Print This!Education in Colonial America
Dickson A. Mungazi, author of The Evolution of Educational Theory in the United States, placed a vast amount of weight on the importance of education. He claimed, "There is no better way to understand a society's assessment of its own success or failure than an examination of its theories of education."
For colonial America, this sentiment regarding education took some time to establish itself. Schools began remarkably informally and the scope of intellectual curiosity remained quite narrow. Throughout the 17th century and for much of the 18th century, American schooling focused nearly exclusively on Christianity and the Scriptures, something that can be greatly attributed to the Great Awakening of the 1740s. As R.C. Simmons writes, the "ideal graduate was someone like Jonathan Edwards - clergyman, theologian and minor philosopher."
But as new intellectual ideas and theories came across the Atlantic alongside the vast amount of immigrants, many of whom were well-educated, education and schooling began to drastically alter. Certainly, it remained connected with the church, but under the influence of men like Nathaniel Bacon and Benjamin Franklin, schooling began to expand in its goals.
An examination of the foundations of American schools and philosophies on education provides one with an incredible background when examining education today. Moreover, and perhaps most importantly, it offers us a glimpse into the principles upon which America was founded. If one agrees with professor Mungazi, education truly does speak volumes about a culture and society as a whole.
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At Intellectual Takeout, we think it's about time freedom went viral.
Before our generation is the opportunity to embrace freedom, to unleash each individual's potential, and to have a prosperous future. And yet it seems that almost everyone running our cities, states, and federal government is intent on destroying freedom and burying us in debt to pay for it.
If you, like us, believe that...
Education history in America is important to know. ITO traces how education has changed from the colonial period to present day America.
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In the genre of documentaries revealing the problems with public education, "Kids Aren't Cars" focuses on helping us understand how schools are modeled after a factory system and what we need to do to change them. Understandably, treating kids as if they are a product to be manufactured has had detrimental effects on children going through the system and the overall level of education in America...
"Many parents and taxpayers feel helpless because the problems can seem so monumental. 'Kids Aren't Cars' director Kyle Olson reviews what he learned in the filmmaking process and the small things individuals can do that will add up to make a big difference."
Here's Kyle being interviewed on a few things you can do and share with friends, family, and educators:
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Okay, so your friends and family keep telling you to jump
on the social media bandwagon, but you have no idea what the fuzz is about.
Here’s the deal: The Internet gives liberty-loving folk like
us an opportunity we have never had before: to make the case for individual
liberty, limited government and free market economics instantly and globally.
But with the vast amounts of information...
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Are you concerned your child isn't getting the education necessary to compete in the global economy or even, perhaps, to carry on the lessons and learning of Western Civilization? If so, you have a number of choices. You could, of course, consider changing schools to a charter school, private school, or even homeschooling. If that's overwhelming for you right now, you can always supplement your...
Curiously, not a few individuals are realizing that their education (K-12 and even college) neglected to provide them with as much understanding of the world as they would like. At Intellectual Takeout, we believe that however you feel about your education, there is still much to be learned. To that end, we'd like to refer you to one book and a collection of "study guides" that serve as...
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While there are a variety of really good documentaries about the failing public school systems in America, "The Cartel" stands alone in its frontal assault on the teacher unions, particularly those in New Jersey. If you'd like to get an inside look into how some teacher unions operate and the effects they have on education, you'll want to watch "The Cartel."From the movie's website: "This movie...
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Here’s the trailer:
You can watch the whole movie right now with the help of Hulu...
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How often do you hear conservatives being called a bunch of knuckle-dragging Neanderthals?
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On Campus
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Whatever activism you choose to do on campus, you need to get your
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lot of people in your city, state, and country that can probably
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while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the
forms to which they are accustomed."
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you're not happy with the direction of the country and you want to take
back your future, at some point you will have to do something. It's not
enough to just know that we're going in the wrong direction. You
actually have to step out and get involved.
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out for it, either. For those of you who are, this completely non-partisan section is for you.
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we're not going to spend time on telling you how to get elected. A good
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We've built Intellectual Takeout to provide you with quick, easy access to information. In time, we hope to become your one-stop-shop for the ideas of freedom.
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