Here's the most recent draft of my research paper. I have focused the paper more on the importance of creativity in the classroom, rather than just on the 4 educators and their techniques.
In his 2006 speech at the annual TED conference, Sir Ken Robinson expressed the notion that “creativity now is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status” (2006). Throughout the history of education in the Western world, the focus has been on standardized, regimented teaching methods, allowing for rote memorization and regurgitation while actively neglecting the importance of creativity in the classroom. In the mid to late 20th Century, there came to be a new generation of educators who came up with innovative and revolutionary educational theories and techniques, which placed an emphasis on fostering creativity and looking for new ways to teach students the basic subjects such as language arts, mathematics and the sciences. It is my contention that creativity needs to be returned to its rightful place in the classroom, as it has been shown to lead to greater academic and personal success, in contrast to the current educational system which has led to academic stagnation and the suppression of creativity. Education should in fact encourage students to be creative, yet it is often just a vehicle to turn creative children into conforming adults, with the cost being the loss of our inquisitive and creative natures.
The educational system found in the Western world during the early 20th Century was based on the belief that standardization and regimentation would lead to greater academic success while creating a more efficient teaching corps. The government administrators in charge of education were greatly influenced by the Industrial Revolution and the concepts that came from it, such as the assembly line method, in which an item is moved down an assembly line with each worker on responsible only for his specific task. In the educational system, the child would be passed down the assembly line, with the educators doing only what they were tasked to do. The focus of these educators was on preparing students for careers, either in the managerial and clerical sides of manufacturing or to have enough knowledge to enter the labor force with the ability to read, act professionally, and take direction well. There was no room for creativity and the study of the creative subjects such as art and music were seen as being frivolous expenditures. Once education became compulsory, the administrators began looking for a way to streamline the educational system, making vast budget cuts to those departments and subjects which would not directly prepare the students for entry into the work force.
Prior to World War II, they were a few progressives who began to voice their disenchantment with the current educational system. This number began to grow exponentially during the cultural revolution of the 1960s. The United States in the 1960s was going through a cultural shift in which young people began embracing Eastern philosophies and new age teachings as a way to open their minds to their creative forces. During this change in the culture, there arose a group of educators who began to question the current system and started to develop ideas to innovate and revolutionize the classroom experience and bring creativity back to the forefront of education. As noted psychologist Jean Piaget states, “The principle goal of education is to create students who are capable of doing new things, not simply of repeating what other generations have done - students who are creative, inventive and discoverers”(Piaget 247). The changes brought upon by this new generation of teachers opened the door to radical thought and discourse in the classroom which allowed educators to experiment with new teaching techniques, such as the incorporation of meditation, that would not only prepare students academically but would challenge them by bringing out their long stifled creativity.
In the field of English education, one educator stands out for his visionary take on teaching writing, by emphasizing creativity in the classroom. Author and teacher James Moffett was and is still regarded as a revolutionary guiding force in writing and language arts education for his new age approach to what had become a subject devoid of creativity as it had become focused strictly on meeting basic writing requirements. As Moffett himself states in the preface of his book Active Voices, “Originality is the essence of true scholarship. Creativity is the soul of the true scholar”(Moffett 4). His work influenced teachers not only of his generation but also those that followed, and led to many innovations in the field of teaching writing. His ideas differed greatly from the previous ideology of focusing on spelling, grammar, and formatted composition writing such as the 5 paragraph theme. Moffett's concepts such as the four levels of discourse, a focus on discourse in the writing process, inner speech vs outer speech, and incorporating meditation into the writing process were radically new in the educational field. These concepts so impressed and inspired English teachers and professors that when introduced by Moffett, mimeograph copies of his curricula were secretly made and distributed within the circle of English and language arts educators.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Essay Map
Here's a general outline/essay map that will help me frame the organizational structure of my research paper.
