Essay on What is Knowledge?

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Abstract
According to the dictionary, knowledge is based on the Middle English word knowleche and means facts, information, and skills acquired by a person through experience or education. What knowledge means to me as an elementary educator, is far more that the basic dictionary definition.

Knowledge come from the word Middle English word knowleche and has a variety of meanings. Concepts on knowledge, teaching, and learning taught in the United States today come from Ancient Greece. Ancient Spartan believed that intellectual knowledge was trivial and taught military education. However, Ancient Athenians believed that knowledge varied and taught different views. Ancient Greek philosopher, Plato, believed that knowledge is something people are born with and taught his philosophy based on that principle (Kreis 2009). Additionally, Ancient Greek philosopher, Socrates, believed that knowledge is discovered and that most people are ignorant of knowledge. However, “Democritus argued that knowledge was derived through sense perception” (Kreis 2009). The general definition of knowledge derived from Ancient Greece is that knowledge is from reason and experience. As an elementary educator, it is merely not enough for me to think in these condensed conditions. I feel that people are both born with and are able to learn knowledge through experience. I believe that knowledge is not necessarily based on belief, truth, or justification, but on assumptions and prior learning experiences. As a result, my perceptions of teaching and learning are a direct result of my ideas on knowledge. Ancient philosophers, such as Plato and Socrates, used the Tripartite Theory of Knowledge, which meant in order to have knowledge one must believe in it (Belief), know it to be true (Truth), and have a good reason to believe is true (Justification) (Steup 2005). However, it was proved that it is not always true. I personally believe that knowledge is not necessarily based on truth or belief. I have seen a student who believed that the person with the better report would get a high grade. Another student with a better track record would have a better report and would get a better grade on a project, but ultimately that child failed. The one who had lower grades got a higher grade because the child had a better report. Knowledge can be based on assumptions and prior learning experiences. As a teacher, I believe that it my job is to impart knowledge, but also to accept any assumptions and prior learning experiences that the students bring. Learning and knowledge are related. According to the dictionary, knowledge is facts, information, and skills acquired by a person through experience or education. Plato believed that knowledge is something people are born with. I agree with Plato and feel that Innatism is true. Innatism is the idea that people are born with knowledge passed through
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