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A Brief History of
Education
Historic Group or important leaders     They developed methods for instructing the rising commercial class of Athens.
    They focused on grammar, logic, and rhetoric to allow the new generation to acquiring wealth, and political power.
    Today we see their affects in the lawyer and political professions.
 
      He sought to discover the universal principles of truth through questioning and self discovery.
 
     He sought to show propensity toward abstract thought through reasoning.
    He saw importance in training the elite in leadership roles and others in vocational roles.
 
      He saw that all could lean to develop leadership roles.
    He made a distinction between liberating and vocational education.
    He developed a more structured two track educating system and looked at vocational education as limiting the student's
    cognitive development.

Aristotle's Curriculum


 Infant Play, physical education, appropriate stories 
7 - 14 Moral, physical education, music, writing, and reading
15 - 21 Arithmetic, geometry, Astronomy, grammar, literature, poetry, rhetoric, ethics, and politics
21 - on Physics, Cosmology, biology, psychology, advanced logic, and metaphysics

 

    With educational leaders such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, the Greeks aimed for human excellence for civic purposes.
    They made a distinction between liberal and vocational education.
      They focused on training administrative and civic servants with a flexible institutionalized education.
      They developed a number system, translated greek texts, Advanced math, science, and medical theories.
      Used parishes to spread literacy skills so that the common people could read the Bible.  Trained some to be Clerics, who were versed in scholastic logic.  Knowledge was transmitted to the populace in an organized, informal, institutionalized way.  This is the model which present day universities follow.


    Sought to teach the elite student to become the "Courtier" (a man of style and elegance).  They used classical literature, classical manuscripts and classical languages (Latin, Greek, Hebrew) to achieve the model of "Courtier."
The classical humanist reference came from this area and has greatly influenced secondary education of today.
      Used Vernacular schools of various religious sects to spread literacy to the common people.  These schools carried a basic curriculum of reading, writing, religion, and some math to strengthen Christian beliefs. In their secondary schools, the elite were taught Latin grammar and higher skills in literature.  They used a dual track for educating the common people and the elite.
 
 

People who most influenced the way we teach children today
(Over a long span of history)

Advanced our understanding of children's growth stages based on the child's readiness to accept abstract concepts.  He saw that it was important to first teach the whole of a new concept then teach its parts (deductive approach). Created an environment that allowed the innate natural goodness of children to shine forth and flourish.  Devised five stages of growth which was linked to the subject matter. Emphasis on sense perception, taught concepts by introducing it in simple terms and allowing for complex thinking to follow as the children grow in their understanding of the concept (concrete to abstract).  Introduced the "object" lesson where the teacher has a clear behavior objective for the students. Environment contributes to the child's learning and experiences.  A pragmatist, who believed in experimenting with many methods and found which worked best.  Found that children learn best when they have some control in the work.  "Learn by doing." She developed a sensory, muscular, and intellectual developmental plan using didactic material in a structured environment.  Saw three areas from which children develop, motor skills, aesthetic appreciation, and intellectual. Developed the kindergarten with self activity, play, and imitation. Pioneered empiricism- learn through the senses.  (inductive method) Advanced the scientific method. developed practical, utilitarian, and scientific subjects for children.  Had a high priority in the natural sciences and saw that competition leads to social progress.  Thought that humans would master the environment. Developed a better template for behavior objective lesson plans with  presentation and application periods.
 
 

Theories used in today's classroom


Children are born evil and must have this evil part corrected (Adam and Eve's original sin concept). Children are born good and learn by examining objects in their environment. Children who are the most apt to succeed will survive best.  The biology theory of "survivial of the fittest" applied to the social relationship realm. Human knowledge is acquired by means of our senses. Humans test their hypotheses by experimentation, and then recieve a better understanding of the world around them. Dewey and Locke transfered this concept to education. Curriculum and objectives must be practical and scientific.  This concept was advanced by Spencer.
 
 


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Updated in June, 1999