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Historical And Contemporary Figures Of The Field Of Education

Decent Essays

There are many historical and contemporary figures that have contributed to the field of education. I have chosen Abigail Adam Eliot as my historical figure and Lucy Calkins as my contemporary figure for connection to history and theory in this discussion.
Abigail Adam Eliot (October 9, 1892 – October 29, 1992)
She was an early leader in nursery and childhood education and in training teachers for nursery schools. Eliot studied nursery education under Margaret McMillan in England in 1921 at the Rachel McMillan School; she brought the practice of nursery schools to America (Liebovich, 2016). Eliot 's Ruggles Street Nursery School followed the McMillan’s example of providing full-day-care for working families, but did not have the same focus on the physical health of the children, rather focusing on creating an intellectually stimulating, child-centric environment and involving parents (many of whom went on to become teachers) in the program. Eliot was a member of the advisory group that organized the National Association for Nursery Education (NANE) in 1926 now, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) in 1964. All things considered, Abigail Eliot aimed to prove that an enriching education for young children requires highly trained teachers and a carefully organized learning environment. According to Martha H. Chapman’s history of the Nursery Training School, Eliot’s states her fundamental belief in young children and their education.
“Children are

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