Posted
on October 20, 2014
Birth of the first
public school
 |
| This is the Mather School at the "turn of the century" - that is, the early 1900s. |
On
this date in 1635, the Mather School was opened in Massachusetts. It
is the oldest public elementary school in the United States –
actually, the oldest such in all of North America!
Back
in the early 1600s, the people of Massachusetts hired a schoolmaster
to each English, Latin, “other tongues,” and writing. Now Mather
School includes instruction in reading, writing, math, music, art,
physical education, science, library, nutrition, and computers.
Birth of an
education reformer
Also
on this date—but in 1859—the psychologist and philosopher John
Dewey was born in Vermont.
He ended up being one of the most
important voices for progressive education, and his writings have
been assigned to generations of teachers-in-training.
Public
education, progressive education
There
are two ideas behind public education:
- All of society benefits if its people are educated.
- Education shouldn't be just for the children of the rich and powerful – it should be for everybody.
I
agree wholeheartedly with both of those ideas, but I still do not
like what public education has grown to be: compulsory (which means
that kids HAVE to go, by law, unless they go to a private school or
legally homeschool), standards-based (rather than children-based),
oriented on rewards and punishments (although both have been shown to
discourage deep, long-lasting learning), and test-crazy (and when I
say “crazy,” I mean really crazy!).
It's
strange to say that all the countless educators who said they loved
Dewey's ideas about education, and assigned education students to
read his books, seemed to me to ignore his biggest and best ideas
about education:
- Education is interactive; students must not just passively “take in” curriculum, but must experience, interact with, and explore curriculum.
- Education isn't just about learning facts; it's about learning how to live. Therefore, schools should be places of choice, of democracy, of blossoming self-reliance.
- Education isn't primarily about acquiring a pre-determined set of skills and knowledge, but rather it's about learning about oneself, about one's talents and passions, and developing to one's full potential.
- Rather than having teachers stand in the front of the classroom doling out bits of information, teachers should become facilitators and guides as students do active inquiry.
Public
education and progressive education are both great ideas—it's time
we combine the best of both ideas and entirely re-make education!
Also
on this date:
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ahead:
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out my Pinterest boards for:
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here are my Pinterest boards for:
I agree. Tests have taken over education. It’s no longer about actual learning but about memorizing stuff for exams. This is why so many people search for ways to improve their learning experience, like choosing online options where the focus is more on understanding than test scores. For busy students, some even decide to pay someone to take online class to ensure they stay on track with their education while managing other responsibilities. This approach supports better balance and retention.
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