Monday, March 11, 2013

Perceptions of Education


Disclaimer:  Please know that the following post is meant to be simple, yet accurate, and in no way does it do justice to the detail needed to truly understand the whys, what’s, how’s and when’s of the American Public School Educational System.
Is any idea really new?  My purpose here is to hopefully provide some food for thought with a little light-hearted dessert at the end.  Nonetheless, maybe you will find some truth too.

How many people can say they have a good understanding of the history of the American Public School Educational System?  Who knew that there was a culmination of people that were influencing it in the very beginning?  There were even people, both men and women that had similar ideas as Dr. Maria Montessori.  Now, these people did not come up with the how or the depth that she did.  However, there was talk of education being about practical life, parenting classes, experiencing the classroom through the senses, being given the opportunity to explore themselves, nature and more.   

Yet, when it came down to it, Horace Mann is considered to be the founding father of the U.S. public school system.  He actually contributed a system that was already being implemented by the Prussians.  Mann brought this concept to Massachusetts in 1852.  In addition to Mann’s contributions, it was extremely influential business and political leaders that saw the importance of creating and supporting a system that we still have today.  Creating factory workers was what was important to the newly industrialized cities.  Think about how a factory is run, and now think about public education in America.   In addition to their other successes, these men found something else to create that has lasted up until the present.  I like to call it the Industrial Revolution Model of Education. 

 As people, we all have different perceptions and levels of understanding.  Hopefully, some of what has been written can shift or lead you in a direction to shift your own perceptions and levels of understanding.  And if not, then if nothing else, hopefully you will be able to appreciate the caption below. 



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