General Introduction
Historical Context Information
Introduction to James Moffett
Explanation of Moffett's Theories and Techniques
Analysis and Results of Moffett's Approach
Introduction to Paulo Freire
Explanation of Freire's Theories and Techniques
Analysis and Results of Freire's Theories and Techniques
Introduction to Jaime Escalante
Explanation of Escalante's Theories and Techniques
Analysis and Results and Escalanate's Theories and Techniques
Introduction to Geoffrey Canada
Explanation of Canada's Theories and Techniques
Analysis and Results of Canada's Theories and Techniques
Detailed Comparison between the 4 Educators
Discussion of the Current State of Education and Whether or not the Theories and Techniques of the 4 Educators Have Been Applied in Other Environments
Conclusion
Works Cited
General Introduction
Historical Context Information
Introduction to James Moffett
Explanation of Moffett's Theories and Techniques
Analysis and Results of Moffett's Approach
Introduction to Paulo Freire
Explanation of Freire's Theories and Techniques
Analysis and Results of Freire's Theories and Techniques
Introduction to Jaime Escalante
Explanation of Escalante's Theories and Techniques
Analysis and Results and Escalanate's Theories and Techniques
Introduction to Geoffrey Canada
Explanation of Canada's Theories and Techniques
Analysis and Results of Canada's Theories and Techniques
Detailed Comparison between the 4 Educators
Discussion of the Current State of Education and Whether or not the Theories and Techniques of the 4 Educators Have Been Applied in Other Environments
Conclusion
Works Cited
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Preliminary Draft of Research Paper
In his 2006 speech at the annual TED conference, Sir Ken Robinson expressed the notion that “creativity now is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status” (2006). Throughout the history of education in the Western world, the focus has been on standardized, regimented teaching methods, allowing for rote memorization and regurgitation while actively neglecting the importance of creativity in the classroom. In the mid to late 20th Century, there came to be a new generation of educators who came up with innovative and revolutionary educational theories and techniques, which placed an emphasis on fostering creativity and looking for new ways to teach students the basic subjects such as language arts, mathematics and the sciences. This paper will focus on four key educators and their contributions to the modern educational landscape: James Moffett, Paulo Freire, Jaime Escalante and Geoffrey Canada. It will examine the innovations made by each of these pioneers and illustrate how their implementation has lead to greater academic and personal success, in contrast to the archaic educational system it was preceded by, which led to academic stagnation and the suppression of creativity.
The educational system found in the Western world during the early 20th Century was based on the belief that standardization and regimentation would lead to greater academic success while creating a more efficient teaching corps. Those in charge of children's education were greatly influenced by the Industrial Revolution and the successes that sprung from concepts such as the assembly line method. The focus of education was on preparing students for careers, either in the managerial and clerical sides of manufacturing or to have enough knowledge to enter the labor force with the ability to read, act professionally, and take direction well. There was no room for creativity and the study of the creative subjects such as art and music were seen as being frivolous expenditures. Once education became compulsory, administrators began looking for a way to streamline the educational system, making budget cuts first to those departments and subject which would not directly prepare the students for entry into the work force.
Prior to the World War II, they were a few progressives who began to voice their disenchantment with the current educational system. Prominent educators such as John Dewey, of the University of Chicago, attempted to make profound changes to the system, with varying degrees of success. However, after the war, the country once again became quite conservative and this filtered down into the educational system as well. A prominent school of thought, known as the administrative progressives came into power in the formation of the American educational system. They believed in a centralized, bureaucratic system in which control was stripped from the local school boards and granted to larger bodies often in charge of entire cities and regions. A hierarchy was established in which even these regional bodies had to answer to bureaucrats on the state and federal levels. The administrative progressives are responsible for many features of modern American education, especially high schools: career counseling programs, the move from many small local high schools to large centralized high schools, rigid curricula focusing on grammar, reading and rudimentary arithmetic and other forms of standardization. It can be argued that these so called “progressive” reformers replaced a varied and often times challenging liberal arts curriculum with ever-lower standards and indoctrination, particularly in inner-city schools, which thereby prevented the great majority of students from achieving their full potential.
