Final Exam Weeks 1-14

What type of school was Horace Mann associated with?

The Common School

What was John Dewey known for?

He is known for being a pioneer in progressive education. He prioritized hands on learning/experimentation. He believes that learning should be student -centered, focusing on students interests and experiences just a teacher speaking in front of a room. Dewey also believed education has a social responsibility: schools should help create better citizens, with democracy at the center of education.

What was the Period of Revision?

There was an emphasis on democracy, with education seen as a way to prepare people to be active and responsible citizens in a democratic society. If individuals are not well educated, they may not understand the importance of preserving democracy.

What was education like during the colonial period?

Education during the Colonial period focused on religion and the Bible, with the main goal of preserving faith. Catholics relied on priests to interpret Scripture, while Protestants believed individuals should read and interpret the Bible themselves to work toward their own salvation.

What was education like during the Revolutionary/ Enlightenment period like?

In the Revolutionary period, democracy was at stake, making education essential for preparing informed citizens. Influenced by the Enlightenment, schools emphasized scientific inquiry, reason, hypothesis testing, and progress, rather than relying solely on traditional biblical ideas.

How did the launch of Sputnik influence American education?

When Sputnik was launched into space by the Soviet Union, Americans lost their minds as they believed that this meant the Russians were outpacing us. This caused a greater push for focus on math and science. 

What was the New Deal?

The New Deal was a government policy focused on directly improving people’s lives, including government-funded programs that provided money and jobs to those in need. It emphasized job programs and vocational training to help pull people out of poverty and established Social Security (associated with President Franklin D. Roosevelt) to provide long-term economic security.

What was the Great Society intiative?

Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society initiative aimed to end poverty by using the nation’s abundant resources to help poor and disadvantaged people. Programs such as Head Start provided early education and hot meals twice a day, while free and reduced lunch programs already existed and were expanded during his presidency.

What was Brown vs Board?

Brown v. Board of Education was a landmark Supreme Court case that ruled school segregation unconstitutional. Although it ended segregation in law, it did not immediately work in practice, as many Southern states resisted integration for years.

Who was Sherman Alexi?

Sherman Alexie is the author of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. The main character, Junior, grows up on a poor Native American reservation, highlighting poverty and inequality in education.

Why did UD close down for a decade during the 1800s?

It happened following the murder of John Roach. The case remained unsolved, making it a long-standing cold case.

What is the colonial period more closely associated with?

What is the revolutionary period most strong associated with?

• Colonial Period: Time period most associated with religion

• Revolutionary Period: Time period most associated with reason

What was a for runner of online education prior to online learning?

Correspondence schools

What is essentialism?

Essentialism emphasizes a structured, set curriculum focused on core academic basics that all students are expected to learn, whether they like it or not. The approach is teacher-centered, with teachers deciding what and how content is taught, stressing discipline and mastery of essential knowledge

What was education like during the colonial period?

The Colonial period had many educational options, and a person’s education often depended on their social status. Families without money could have their children learn through apprenticeships or indentured service, allowing them to earn money and pay off their training over several years.

What were Dame schools?

Dame schools were schools run by women in their homes. They taught young children to read, focusing especially on Scripture, while older children often continued their studies in grammar schools.

What were Bray Schools?

Bray Schools were established to educate freed slave children and were fairly successful until a slave revolt, led by Nat Turner, led to harsh laws against teaching slaves to read.

What were Quaker schools?

Quaker schools also played a role in educating Black children, providing additional opportunities for literacy and learning outside of the traditional Colonial system.

What was the difference in New England and Southern Education?

New England Education

In New England, towns were required to hire a teacher if the population was large enough, typically around 50 families, making education a central part of community life. Schools focused on literacy and religious instruction, reflecting the region’s communal and civic-minded values.

Southern Education

In the South, education was less centralized because of the independent ethos and geographic spread of plantations. Families often handled education privately or through tutors, and there was less emphasis on community-run schools.

Who was Bronson Alcott?

The father of the author of Little Women, was a progressive social reformer who focused on education, women’s rights, and broader social issues. He was also a proponent of art education and believed schooling should develop moral and creative abilities, not just academic skills.

Who was Mary Clove?

Mary Clove worked with the National Youth Administration, influencing job programs for young people. Her work helped provide vocational training and employment opportunities during a time when government programs were expanding to support youth education and skills.

What were power dynamics like in American schools?

