The Puritan Origins of American Schooling: Reaction Paper The readings from the first class surfaced many controversial and prevalent themes. The readings called into question the role education plays in creating a Godly society, a cure for societal ills, enhancing fear, as well as the importance of religious ties. In this paper, I will react to the following themes through a lens of how these beliefs still hold true today.
As I read the readings for our first class I felt a sense of frustration and hope. I was frustrated because it remained so incredibly obvious that many of the systems that were created centuries are still alive and well today. However, at the same time I felt hopeful since, many of the puritan values rested on their morals and changes were implemented based upon this. I spend my life fighting against educational inequity, and I am often overwhelmed by the task.
Many of the readings mentioned that education served as a means to create a Godly society or used school as a catalyst to cure “social ills”. I would argue that this is still true today, numerous stakeholders express that education is the key to a bright future. I too believe that if we as educators provided every student with an excellent and rigorous education that we would no longer have such inequality in our nation. However, I have since been forced to situate the deep role that systematic racism, poverty, and violence plays into this utopia.
I was pushed on this idea after the murder of
Education in the late 1700’s and early 1800 was only available to those who had money. Public education was not available to everybody. Children who came from wealthy parents were able to learn how to read and write. These children went on to continue the cycle with their children. Schools came about when towns would pull their resources and higher teachers. The teachers were literally paid by bushels of wheat and half of a cow. School was based off the Bible. These facts and many more make me so grateful for not being born during this time. I love education and I love learning. I don’t know what I would do without the education I have received and continue to receive.
Religion was one of the greatest driving forces of the 18th century, enriching the lives of those who believed in it, and destroying the ones who did not. Higher education was introduced to the new world not so people could be doctors, but so they could be ministers and spread the word of god. The puritan inhabitants
After reading the introduction and first chapter of The American Dream and The Public School, I don’t know whether to be more encouraged, more determined, more excited to be a teacher in a time where the future of public education needs strong student advocates, or to be terrified as I am reminded of the ever-growing disparities for children based on their socioeconomic standing, race, and ethnicity. Though strongly backing the project II topic my group presented in explaining how those who are morally educated well become better, more productive members of society, the authors of these chapters reminded me that for all the lip service Americans give to this topic, they do little to back it. I certainly agree that a good educational base generates
It is in one’s moral beliefs that children are the way to a better future. It is instilled in the modern era to the minds of the human race that treating a child a certain way, will lead them to become a certain person. For instance, they will one day become society’s doctors, educators, and politicians, respectable men and women. Yet, in Puritan New England the conditions to raising children to being such was much more intense from modern day’s way of teaching and living. The life for children in Puritan New England was tough and tenacious, because of its strict beliefs in religion, the lack of individualism and expression permitted to the children, and the dire consequences leading to being abused, or at times, being punishable by death.
Education and economic justice were two forms of systemic inequalities that make inequality difficult to talk about. Education is a requirement if someone wishes to have a better life, but not everyone has access to quality education. In the U.S there has always been a battle, people of color have fought to be able to access quality education, (Philips, 2016: 130) they are constantly attending inferior and ineffective school where there are many distractions for students to be fully successful in the classrooms. Often these schools where children of color attend lack quality facilities, educational resources, and qualified teachers. Someone can’t help to notice that in general such unqualified schools are mostly in color people’s neighborhoods.
The New England colonies developed quickly and rapidly through the early 1600s. The colonies’ development was largely influenced by the Puritans, who had helped found most of the colonies in the region after emigrating from GB. The philosophies, ideas, and values of the Puritans greatly shaped the development of the colonies in a number of distinct ways. Politically, the idea of a united, representative government that later became a staple of the US was derived from Puritan ideals. Economically, the ideals of fair pricing and the celebrated “Yankee frugality and thriftiness” originated from the Puritans. Socially, emphasis on church, religion, and community was another lasting influence of the Puritans. Clearly, the values held by the Puritans greatly influenced the political, economic, and social development of the New England colonies from 1630 to 1660.
The educational system has been around for thousands of years, and throughout time, there have always existed equality issues. From girls not being able to attend school as far as the boys, to children being separated into different schools because of the color of their skin, equality in education is an issue that has plagued humanity for far too long. Throughout the years, there have been some important decisions made in an effort to afford equality in education. Perhaps, as we move forward in our thinking and beliefs, we may find a way to make education a right that everyone who has the desire to grow through knowledge should be afforded, regardless of circumstance.
The Puritans view of education the same way they viewed religion. It was a major part of their daily routine. The puritans had different ways of teaching their children, they used the New England Primer, which was one of the first books to be published in the 18th century. They used this to teach the children how to read and write properly. This book also taught the children the difference of right and wrong, along with the respect of parental figures, sin and salvation.
The greatest country in the world still has problems evenly distributing education to its youth. The articles I have read for this unit have a common theme regarding our education system. The authors illustrate to the reader about the struggles in America concerning how we obtain and education. Oppression, politics, racism, and socioeconomic status are a few examples of what is wrong with our country and its means of delivering a fair education to all Americans.
America’s education system is one of the most respectable, reputable and sought after commodities in our society, but it is also the most overcrowded, discriminatory, and controversial system ever established. Most people yearn for a higher education because it 's what 's expected in this society in order to get ahead. It means a better job, more money, power, prestige and a sense of entitlement. But this system has let down the children that are supposed to benefit from it. Education discriminates against minorities, and poorer class students are not expected nor encouraged to attain a higher education. The education system is set up to ensure that every child get a basic
One area that has been shaped by Puritan influence is public education. Puritans created the first free formal school in 1635 called Roxbury Latin School. The objective was for everyone to be capable to learn to read and have a better educated Puritan society. Consequently, the institution was so remarkably influential that just four years later, the first college, Harvard, was formed. Even younger kids, mostly ages 6-8, were able to attend a Dame school where they studied how to read. This system has many similarities to our public education system today. Children today go to elementary school where basic reading, writing, and math is taught, which can be
Today, education enables us to enlarge our knowledge and open doors for opportunities to the path of having a good future. In the five readings, each written by a different author, there was a lesson learned and something to take away from each one. Reading through the passages by Mann, Moore, Malcolm X, Gatto, Rose, and Anyon, each author contributed his or her point of view on general public education. This topic can be very argumentative depending on the quality of education people receive. Education today is the single most important mean for individuals to achieve their personal goals in the workforce.
An appropriate way to teach how the Puritans maintained their “family values” to an elementary student is to ask the students what they know about the Puritans. Then the teacher can hand out worksheets that includes a list of family values that are considered as good or bad and have students work together in groups of three. The students will then express what they think of these family values in the group. Finally, the teacher can go through all the answers of the worksheet in class.
Education plus God equals success. While this statement is true, the job of incorporating the truth about God into everything taught is becoming increasingly more difficult. Schultz charted public education’s view of reality, truth and value throughout the history of the United States to show how an unbiblical worldview has increasingly taken hold of society, the educational system and
" Education...beyond all other devices of human origin, is a great equalizer of conditions of men - - the balance wheel or the social machinery...It does better than to disarm the poor of their hostility toward the rich; it prevents being poor." Horace Mann said this over 150 years ago, but the real question is, is Mann's quote Myth or reality? I believe it is reality, or truthfully could become reality if one hundred percent of our schools jumped on the bandwagon to improve our student's education. Though this man made his statement in a very different time period, education has morphed and evolved. We have taken this saying on as well as transformed it to fit our generation. This is displayed through student equality within the schools, higher education opportunities, and the reality going to school not in but out of the medias eye.