During the cultural revolution of the 1960s, many educators began to question the system and started to develop ideas to innovate and revolutionize education. Many of the implemented reforms in the United States education system stemmed from the Civil Rights Movement and other social issues at the time including the end of racial segregation, the introduction of affirmative action, and banning of school prayer. These changes opened the door to radical thought in the classroom and allowed for educators to experiment with new teaching techniques that would not only prepare students academically but would challenge them and bring out their creativity to the forefront. We will begin to explore these educators and the profound and lasting effect their methods and theories have had on the American educational system.
In the field of writing, one educator stands out for his visionary approach to turning the world of English education on its head and building the foundation for the teaching methods employed today. Author and educator James Moffett revolutionized writing and language arts education for elementary, secondary and higher learning institutions. His work influenced teaching and led to many innovations in the educational field of teaching writing. Moffett's ideas differed greatly from the previous ideology of focusing on spelling, grammar, and formatted composition writing such as the 5 paragraph theme. Concepts such as the four levels of discourse, a focus on discourse in the writing process, inner speech vs outer speech, and incorporating meditation into the writing process were new to the educational field and impressed and inspired English teachers and professors when introduced by Moffett.
The educational system found in the Western world during the early 20th Century was based on the belief that standardization and regimentation would lead to greater academic success while creating a more efficient teaching corps. Those in charge of children's education were greatly influenced by the Industrial Revolution and the successes that sprung from concepts such as the assembly line method. The focus of education was on preparing students for careers, either in the managerial and clerical sides of manufacturing or to have enough knowledge to enter the labor force with the ability to read, act professionally, and take direction well. There was no room for creativity and the study of the creative subjects such as art and music were seen as being frivolous expenditures. Once education became compulsory, administrators began looking for a way to streamline the educational system, making budget cuts first to those departments and subject which would not directly prepare the students for entry into the work force.
Prior to the World War II, they were a few progressives who began to voice their disenchantment with the current educational system. Prominent educators such as John Dewey, of the University of Chicago, attempted to make profound changes to the system, with varying degrees of success. However, after the war, the country once again became quite conservative and this filtered down into the educational system as well. A prominent school of thought, known as the administrative progressives came into power in the formation of the American educational system. They believed in a centralized, bureaucratic system in which control was stripped from the local school boards and granted to larger bodies often in charge of entire cities and regions. A hierarchy was established in which even these regional bodies had to answer to bureaucrats on the state and federal levels. The administrative progressives are responsible for many features of modern American education, especially high schools: career counseling programs, the move from many small local high schools to large centralized high schools, rigid curricula focusing on grammar, reading and rudimentary arithmetic and other forms of standardization. It can be argued that these so called “progressive” reformers replaced a varied and often times challenging liberal arts curriculum with ever-lower standards and indoctrination, particularly in inner-city schools, which thereby prevented the great majority of students from achieving their full potential.
During the cultural revolution of the 1960s, many educators began to question the system and started to develop ideas to innovate and revolutionize education. Many of the implemented reforms in the United States education system stemmed from the Civil Rights Movement and other social issues at the time including the end of racial segregation, the introduction of affirmative action, and banning of school prayer. These changes opened the door to radical thought in the classroom and allowed for educators to experiment with new teaching techniques that would not only prepare students academically but would challenge them and bring out their creativity to the forefront. We will begin to explore these educators and the profound and lasting effect their methods and theories have had on the American educational system.