In American schools, power dynamics existed both between teachers and students and among students themselves. Teachers sometimes abused their authority, using corporal punishment to discipline students, as seen in Little Women, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and Richard Wright’s Black Boy. Students could also exercise power over each other through bullying or violence, such as Holden being beaten by peers in The Catcher in the Rye. These examples show that schools were spaces where authority and social hierarchies affected students’ experiences.

How was thinking during the 60’s experimental and revolutionary?

During the 1960s, people experimented with new approaches to education and social programs, including ways to address the treatment of Black Americans and other marginalized groups. When students face racial discrimination in schools, it can have long-term effects, such as higher risk of alcoholism, lower academic achievement, and reduced financial success.

How did early 19th-century common schools balance morality and religion, and what reforms were made to include students with disabilities?

Common schools in the early 19th century were not primarily focused on Christianity, but they did emphasize morality rather than sectarian religious ideas. During this period, there were educational reforms, including the establishment of the first schools for the blind and deaf and efforts to educate students with disabilities, reflecting a growing movement toward justice and inclusion.

What was the Lau vs Nicholes case about?

Lau v. Nichols was a landmark case about ESL (English as a Second Language) education, establishing that students must be taught in a language they can understand. The ruling emphasized that failing to meet students’ language needs denies them equal educational opportunities.

Why were Irish Catholics viewed with suspicion in 19th-century America, and how did this reflect broader patterns of racism?

During the 19th century, Catholicism, especially Irish Catholics, faced widespread suspicion and racism in the United States.

What was the Lost Cause narrative, and how was it used in education to shape children’s views of the Civil War?

The Lost Cause was a way to romanticize the Civil War, portraying the Confederacy as the “good guys” and calling it the War of Northern Aggression, while downplaying or ignoring that the war was about slavery. This narrative was propagated in education for children to influence future generations’ understanding of the war and Southern identity.

What type of schooling was John Holt and Raymond Moore associated with?

John Holt and Raymond Moore are most closely associated with the modern homeschooling movement, helping shape the ideas and practices used today.

How did the nationalizing trend after the war reflect broader movements toward centralization and standardization in American society?

The nationalizing trend after the war was part of a larger trend toward centralization and standardization in government, society, and education.

How did Native American education change from pre-European settlement to the era of boarding schools, and what were the goals of these schools?

Native American education before European settlement focused on tribal knowledge, oral traditions, and practical skills needed for community life. Later, Native American boarding schools aimed to assimilate Indigenous children into European-American culture, often erasing their language, culture, and identity.

Who developed the concept of kindergarten, and what were its main educational goals?

Kindergarten was developed by Friedrich Froebel in the 19th century and is a form of early childhood education emphasizing play, creativity, and social development. The idea was to provide a “garden” for young children to grow intellectually, socially, and emotionally before formal schooling.

What did the Kalamazoo and Lemon Grove cases show about the role of courts in American education?

The Kalamazoo School Case established that public funds could be used to support high schools and highlighted the role of courts in addressing segregation and unequal education. The Lemon Grove Case was the first successful school desegregation lawsuit in U.S. history, protecting Mexican American students from being separated into a separate school. Together, these cases show how legal action was used to expand educational access and enforce equality before and alongside later landmark decisions like Brown v. Board of Education.

How have schools accommodated students with disabilities over time, and what role do community colleges play as an alternative to regular schooling?

The idea of students switching or accommodating disabilities has existed in various forms for a long time, with different approaches evolving over the years. One alternative to regular K–12 schools is community colleges, which provide accessible higher education and vocational training, reflecting some of the goals of the common school movement to educate a broader segment of the population.

Who was Philip Fithian?

Philip Fithian was a tutor who wrote about his experiences working for the Carter family, where he was appalled by the treatment of enslaved people. His writings highlighted these abuses, and eventually Robert Carter freed all of his slaves.

Why was the late 1800s in the U.S. called the Gilded Age, and how did high tariffs affect ordinary people?

The Gilded Age in the late 1800s was marked by high tariffs on goods, which disproportionately affected people with less money. The period was called “Gilded” because, although a few people became extremely wealthy, much of society struggled economically beneath the surface.

How did the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the Civil Rights Act help advance school integration in the U.S.?

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and the Civil Rights Act were both crucial for promoting school integration in the United States. These laws provided federal support and legal authority to ensure that students of all races could access equal educational opportunities.

What tools did colonial schools use to teach reading and writing, and how were they used?

Colonial schools often used tools like the New England Primer, a book with rhymes and lessons for reading and moral instruction. Students also used a hornbook, which displayed letters and could be traced or copied to practice writing and literacy skills.