Based on the belief that a grounding in the philosophical and social foundations of American education will better equip prospective teachers for the diverse climate of contemporary education. This book is for upper-undergraduate and graduate courses in the Philosophical and/or Social Foundations of Education.

For upper-undergraduate and graduate courses in the Philosophical and/or Social Foundations of Education. This scholarly new text is based on the belief that a solid grounding in the philosophical and social foundations of American education will better equip prospective teachers for the diverse climate of contemporary education. It links a rich compendium of primary source readings to thorough coverage of concepts in a chronologically arranged presentation that takes readers from the educational views of the ancients to those of today's postmodernists. Detailed, engaging case stories and numerous opportunities for reflection leave students with an understanding of both educational philosophy and the application of that philosophy in the K-12 classroom.

1. The Early Period (5th Century BCE to 4th Century CE).
Educational Philosophy and the Role of the Teacher
Pre-18th Century
Expansion of Teacher Education Programs
New Satndards for Teacher Education
Why Study Educational Philosophy?
Some Comments on Philosophical Thought
Discussion Questions
Suggested Activities
Connecting Philosophy to Theory and Practice: Preliminary Thoughts on Defining a Personal Philosophy of Education
References
2. Perennialism and Essentialism.
Important Names
Important Terms
Focus Questions
Introduction
Plato (428-347 B.C. E)
Excerpt From Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, Book II
Discussion Questions
Suggested Activities
Case Study for Reflection: Ronald and Socrates
Case Story Follow-Up Activities
References
3. The Middle Ages (5th to 14th Centuries).
Improtant Names
Important Terms
Focus Questions
Introduction
Mortimer Adler (1902-2001)
Arthur Bestor (1908-1994)
E.D. Hirsch, Jr. (1928- )
Robert M. Hutchins (1899-1977)
Theodore Sizer (1932- )
What This Means for Schools
What This Means for Connecting Philosophy to Theory and Practice
Discussion Questions
Suggested Activities
Connecting Philosophy to Theory and Practice: Defining Your Personal Philosophy of Education
References
4. Scholasticism.
Important Names
Important Terms
Focus Questions
Introduction
Boethius (c. 480-c. 526)
Peter Abelard (c. 1079 -1142)
John Duns Scotus (c. 1266-1308)
William of Ockham (1285-1347
Contributions of the Scholastic Period to the Present Time
Jacques Martain (1882-1973)
What This Means for Schools
What This Means for Connecting Philosophy to Theory and Practice
Discussion Questions
Suggested Activities
Connecting Philosophy to Theory and Practice: Defining Your Personal Philosophy of Education
References
5. The Early Modern Period (15th to 18th Centuries).
Important Names
Important Terms
Focus Questions
Introduction
Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
Rene Descartes(1596-1650)
John Locke (1632-1704)
Excerpt from Some Thoughts Concerning Education, by John Locke
Discussion Questions
Suggested Activities
Case Story for Reflection: Benjamin
Case Story Follow-Up Activities
References
6. The Dawning of the Child-Centered Curriculum.
Important Names
Important Terms
Focus Questions
Introduction
Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)
Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (1746-1827)
Friedrich Froebel (1782-1852)
What This Means for Schools
What This Means for Connecting Educational Philosophy to Theory and Practice
Discussion Questions
Suggested Activities
Connecting Philosophy to Theory and Practice: Defining Your Personal Philosophy of Education
References
7. The Contemporary Period (19th and 20th Centuries).
Important Names
Important Terms
Focus Questions
Introduction
John Dewey (1859-1952)
Existentialism
Postmodernism
My Pedagogic Creed by John Dewey
Discussion Questions
Suggested Activities
Case Study for Reflection: Mr. Cisco's Social Studies Class
Case Story for Follow-Up Activities
References
8. Progressivism and Constructivism.
Important Names
Important Terms
Focus Questions
Introduction
Progressivism
Contructivism
What This Means for Schools
What This Means for Connecting Philosophy to Theory and Practice
Discussion Questions
Suggested Activities
Connecting Philosophy to Theory and Practice: Defining Your Personal Philosophy of Education
References
9. Some Thoughts Concerning Education: Directions for the Twenty-First Century.
Writing Your Personal Philosophy of Education
References
Glossary.
Name Index.
Subject Index.