Thomas Jefferson believed that universal education would have to precede universal suffrage. The ignorant, he argued, were incapable of self-government. But he had profound faith in the reasonableness and ability of the masses and in their collective wisdom when educated. As one of the founding fathers, Jefferson in fact set the precedent for American education: reading, writing, mathematics, the Classics, and European and American History. That his beliefs were focused on all male citizens receiving a free education, and a sign of his times for, in 1789, the first law was passed in Massachusetts to reaffirm the colonial laws by which town were obligated to support a school. Jefferson would not have recognized the drastic changes that the 21st century has brought -- but clearly, his ideas of valuing the educational process are even more valid in this global world as they were during the 18th century. One might ask, what is education? What is the value of education? This is a seminal question that has been raised since ancient times. Certainly, the ancient Greeks (Athenians) had an idea of how education worked -- take your upper class males, teach them to read, write, quote literature, play and instrument, and become a proficient athlete. As society evolved, so did the need for education. Of course a...
Indeed, it may sometimes consist of a fragile nexus of vague attitudes, tentative beliefs, complex and even contradictory dispositions, and ideologies perhaps only semi-congealed. Still, in any belief and value complex, there are certain notions (or planks, if you will) more deeply entrenched and elaborate that have been with me since childhood.
There are specific daily steps that students in these working class schools must take, and in math, for example, the teacher "told them what the procedure was for each problem, rarely asking them to conceptualize or explain it themselves" (Anyon 528). And so the emphasis was on memorizing the steps, not on understanding how or why they are taken. Language arts class was much the same (copy the teacher's notes
Education The definition of an educated person has no doubt altered over time. Certainly, many people have tried to formulate the ultimate definition of what an educated person is, and what achieving that state might entail. In my earliest thoughts about the subject, I probably thought an educated person was probably my grandmother; she seemed so wise, and certainly, I never asked her anything for which she didn't have an answer,
inaugural speech in 1981, his first term of being President of the United States, Ronald Reagan famously stated with bold irony, "government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem." While mismanaged government agencies and bloated bureaucracies are problematic, government itself is not a "problem," and should not be perceived as such by one who has been elected to its highest office. Dismantling government institutions that
Much of the NCLB focus is based on the view that American students are falling behind in educational basis when scored are compared globally. The Act does not establish a national achievement standard; each State must confirm its own set of standards, but in order to receive funding, the States must meet basic criteria of performance (Abernathy, 2007). The Case -- Maureen Hulbert faced a daunting task when she assumed
school prepare children for life -- and should it? The public school system in the United States has undergone dramatic changes over the past century. It has become a required institution in which children spend a minimum of 12.5 years and more time than in any other place than home for their formative years. Thomas Jefferson, for instance, believed that universal education would have to precede universal suffrage. The
American National Character What characteristics are distinctly American, regardless of class, race, background? What is problematic about making these generalizations and inheriting the culture? What have we inherited exactly? What problems arise with our ideals - and are we being honest with ourselves? Discuss individualism and the "American Dream." Are these goals realized and are they realistic? This paper seeks answers to those questions. The Puritans (The American Puritans: Their Prose
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