In the field of writing, one educator stands out for his visionary approach to turning the world of English education on its head and building the foundation for the teaching methods employed today. Author and educator James Moffett revolutionized writing and language arts education for elementary, secondary and higher learning institutions. His work influenced teaching and led to many innovations in the educational field of teaching writing. Moffett's ideas differed greatly from the previous ideology of focusing on spelling, grammar, and formatted composition writing such as the 5 paragraph theme. Concepts such as the four levels of discourse, a focus on discourse in the writing process, inner speech vs outer speech, and incorporating meditation into the writing process were new to the educational field and impressed and inspired English teachers and professors when introduced by Moffett.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Sample Introductory Paragraph
In his 2006 speech at the annual TED conference, Sir Ken Robinson expressed the notion that “creativity now is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status” (2006). Throughout the history of education in the Western world, the focus has been on standardized, regimented teaching methods, allowing for rote memorization and regurgitation while actively neglecting the importance of creativity in the classroom. In the mid to late 20th Century, there came to be a new generation of educators who came up with innovative and revolutionary educational theories and techniques, which placed an emphasis on fostering creativity and looking for new ways to teach students the basic subjects such as language arts, mathematics and the sciences. This paper will focus on four key educators and their contributions to the modern educational landscape: James Moffett, Paulo Freire, Jaime Escalante and Geoffrey Canada. It will examine the innovations made by each of these pioneers and illustrate how their implementation has lead to greater academic and personal success, in contrast to the archaic educational system it was preceded by, which led to academic stagnation and the suppression of creativity.
My Annotated Bibliogrpahy: A Work In Progress
Annotated Bibliography
1. Moffett, James. A Student-Centered Language Arts Curriculum, Grades K-13. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1973.
This is Moffett's handbook detailing his approach to teaching writing. In it he explains his theories on the student-centered approach and techniques he developed while at Phillips Exeter Academy.
2. Andrews, Richard. "Moffett and Rhetoric." Changing English: Studies in Culture & Education 17.3 (2010): 251-260. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.
This is an article I found on EBSCOhost through the library database. It was recently published in September 2010 and discusses Moffett's use of rhetoric and discourse in his attempt to change English teaching from a standardized, regimented system to one allowing for techniques that were normally reserved for higher education.
3. Timpson, William M. "Paulo Freire." Educational Leadership 45.5 (1988): 62. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.
This is another article I found on EBSCOhost through the library database. This article discusses the views of noted Brazilian educator Paulo Friere and his thoughts about student empowerment and overcoming student apathy. Freire was one of the educators highlighted along with Moffett in my ENG220: Seminar in Teaching Writing Course.
4. Freire, Paulo. "Banking Concept of Education." (n.d.): CUNY+ Online Catalog. EBSCO. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.
This is Freire's seminal article in which he outlines what he refers to as the “banking” concept of education, in which teachers are seen as the depositors and the students as the depositories. He decries this methodology and the teacher-student dichotomy and feels that a system in which the power hierarchy is removed and allows for problem-posing instead of rote memorization is best for students' success.
5. Escalante, Jaime, and Jack Dirmann. "The Jaime Escalante Math Program." Journal of Negro Education 59.3 (1990): 407-23. ERIC. EBSCO. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.
This journal article I found on JSTOR discusses the success of Escalante's math program which he developed as a teacher at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles, California. It also outlines the principle elements of Escalante's all encompassing teaching method.
6. Meek, Anne. "On Creating Ganas: A Conversation with Jaime Escalante." Educational Leadership 46.5 (1989): 46. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.
This article is an interview with Escalante, in which he discusses his views on teaching and gives an overivew of his teaching methods and techniques for increasing the success of minority students in mathematics.
7. Exum, Kaitlen J. "Canada, Geoffrey." Current Biography 66.2 (2005): 9. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.
This article is a profile of educator Geoffrey Canada, well known for his work at the Harlem Children's Zone, a community based organization which combines the worlds of education, social services and community building in order to increase academic success for minority and poverty stricken students. The article details the theories behind Canada's approach since taking over as president of the organization.
