My Foundations of Education
by Meredith Kelly
1. Philosophy of Education
1.1. Pragmatism is a philosophy of education. People who follow this thought work to achieve goals. They also have roots in realism. In this thought students learn not only from the teachers but also from their environment. Some key influencers of pragmatism are George Sanders Peirce, William James, and John Dewey. Dewey's goal of education was for students to be able to improve social order and integrating them into society. The role of the teacher is not as an authority figure but a facilitator. The methods of instruction are very natural, children work both individually and in groups. It focuses on asking questions and finding answers in order to learn. The curriculum for pragmatism is very integrated using many subjects to find out more about a question.
2. Schools as Organizations
3. Curriculum and Pedagogy
4. Equality of Opprotunity
5. Educational Inequality
6. Politics of Education
6.1. Conservative
6.2. Liberal
6.3. Radical
6.4. Neo-liberal
7. History of US Education
7.1. Horace Mann of Massachusetts led the way in the struggle for free public education. He helped establish a state board of education and was the state of Massachusetts first secretary of their board of education. Due in part to his efforts the first state teacher training school was established as well as publicly funded elementary schools.
7.2. The Democratic-Liberal Schools historical interpretation of U.S. education is that while it is flawed it continues to progress towards an ideal. They believe that each reform made in the system is just one more step to a great educational system.
8. Sociological Perspectives
8.1. Theoretical perspectives concerning the relationship between school and society
8.1.1. Functionalism- concerned with the ways societal and institutional forces create
8.1.2. Conflict theory- Struggle is what builds education in varying levels
8.1.3. Interactional- critiques and extensions of conflict and functionalism, structured
8.2. Effects of schooling on individuals
8.2.1. Employment- graduating from college will lead to more employment opportunities.
8.2.2. Knowledge- the more educated you are the more likely it is that you will read newspapers and participate in public affairs.
8.2.3. Attitude- Highly educated people are more likely to bel liberal socially and politically.