• List some of the most important early educators in the world and explain their contributions to education
• Detail the major educational accomplishments of the early Eastern societies, the ancient Greeks, the ancient Romans, and the Europeans of the Middle Ages, Renaissance, Reformation, and Age of Reason.
  
• Analyze what life was like for the colonial school teacher, student and parent.
• Articulate the roles government played in colonial American soon after winning the War of Independence, in the 1800s, and in the early 20th century.
• Analyze how an understanding of early American educational history might be used to improve teaching today.
  

OUTLINE
EDUCATION IN OTHER CULTURES

THE BEGINNING OF EDUCATION (TO A.D. 476)

• It is generally believed that human beings have been on earth for several million years.
• Read pages 237-241.
  
• This chapter is devoted to a brief review of some of the early educational developments that occurred long before any formal education took place in the United States.
• Non-western education includes the significant contributions of Hindu Education, Hebrew education, Chinese education, and African education.
• Western education includes the significant contributions of the Greeks and the Romans.
• Age of Pericles: a period (455-431 B.C.) of Greek history in which sufficiently great strides were made in human advancement to generate an organized concern for formal education.
• Socratic method: a way of teaching that centers on the use of questions by the teacher to lead students to certain conclusions.
• Latin grammar school: an early type of school that emphasized the study of Latin, literature, history, mathematics, music, and dialectics.
• Carefully read Quintillan's contributions to education found on page 241.

EDUCATION IN THE MIDDLE AGES (476-1300), pages 241-243
The Dark Ages (400-1000)

• The Dark Ages was a period in the Western world when human learning and knowledge not only stood still but actually regressed - based on political and religious oppression of the common people.
• Charlemagne (742-814) realized the value of education and as ruler of a large part of Europe established schools and encourages scholarly activity.
• Alcuin (735-804) served as Charlemagne's chief educational advisor.  During this time the phrase "seven liberal arts" came into usage: grammar, rhetoric, logic, arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy.

The Revival of Learning

• Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) more than anyone else helped to change the church's views on learning.  [the College is named after him!]
• During this time medieval universities were established.

EDUCATION IN TRANSITION (1300-1700), pages 243-246

• Two very important movements took place during the transition period: the Renaissance and the Reformation.
• The Renaissance represented a rebellion on the part of the common people against the suppression they experienced from both the church and the wealthy that controlled their lives.  At that time masses of common people developed a spirit of inquiry and demanded a better life.
• The Reformation had its formal beginning in 1517.  In that year Martin Luther published his 95 theses which stated his disagreements with the Catholic Church.
• Ignatious of Loyola, to combat the Reformation movement, organized the Society of Jesus (jesuits) in 1540.
• Comenius is best remembered for his many textbooks, which were among the first to contain illustrations.
• Locke was an influential English educator in the 17th century.  He viewed a child's mind as a blank slate on which an education could be imprinted.

"DOES HISTORY OPEN A DOOR TO UNDERSTANDING THE PRESENT?"

• The Age of Reason: the beginning of the modern period of educational thought: a period in which leading European thinkers emphasized the importance of reason.  The writings of Voltaire strongly influenced the rationalist movement.
• Emergence of the common man: a concept that coincided with the Age of Reason and emphasized the rights of the common people for a better life, politically, economically, socially, and educationally.  Rousseau was a leading thinker promoting these ideas.
• Herbartian teaching method: an organized teaching method based on the principles of Pestalozzi that stresses learning by association and consists of five steps: preparation, presentation, association, generalization, and application.

THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF EDUCATION IN OUR DEVELOPING NATION
COLONIAL EDUCATION

• The early settlements on the East Coast were composed of groups of colonies: The Southern Colonies, the Middle Colonies, and the Northern Colonies (see page 250).

THE STRUGGLE FOR UNIVERSAL ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

• Common elementary school: schools designed to provide a basic elementary education for all children, originated in the mid-19th century.
• Compulsory education: school attendance that is required by law on theory that it is to the benefit of the state or commonwealth to educate all the people.

THE NEED FOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS

• example of schools that were developed found on pages 254-255.

FEDERAL INVOLVEMENT IN EDUCATION

• The US Constitution does not mention education.  Therefore, by virtue of the 10th Amendment - education is a function of each state.
• Even though the Constitution does not refer to education, the federal government has been active in educational affairs from the very beginning.  Some examples are: Northwest Ordinance, Morrill Land Grant, and the Smith-Hughes Act.

EVOLUTION OF TEACHING MATERIALS

• Read about the different advances on pages 257-260.

MEAGER EDUCATION FOR DIVERSE POPULATIONS

• Students of color, girls, and students with disabilities have been historically underserved by our educational system, and typically not even allowed to attend school until relatively recently.
• Read pages 260-263 about the marvelous contributions to right this wrong.

PRIVATE EDUCATION IN AMERICA

• Read pages 263-266 for the significant contributions of these schools in the American system.