8. Paul Tough. "The Harlem Project:After nearly a decade of welfare reform and small-bore anti-poverty programs, Geoffrey Canada has a radical new thesis: If you really want to change the lives of inner-city kids, change everything -- their schools, their families, their neighborhood -- all at once..." New York Times (1923-Current file) 20 Jun2004,ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 – 2007), ProQuest. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.
This article is an in-depth look at the Harlem Children's Zone and its president Geoffrey Canada. It discusses the success of the program and looks at Canada's theory that in order to achieve academic success you must take a holistic approach and work on both the internal and external factors of a child's life.
I am still looking for two more sources, perhaps in new media such as a Youtube video or blog, since I would like to incorporate these in my research paper. I have not used these forms of media before for the purposes of an academic paper, so I am looking forward to see what I can utilize.
1. Moffett, James. A Student-Centered Language Arts Curriculum, Grades K-13. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1973.
This is Moffett's handbook detailing his approach to teaching writing. In it he explains his theories on the student-centered approach and techniques he developed while at Phillips Exeter Academy.
2. Andrews, Richard. "Moffett and Rhetoric." Changing English: Studies in Culture & Education 17.3 (2010): 251-260. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.
This is an article I found on EBSCOhost through the library database. It was recently published in September 2010 and discusses Moffett's use of rhetoric and discourse in his attempt to change English teaching from a standardized, regimented system to one allowing for techniques that were normally reserved for higher education.
3. Timpson, William M. "Paulo Freire." Educational Leadership 45.5 (1988): 62. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.
This is another article I found on EBSCOhost through the library database. This article discusses the views of noted Brazilian educator Paulo Friere and his thoughts about student empowerment and overcoming student apathy. Freire was one of the educators highlighted along with Moffett in my ENG220: Seminar in Teaching Writing Course.
4. Freire, Paulo. "Banking Concept of Education." (n.d.): CUNY+ Online Catalog. EBSCO. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.
This is Freire's seminal article in which he outlines what he refers to as the “banking” concept of education, in which teachers are seen as the depositors and the students as the depositories. He decries this methodology and the teacher-student dichotomy and feels that a system in which the power hierarchy is removed and allows for problem-posing instead of rote memorization is best for students' success.
5. Escalante, Jaime, and Jack Dirmann. "The Jaime Escalante Math Program." Journal of Negro Education 59.3 (1990): 407-23. ERIC. EBSCO. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.
This journal article I found on JSTOR discusses the success of Escalante's math program which he developed as a teacher at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles, California. It also outlines the principle elements of Escalante's all encompassing teaching method.
6. Meek, Anne. "On Creating Ganas: A Conversation with Jaime Escalante." Educational Leadership 46.5 (1989): 46. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.
This article is an interview with Escalante, in which he discusses his views on teaching and gives an overivew of his teaching methods and techniques for increasing the success of minority students in mathematics.
7. Exum, Kaitlen J. "Canada, Geoffrey." Current Biography 66.2 (2005): 9. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.
This article is a profile of educator Geoffrey Canada, well known for his work at the Harlem Children's Zone, a community based organization which combines the worlds of education, social services and community building in order to increase academic success for minority and poverty stricken students. The article details the theories behind Canada's approach since taking over as president of the organization.
8. Paul Tough. "The Harlem Project:After nearly a decade of welfare reform and small-bore anti-poverty programs, Geoffrey Canada has a radical new thesis: If you really want to change the lives of inner-city kids, change everything -- their schools, their families, their neighborhood -- all at once..." New York Times (1923-Current file) 20 Jun2004,ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 – 2007), ProQuest. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.
This article is an in-depth look at the Harlem Children's Zone and its president Geoffrey Canada. It discusses the success of the program and looks at Canada's theory that in order to achieve academic success you must take a holistic approach and work on both the internal and external factors of a child's life.
I am still looking for two more sources, perhaps in new media such as a Youtube video or blog, since I would like to incorporate these in my research paper. I have not used these forms of media before for the purposes of an academic paper, so I am looking forward to see what I can utilize.
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