Chapter 3: The World Origins of American Education

Preliterate Societies (7000 BCE-5000 BCE)

-informal education
-parents had an active role in teaching their children specific gender roles
-focus on survival skills, tribal customs and values
-focus on oral tradition, music, dance and poetry

Oral tradition

-storytelling to transmit heritage
-transmits group collective memory and identity
-still used in preschools and primary schools today

Neolithic Age (10,000 BCE)

-new stone age; emphasis on agriculture led to development of calendar
-sense of time and importance of place taught to children
-created symbols and pictographs to communicate stories and events, but oral tradition still important

China ( 3000 B.C - 1900 A.D)

-emphasis on preparation of elite officials for civic leadership
-focus on memorization and recitation as instruction
-use of written exams for civil service and professions still a part of college level education today

Confucius

-devised ethical hierarchy of responsibility with emperor at top of ladder and others standing on rungs below
-education's purpose is to create and maintain a harmonious society in which everyone knows their status, duties & responsibilities
-idea of teacher as role model of civility still present in today's society

Egypt ( 3000 BCE- 300 BCE)

-taught males of upper classes to be priests, government officials, and physicians
-reliance on religious and technical texts
-scribal schools focused on exact memorization/ transcription
-Placing educational authority in a priestly elite present in private religious schools today

Judaic Culture (1200 BCE - present)

-emphasis on preservation of Jewish religion + culture
-active role of parents in early education
-rabbis were teachers at temple schools
-reliance on religious texts ( Torah)
-memorization, recitation, analysis and debate used as primary instructional methods
- influence on modern education: monotheism and maintaining cultural identity

Greek ( 1600 BCE - 300 BCE) - Sparta

-emphasis on preparing for military leadership
-girls educated in domestic skills + received physical education to become healthy mothers
-education was to serve the military state

Greek ( 1600 BCE - 300 BCE) - Athens

-emphasis on preparation for citizenship
-cultivation of the whole person w/ a broad curriculum
-influenced modern education with the concept of a well rounded, liberally educated person

Sophists

- Greek system that believed purpose of education to develop communication skills to become successful politicians
-use rhetoric/ logic/ grammar

Socrates

-Greek philosopher that encouraged students to be self-critical and reflect to bring about universal truths through open-ended questions

Plato

-Greek philosopher that believed reality existed in unchanging world of perfect ideas like universal concepts of love, beauty, justice
-Idealist that believed truth is already in our minds

Aristotle

-Greek philosopher who founded school teaching physics, astronomy, biology and logic
-Realist that believed truth existed outside of our minds
-advocated liberal arts education and structured curriculum that increased in difficulty with age
-proponent of elementary schools including play, physical exercise, music and hero stories
-Only concerned with male education and believed women were intellectually inferior

Isocrates

-Greek philosopher believing education's main purpose to prepare clear-minded, rational, truthful and honest statesmen
-students attended school for 4 years studying political philosophy, history, ethics and rhetoric

Rome ( 750 BCE to 450 CE)

- Emphasis on preparation for citizenship, administrative and military service
-Roman boys learned latin and attended Greek grammar school to become good diplomats/ generals
-had rhetoric schools to combine Greek liberal education + Roman emphasis on political practice
-reliance on memorization/ recitation at lower levels
-greater emphasis on oral argumentation at higher levels
-influenced modern education to develop civic commitment

Quintilian

-highly recognized rhetorician of Rome
-recognizing importance of students individual differences and advised working to their readiness and abilities
-developed stage based learning corresponding to age development

Medieval ( 500 CE to 1400 CE)

-Emphasis on Christian religious formation and preparation for ones designated job in life
-Broad disciplinary balance in curriculum combining practical + theoretical teaching
-established structure and content of universities as major institutions of higher education

Scholasticism

-A medieval philosophical and theological system that tried to reconcile faith and reason
-argued Christian scripture and reasoning were truth sources
-portrayed teachers as experts in subject, humanity lovers and active instructors

Arabic ( 700 BCE. - 1350 CE)

-Emphasis on preservation of Islamic religious teachings and advancement of science/ math
-use of scientific and religious texts
-reliance on memorization/ recitation at lower level
-focus on discussions and analysis over time at higher levels
-contributed to advancement of science and math including introduction of Arabic numerals and computation

Renaissance (1350 CE to 1500 CE)

-emphasis on knowledge of classical literature
-reliance on memorization/ translation and analysis of texts in Greek + Latin
-invention of printing press increased accessibility of print documents for use in educations (textbooks)
-increased access to education of lower class with a two-track system of schools
-reliance on print is common in all levels of education and broadened education system

Erasmus

- humanist portrayed ideal teacher as Christian humanist
-believed teachers needed to be well educated in liberal arts, Greek and Latin, history and religion
-method of teaching literature through games/ conversations and activities to explore its meaning

Reformation (1500 A.D - 1600 A.D)

-emphasis on religion and literacy
-expansion of 2-tiered system:
-> lower class taught their native language in vernacular schools
->upper class attended humanist schools
-memorization and indoctrination emphasized in vernacular schools
-translation and analysis of classical texts emphasized in humanist schools
-influenced modern education with commitment to provide literacy to the masses and dual-track school system based on socioeconomic track and career goals

Martin Luther

- Reformation reformer who believed church, family, state and schools all had role in education
-encouraged family Bible reading sessions because family had key role in educating their kids
-influenced emphasis today on universal literacy

Aquinas

-believed teacher's vocation combines faith, love, and learning and teachers need to be contemplative and reflective scholars
-teachers should be called to teach and have an in-depth knowledge of their subject matter