Evolution of Education

The evolution of education includes many different traditions and historical movements that influenced how young people were educated throughout the world. Have the writers at Paper Masters custom write on any period in education history that you need explicated. Below are some possible directions your project can take.

Our current school system is the result of many years evolution and multiple influences. The medieval tradition is still present in some of the underlying structure of today's education. Schooling was meant to provide access the necessary knowledge and so focused on the primary skills of reading, writing, speaking and figuring, although they did not reach all people. Schools were free-standing, self-governing and widely available to young boys, often for free (Orme, 2006). The school year was similar to today, with a long summer vacation and breaks at Christmas and Easter to help break up the other terms. The Renaissance period brought some changes, with a broader curriculum which focused on arts and culture as well as basic academics and promoted a more holistic sense of education.

Describe the significance of each or any of the following forces on the evolution of education as it exists today:

1. Medieval tradition
2. The Renaissance
3. Scientific thinking
4. Religious revolutions

Identify three reasons why teachers and other educators can benefit from studying the history of education. Share examples from personal experience/observations of others in practice.

1. Do you feel the beliefs of the early settlers of colonial new England still cast a shadow over the values present in modern American society?
2. What impact have these values had on the value conflicts present in modern education? Share examples from personal experience/your observations of others in practice.
3. How did societal changes lead to curriculum modifications during the American Revolution?
4. What were the primary differences between monitorial schools, Sunday schools, and free school societies established during the period of the American Revolution? Give examples of similar efforts to expand educational access and opportunity today.
5. Name three education leaders who contributed to the development of public education systems. What policies and practices initiated by these leaders are still utilized today?
6. What current philosophy of education is the closest equivalent to the philosophy of the Oswego movement? Give reasons for your choice.

Within the structure created by these early leaders, the programs and practices which take place in the local districts and across the country have consistently fluctuated. The Oswego movement was a very interesting movement, which reflects some of the child-centered policies and practices which have come and gone from favor over the years. Oswego focused more on the holistic development and use of individual reason and judgment rather than the rote memorization of factual content. To this end, instruction centered less on textbooks than on real life objectives led by skilled teachers who facilitated oral discussion, investigations and explorations, and encouraged students to express their ideas. In this way, the Oswego movement is similar to constructivist philosophy, which assumes students need to be actively engaged in their education, through a variety of activities and modalities so that they might discover meaning and knowledge for themselves about the world. This is just one example of how the educational system continues to evolve and cycle through the years.