Post Civil War and The Teaching Profession

I. Adoption of the Normal School

A. By 1875 Normal Schools were accepted practice throughout the United States. Approximately 70 were receiving state support
B. The curriculum was two years--- basic common school subjects being taught in high schools--- mathematics, history, geography, language arts--- "school keeping," experience in practice teaching.
C. By 1900, over 345 normal schools existed. But only about one third of public school teachers were normal school graduates.
D. Until the 1920's, these schools were still "poor sisters" to colleges and universities. Low funding, poor equipment and poorly paid staffs existed.
E. Thus, at least one alternative gained prominence: The Oswego Movement (Oswego, NY--- Thomas Sheldon, 1886-1901) founded on Pestalozzi and Herbart methods: object method, psychology of the learner, teaching methods geared toward the individual. Eventually, book companies "packaged" what was being done at Oswego, so going there was not the unique experience it once was.

II. Colleges and Departments of Education

A. The early 20th century: normal schools' duties taken over by four-year colleges called "Teachers' Colleges. Twenty schools of education in 1910; 70 by 1930.

B. The transformation meant the following: stricter entrance requirements (high school diploma); add liberal arts subjects to education courses; lengthen program to four years; legislature control the ranting of degrees; faculties were improved.

C. Education had developed a set of courses by this time thanks to individuals such as Andrew Draper, Charles DeGarmo, Charles McMurry: Educational Psychology, Philosophy of Education, History of Education, Methods in Education.

D. Yet, the norm in colleges was to link "education" to departments of philosophy and/or psychology. E.L. Thorndike: Theory of Mental and Social Measurements

E. Status of teachers improved as schools became larger and more complex to operate. Colleges were viewed as proper places to educate educational leaders.

III. Progressive Movement As Example of Shift in Teachers' Roles in the Classroom

John Dewey was primary thinker/educator associated with the "progressive" movement

1. Dewey's thinking incorporated three main themes:

A. Education is a social process

B. Thinking is best captured in the need to solve problems

C. Education should be grounded in a moral commitment to a democratic way of life (as opposed to one-person rule?)

2. Theme #1: Social Process

A. How do you learn in most formal school situations??

Either one's intellectual faculties are sharpened through one's involvement with the various disciplines--- the content is not as important as developing memory skills, communication skills, attention span, etc…

OR

Content is important because human beings are basically stimulus-response beings. To do anything intellectual, one needs plenty of stimulus to prompt a response.

B. Dewey rejected these two notions. He suggested other premises:

1. The mind is part of nature and is therefore DYNAMIC--- always experiencing, investigating, observing, interacting. These experiences dictate one's direction, not a preordained lesson.

2. The above experiences happen in a social environment. So, being with others dedicated to learning in the same way is most conducive to self-development.

3. We will expend he effort to do the above if interested. Interest and effort are one and the same, not causal.

4. School is merely one of the places where the dynamic takes place. School should be seen as an extension of the students' normal environment, not apart from it.

5. It is logical that school experiences carry on the experiences of the family and the community, including the prevailing ethical and moral values. (Valueless schools were ilogical; Would Dewey favor prayer in schools??)

Theme #2: Problem Solving

A. Students will learn to "think" if work is "real" i.e., the "method" is complete and the project is interesting.

B. The problem-solving method:

Define the problem
Observe
Formulate hypothesis
Elaborate on the consequences of he hypothesis
Test to see which hypothesis solves problem best.

Theme #3: Democracy

What was so different about this idea???

A. Stressed equal respect for the individual among children AND among teachers and children.

B. Welfare of the group was paramount (not individual achievement)

Conflict with capitalism???
.
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