They keep in secret things that he/she and his/her students tackle regarding their education; and (8) they also have professionally appropriate relationships with their students. They must have a business-like relationship though they cater personal problems too with their students. All in all, teachers must be proactive, have professional development and promote transformational leadership in their schools. Most of all, they should have a high regard to our Maker, that they give all the glory to Him in all their deeds and tasks.

By these codes of conduct of teachers, children will adhere and copy what they see and observe teachers do. In the future, these children will give and become a good contribution to the society.