What is Progressivism?Morgan Brooks

A Brief Overview

Dr. Thomas Armstrong Ph.D. on “Progressive Education

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClUywtTsTjA

Early Progressivism

Emerged in the late 19th and early 20th century

No longer satisfied with status quo

Wanted Change and reinvigorationChildren to learn the arts of democratic

participationEducation to include economic and social justiceAn emphasis on experience and social relevance

rather than universal truth and the past

Values and Goals of Progressivism

An active democratic society

Citizens able to handle social, political, and economic decisions

Citizens working collaboratively toward a common good

A community prepared to take care of societies needs

Values and Goals of Progressivism

Emotional, artistic, and creative development

Appreciation of diversity

Curiosity

Progressive Education

Children learn through…Real world problem solvingReal world experienceCooperation and collaborationReconstructionInquiry

Progressive Education

Role of the teacher…Help students think through the problems

themselves, the teacher is a facilitatorAllow students to learn through their own

curiosityCultivate their imaginationAllow creative intelligence and freedomNot a lecturer or taskmaster

Examples of Progressive Education

Open classrooms

Cooperative learning

Multiage approaches

Whole language

Social curriculum

Experiential education

Class Discussion

Pros Cons

?

Concerns and Criticisms

Against the traditional valuesStandardsStructureCurriculum

Seen as a “bandwagon” movement

Teachers should concentrate on subject matter

Class Discussion

Should our public education system adapt the educational philosophy of progressivism?Why or why not?To what extent?

Only in certain schools?Only for certain age groups?

References

A Brief Overview of Progressive Education. (2002). Retrieved January 26,2014 from http://www.uvm.edu/~dewey/articles/proged.html

Ciciura, T. [Thomas Ciciura]. (2011, April 25). Dr. Thomas Armstrong on Progressive Education [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClUywtTsTjA

VanPatten, J., & Davidson, B. (2010). Progressivism: Another look then and now. Journal Of Philosophy & History Of Education, 60, 126-132.

Reference Summaries

A Brief Overview of Progressive Education:

http://www.uvm.edu/~dewey/articles/proged.html

“A Brief Overview of Progressive Education,” begins by summarizing the basic ideals and beliefs of progressive educators. The author describes progressive education as a tool for supporting a democratic society and lists the two key components required for the education of an engaged citizen as “respect for diversity” and “critical, socially engaged intelligence.” The article goes on to describe the history of the public education system, as well as the rise of the Progressive Movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and its decline during the Cold War era. Finally, the author concludes by discussing the revival of progressive ideals in recent times and speculates as to where these ideals might lead us in the future.

Reference Summaries

Dr. Thomas Armstrong on Progressive Education:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClUywtTsTjA

In this video Dr. Thomas Armstrong discusses progressive education and its importance. Dr. Armstrong gives a brief overview of John Dewey, who played an instrumental role in the development of progressivism, and discusses how he believed that children learn best through real world experience. He then continues on to address the need for the education system to nurture imagination, as he believes it to be a vital resource.

Reference Summaries

Progressivism: Another Look Then and Now

http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.proxy.lib.odu.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3&sid=1812e551-e8c1-4723-972d-1469b52f1d35%40sessionmgr112&hid=104

“Progressivism: Another Look Then and Now” describes the history and development of progressivism in great detail. The author discuses what brought about the progressive era and how it evolved. VanPatten also reviews some of the key individuals involved in the development of progressivism, including John Dewey. Furthermore, he explores the values and ideals of progressivism, its criticisms, and its future.