Category Archives: Multiculturalism, Nationalism, and the Role(s) of Education

An example of the blue back speller

http://www.merrycoz.org/books/spelling/pages/amer100.jpg

Another example

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product_slideshow/1184689241?sku=94691&actual_sku=94691

http://www.merrycoz.org/books/spelling/SPELLING.HTM

http://books.google.com/books?id=o6MSAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=A+Grammatical+Institute+of+the+English+Language.&source=bl&ots=UweJAY1H-s&sig=8KiSmApatZx29bjmG6Ge_L3LgOI&hl=en&ei=9IdmTfjgB4LcgQeRjvDFDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q&f=false

Noah Webster, On the Education of Youth in America

http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/v1ch18s26.html

Jedidiah Morse’s Geography Made Easy

http://usm.maine.edu/maps/sites/default/files/OsherAdmin/exhibition/exhibition-image/12-5b-5.jpg

Mercy Otis Warren’s History of the Rise, Progress, and Termination of the American Revolution

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/History_of_the_Rise%2C_Progress%2C_and_Termination_of_the_American_Revolution.jpg



Thomas Jefferson believed that “education should provide the average citizen with tools of reading and writing and that political beliefs would be formed through the exercise of reason”…. and that an “an individual is ‘endowed with a sense of right and wrong . . . this sense is as much as part of his nature as the sense of hearing, seeing, feeling; it is the true foundation of morality'” (55). I agree with Jefferson. As long as a person has enough information about a certain subject matter, they can decide for themselves which is right or wrong. Education is supposed to help guide children along the right path and impose strong morals, however, it is up to the child himself to decide what he wants to think and do. Through my years of schooling, teachers and professors are there to probe students to think and analyze more critically– by providing sufficient information to help students determine what they think is the best answer. Jefferson and I both believe that children and adults, alike, have the capabilities to make good decisions through learning and education. Jefferson has a more contemporary view on learning and would identify with more people in modern society.

“Urban families believed that … childhood was a stage of life where character could be shaped to make the virtuous adult. Schools were seen as logical institutions for the extension of childhood that would protect and mold children” (60). It is important to keep children from the dangers of the streets and to prevent them from falling down the wrong path. A way parents thought that was possible, was to put children in school, where they could learn and possibly better themselves. However, there are exceptions. Sometimes children act out in schools and form posses and cliques that often alienate others. It becomes a hostile environment for some children, so how can we ensure that schools are the best alternative? And what should be regulated in schools to make sure that children are getting the best education possible?

Noah Webster’s belief that the main purpose of American schools is to impose moral and political values as well as stir up feelings of patriotism among students aren’t exactly farfetched when considering the system of American education many of us have been a part of for most of our young lives. As children, we were constantly required to pledge allegiance to the United States. We were also constantly reminded of the importance of being properly educated in order to be proud, active, and successful members of our country and society. Of course there are major problems with Webster’s views on education, mainly his allusion to American cultural superiority and dominance. But one shouldn’t fault him for that, as I believe that had to do with the historical significance of his time period.

Thomas Jefferson’s views, on the other hand, are more in line with my own personal beliefs on the purpose of education and schooling in America. It was Jefferson’s belief that individuals should be able to form their own opinions based on “the tools of reading and writing and political beliefs would be formed through the exercise of reason” (pg.55). This belief stems from the principles on which this country was founded upon, including the freedom to form and express one’s own opinions and the freedom to believe what one wishes to believe. As the state of education continues to evolve, it is important that schools continue to operate under these sound principles and continue to mold students into individuals who are able to think critically and freely. However, as was the case with Webster, these ideas and principles are viewed differently and take on different meaning depending on changes in political and cultural environments.

As the political landscape of this country continuously shifts and changes, will this debate, of the role and purpose of education gain momentum and become more relevant? If so, how will that affect the ability for our educational system to progress and improve, if at all?

One of the most interesting ideas within the chapter is presented by Noah Webster’s educational ideology. In today’s society, there is a gradual change towards diversity within the school setting, something that according to Webster was not the main goal of education. Even though there are few remnants of his perspective in today’s school, American education is not “thought” to be a place to indoctrinate political or religious loyalties. In contrast, Jefferson’s belief of schooling was to create active thinkers and the purpose of education was to give the tools for such. This is an important aspect of education because you have to present students the tools to form their own opinions and question their environment, not simply mold them to think a specific way.

Like stated in the book, in the early 19th century there were many concerns about the college curriculum. Colleges were often guided by their sectarian preference and what type of student they catered to. However, as society evolved and emphasis on the sciences grew, the curriculum changed in the hope of educating individuals that are in tune with the changing times. Can these colleges truly emphasize practical education without being influenced by denominational or political ambitions? Was college education readily available to any talented or competent individual? Is it today?