Curriculum Although not underemphasizing the development of a curriculum, idealists stress that the most important factor in education at any level is to teach students to think. The psychologist Jean Piaget and others have shown that it is reasonable to expect students to demonstrate some critical regard for the material they are exposed to at various stages of development, even with the nursery tales that are read to them.
Idealists generally agree that many educational materials used by students are inadequate. Although the materials might help teach such skills as reading, idealists do not understand why such skills cannot be taught in ways that also develop conceptual ability. One might argue that the McGuffey reader, widely used in schools in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, taught the student something in addition to reading; they fostered ideas about parental relationships, God,morality, and patriotism. A counterargument might be that these are the wrong kinds of concept, but are the more recent sterile readers used in schools an improvement?
Although most idealists claim that they are opposed to the used of reading material for indoctrination, they do not see why reading material cannot, while it is helping a student learn to read, encourage thinking about ideas involving humanness, truth, and fair play. Although few books and materials for children express such ideas, idealists still believe that the teacher should encourage a consideration of such ideas in the classroom; a teacher should help students explore curriculum materials for ideas about the purposes of life, family, the nature of peer pressures ,and the problem of growing up.
With older students, one can use materials that are more appropriate to their age :Treasure Island, The Adeventures of Tom Sawyer,and Peter Pan are well written and lend themselves admirably to discussion of ideas. For high school students, even more idea-engendering material is available :The Iliad; Hamlet; Twice-Told Tales; and Wind,Sand,and Stars. Because these materials are already used in some classroom, one might wonder what is so special about the way idealists would use them. Idealists charge the reason is that most teacher are not always trained in ways to use such books for ideas contained in them. Such books could become, in the eyes of teachers and students, another hurdle to get over, just another benchmark or list of books to be read.
Idealists believe that idea can change lives. Christianity was once merely an idea, and so was Marxism, but such ideas have transformed whole societies. Idealists think that humans can become more noble and rational by developing the ability to think. They have encouraged the use of the classics for humanizing learning experiences; whatever factors are involved in humanity’s evolutionary past, the idealist holds that the most important part of one’s being is the mind. It is to be nourished and developed. It can accumulate facts, but it also can conceptualize and create. Idealists charge that schools neglect this important consideration of mind. They add that even when the classics are taught, student often are required to memorize dates and names without due attention to the creative aspects of the creative thinking of others and when they are stimulate to think reflectively. This can come about only in an environment that promotes the use of mind the mind.
Although some idealist educators stress classical studies, this does not mean that such studies are all they emphasize. Indeed, some idealists recommend studies that are distinctly modern. For example, Harris developed curriculum centered around five studies: mathematics and physics, biology, psychology, mathematics, grammar, literature, and history. Harris and Horne believed that these areas are important enough to be considered on every curriculum level and broad enough to contain even elective studies.
The sciences are represented heavily in both of these recommendations. This indicates that such idealist as Harris and Horne did not disregard the development of new knowledge. Neither Harris nor Horne saw any incompatibility between studies in the liberal arts and the natural sciences. In fact, they maintained that a more complete understanding of the universe necessitates studies in both the arts and the sciences.
Curriculum Although not underemphasizing the development of a curriculum, idealists stress that the most important factor in education at any level is to teach students to think. The psychologist Jean Piaget and others have shown that it is reasonable to expect students to demonstrate some critical regard for the material they are exposed to at various stages of development, even with the nursery tales that are read to them.Idealists generally agree that many educational materials used by students are inadequate. Although the materials might help teach such skills as reading, idealists do not understand why such skills cannot be taught in ways that also develop conceptual ability. One might argue that the McGuffey reader, widely used in schools in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, taught the student something in addition to reading; they fostered ideas about parental relationships, God,morality, and patriotism. A counterargument might be that these are the wrong kinds of concept, but are the more recent sterile readers used in schools an improvement?Although most idealists claim that they are opposed to the used of reading material for indoctrination, they do not see why reading material cannot, while it is helping a student learn to read, encourage thinking about ideas involving humanness, truth, and fair play. Although few books and materials for children express such ideas, idealists still believe that the teacher should encourage a consideration of such ideas in the classroom; a teacher should help students explore curriculum materials for ideas about the purposes of life, family, the nature of peer pressures ,and the problem of growing up.With older students, one can use materials that are more appropriate to their age :Treasure Island, The Adeventures of Tom Sawyer,and Peter Pan are well written and lend themselves admirably to discussion of ideas. For high school students, even more idea-engendering material is available :The Iliad; Hamlet; Twice-Told Tales; and Wind,Sand,and Stars. Because these materials are already used in some classroom, one might wonder what is so special about the way idealists would use them. Idealists charge the reason is that most teacher are not always trained in ways to use such books for ideas contained in them. Such books could become, in the eyes of teachers and students, another hurdle to get over, just another benchmark or list of books to be read.
Idealists believe that idea can change lives. Christianity was once merely an idea, and so was Marxism, but such ideas have transformed whole societies. Idealists think that humans can become more noble and rational by developing the ability to think. They have encouraged the use of the classics for humanizing learning experiences; whatever factors are involved in humanity’s evolutionary past, the idealist holds that the most important part of one’s being is the mind. It is to be nourished and developed. It can accumulate facts, but it also can conceptualize and create. Idealists charge that schools neglect this important consideration of mind. They add that even when the classics are taught, student often are required to memorize dates and names without due attention to the creative aspects of the creative thinking of others and when they are stimulate to think reflectively. This can come about only in an environment that promotes the use of mind the mind.
Although some idealist educators stress classical studies, this does not mean that such studies are all they emphasize. Indeed, some idealists recommend studies that are distinctly modern. For example, Harris developed curriculum centered around five studies: mathematics and physics, biology, psychology, mathematics, grammar, literature, and history. Harris and Horne believed that these areas are important enough to be considered on every curriculum level and broad enough to contain even elective studies.
The sciences are represented heavily in both of these recommendations. This indicates that such idealist as Harris and Horne did not disregard the development of new knowledge. Neither Harris nor Horne saw any incompatibility between studies in the liberal arts and the natural sciences. In fact, they maintained that a more complete understanding of the universe necessitates studies in both the arts and the sciences.
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