Chapter+2

Chapter 2

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Progressive Education
4 Strands of progressive Ed child-centered free expression of the child

Pedagogical Dewey, how do we humanize the academics we can't just "learn the stuff", but need some engagement (Ravitch agrees with this)

Social Constructivist school is a level to create a socialist society, absurd power schools will servert society, rather than be a part of it

Social Efficiency adjusting young people to the society that already exists make sure they all don't get the same stuff, but there is testing and tracking, vocational education, home ec., differentiation based on children's needs

progressive ed is back in it's pedagogical form, some revivals, it's like a pendulum

progressive ed's end is influenced by Arms Race, Sputnik, but not the cause alone it comes back again at the end of the '60s

The language and of progressive education permeated public education Progressive education __//rejected//__: that school was primarily intellectual learning, teaching of traditional subjects, time schedules for learning, testing to check mastery of subject, relience on textbooks, competition amoung students, memorization or drill, teacher led instruction, corporal punishment. pg. 44

Stressed active learning rather than passive learning (reading), cooperative not individual, "effective learning" rather than acquisition of knowledge and so on. This was all called __democracy in action__. Progressive education offered a rationale for vocational classes, **higher retention= democracy in action**. pg. 45

They labeled their critics as reactionaries, enemies of public ed., apostles of McCarthy, lovers of the 3 R's. Hired PR firms to counter and persuade.

Prog. ed has always been linked to American Prog. socially and politically according to Lawrence Cremin. He gives 4 purposes of prog. ed. = 1. School+community life. 2. New pedagogy in classroom based on new scientific research in socialogy and psychology. 3. Tailor instruction to children. 4. Faith that all could benefit from the new sciences. pg. 46.

After WWI, progressive ed splits from Progressive reforms. Now pedagogical Progressivism is the child centered school, pretensious scientism, social utility rather than social reform, and vigorous suspicion of "bookish" learning. Ravitch says this is a split from Dewey.

The //Cardinal Principals of Secondary Education// (1918) "pedagogical revolution" which intended to redefine secondary education. This contrasted to the "Committee of Ten" document from 25 years previously. This advocated liberal education for all in English, foreign languages, math, history, and science regardless if they intended college.

"Committee of Ten" vs Cardinal Principals
US Commissioner of Ed, William T. Harris || worthy use of leisure, ethical character || english, foreign language, math, history, science ||
 * **Cardinal Principals of Secondary Education (1918)** || **Committee of Ten (1893)** ||
 * "pedagogical revolution" "whole new age in American secondary ed" || all, regardless of college intentions, should be liberally educated ||
 * professors of ed, secondary principals, educational bureaucrats, college pres. || included five college presidents (Harvard pres, Charles Eliot) and
 * written by NEA's Commission on the Reorganization of Secondary Ed (CRSE) ||  ||
 * health, command of fundamental process, worthy home-membership, vocation, citizenship,
 * school-as-a-mechanism-to-adjust-the-individual-to-society || the-school-as-a-lever-of-social-reform ||
 * The original draft had no reference to intellectual development ||  ||

Progressives used their science to justify projects and activities in place of subject matter as the method of education. One Prog. leader "conclusive proof" that reading must not be taught by attention to the alphabet, phonics, or any other kind of word analysis, and that it was harmful for parents to read to children.

They also argued that all learning is specific, math teaches math, not precision and concentration.

Curriculum
New educational "science", "curriculum making" Franklin Bobbitt wrote, The Curriculum, in 1918. In 1924, he wrote How To Make a Curriculum ---Bobbit: "educaiton consists in the performance of specific activities. Educaiton that prepares for life is one that prepares definitely and adequately for these specific activities."

Harold Rugg and Ann Shumaker's The Child-Centered School, 1925 --a school devoted to "self-expression and maximum child growth"

William Heard Kilpatrick--"The Project Method" mode of teaching through student experiences verses fixed-in-advance subject matter --good educaiton is "life itselt, living now--the opposite of education as a mere preparation for future living"

School Survey**
first used in 1910, used to
 * 1) study the performance of schools
 * 2) needs of schools
 * 3) examine physical condition
 * 4) examine financial condition
 * 5) evaluation of curriculum and latest pedagogical thinking


 * survey could make recommendations but NOT implement them
 * most schools were "revising curriculum" by the '30s

Results of most all schools:
 * the curriculum must be dynamic to match the dynamic world in which we live
 * embrace the total life experience of the child
 * embrace the interests of the child
 * supplement textbooks with newspapers, magazines, excursions, projects, audiovisual aids, activities
 * extrinsic rewards were undemocratic and inappropriate motivation

End of Progressive Era

 * Progressive Era ended because it was not pragmatic
 * out of joint with needs of present and future, did not change with the changing times
 * ended in mid 1950s, largely due to "old age"
 * failed in leadership of racial issues and social implications of division of students (academic, general, and vocational curricula)
 * Russia's success with Sputnik fueled demands for increased science and math in schools

In Class Discussion What was progressive education? p 44 1st full paragraph " " What she says Belief that the primary purpose of school was to improve the intellectual functioning Mastery of subjects-don't care competition with grades-reject textbooks, corporal punishment, wrote memorization not about what we think it's about changing lives, changing behavior child labor laws-get them off the street and into schools

Why did it spread Child labor laws, getting them off the street p Maintaining social status, recognizing the failures of prior society Knowledge of things isn't good knowledge of how things work is good treat people like subjects- good life is surviving social status p 48 health, home membership, leisure, p 50 "another element of education... they dance, they sing, they model in clay, they draw and paint, higher ed. p 53 must be modern and dynamic schools should derive their edu from the home life

How pervasive Teachers college reject it p 52 curriculum revision The process were not open for discussion, mandated if you choose not to adopt it p 55 "there is little evidence that social reform entered the public schools..."

Life skills vs traditional education classroom setting-knows everything needs to be challenged treating students like cattle- edu until 1960s when Russia launched sputnik then more math and science Progressive "differentiation" professional development-communication, differentiation/common assessment

stance? anti because she provides such compelling evidence against p 75 "Quackery in the Public Schools" Currently against choice, NCLB

Persuasive p 75 "Quackery in the public schools" is she persuasive or through? Not as much for progressive as against... Pendulum