CHAPTER 3 Collin College EDUC 1301 An Overview of Schooling in
America History and Philosophy
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Consider: Role of wealth, privilege, & social capital
Effect of geographic location on access Goals of education Effects
of immigration Transmission of values & beliefs Roles of local,
state, federal governments
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Old Deluder Satan Act (Mass., 1647): Why was it called that? A
town of 50 households: Must appoint & pay a teacher of reading
& writing 100 households: Must offer a grammar school Result:
The spread of Latin grammar schools Forerunner of American high
school Run by town board Financed by students families
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New England Mostly Puritan, taught Scripture Town and district
schools First forms of public schools Middle Colonies Diverse
population Private venture schools Earliest vocational education
South Lack of formal education for many Dispersed population
Social-class, racial distinctions Private tutoring for wealthy
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4
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Congress set aside land for public schools One-room
schoolhouses, multi-age class Common schools: Public, tax-supported
elementary schools (1820s) Academy: Private secondary school
Broader, practical curriculum with electives For rich, some open to
girls
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Jefferson, Franklin, Mann: Democracy needs informed citizens
& an education system that promotes meritocracy Immigration in
1830s-1840s created new tasks for schools: Workforce training
Assimilation of morally dubious immigrants into dominant
culture
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Two-year programs in educational philosophy & teaching
methods (1830s) Catherine Beecher: Train women teachers Booker T.
Washington: Train African American teachers
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Selected video excerpts from this history of the teacher in
American public education Copyright by Houghton Mifflin Company.
All rights reserved. 9 - 8
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Slide 10
Take the Philosophy Test 11 M/C Questions No wrong answers
Score with Chart on page 3 Copyright by Houghton Mifflin Company.
All rights reserved. 9 - 10
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Subject- Centered PerennialismEssentialism Child- Centered
ExistentialismProgressivism Copyright by Houghton Mifflin Company.
All rights reserved. 9 - 11
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Core knowledge is essential to persons life in society, so
schools should teach it A.k.a. back-to-basics, the three Rs Math,
science, literature, history America should have a common culture
Teacher knows best Views mind as central element of reality
Learning happens through contact with physical world and reasoning
from observations
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Active learning through problem solving, projects, hands-on
experiences Knowledge must be constantly redefined and rediscovered
to keep up with constant change in the world School = laboratory
driven by student curiosity Integrate subject matter & make
connections to real life experience Teach students to collaborate
School should be democratic
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Single core curriculum focused on the enduring ideas of the
great thinkers A.k.a. the Great Books, timeless classics or great
ideas Focus on classic Greco-Roman literature, history, art,
philosophy, moral instruction Curriculum inflexible and unchanging
Emphasizes Socratic method Purpose of life is to search for
constant, changeless truth
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Goal: Improve society by transforming oppressive systems
through education Social reconstructionism: Curriculum promotes
social reform Critical theory (Paulo Freire): Students should
challenge oppression Existentialism (Sren Kierkegaard): Truth lies
within individual, so students should choose subjects &
learning methods
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Stresses freedom and the responsibility to choose Needs and
interests of the individual student are more important than those
of society Learning is self-guided and self-paced Curriculum is led
by childs curiosity, rather than set by teachers and is foundation
for gaining personal freedom Emphasizes humanities, liberal arts
De-emphasizes science Copyright by Houghton Mifflin Company. All
rights reserved. 9 - 16
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People learn from the consequences of their actions and those
of others Behavior that is rewarded is more likely to be repeated
Behavior that is punished or not rewarded is less likely to be
repeated Curriculum should be based on clearly defined behaviors
which students are rewarded for achieving Copyright by Houghton
Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 9 - 17
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Knowledge must be constructed in the mind by each learner,
rather than transmitted Learners constantly reconstruct their
mental knowledge as new information becomes available Curriculum
should involve students in real situations that let them use and
reconstruct prior knowledge as new information is presented
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An ongoing process Requires reflection and experience
Eclecticism is not an excuse for sloppy thinking Copyright by
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Slide 20
Write Your Philosophy of Education Guidelines are in the lab
manual Due March 22 USE NAME OF A PHILOSOPHY! Copyright by Houghton
Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 9 - 20