Below are ten education philosophers/theorists and their contribution to education. To learn more about these individuals the person's name is linked to further information. I hope you enjoy and learn something new.
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Noah Webster is single handedly one of the most influential person in the development of the English language. He is the creator of the dictionary which purpose was to differentiate the English language from the language of monarchical England. He focused on morals and how everyone needs morals for the continuous flow of life. Webster's contribution to education was he designed a grammatical institute which will make an easy, accurate system of rules and lessons for teachers to teach the English language. Catherine Beecher was an advocate for the development of women’s opportunities by giving them the skills to be educated and become an educator. She changed schools forever by shifting the profession from all male teachers to majority female. Even today education is seen as a predominantly female profession. She changed the way society looked at the role of women because before Beecher, most women would not work outside of the homes. Beecher made it possible for women to be able to master in home duties and teach young children. Booker T. Washington was an educator and the most influential leader of his time. His philosophy was self help , racial solidarity and accomodation. Washington taught accept discrimination now to better yourself in the future. African Americans could elevate if they hard work and not fight what's going on currently. His book “The Future of The American Negro” gave a clear insight on his views and solutions. W.E.B DuBois was a well known historian and sociologist. He was also a leader to fight social justice for African Americans. DuBois main focus was to teach, train and mentor college educated black people. He was about of the movement to create change for African Americans with the organized called the NAACP. DuBois was the research and publicity director. Today the NAACP still works for the equality of African Americans. David Snedden was the Commissioner of Education in Massachusetts and a well known educator. He was a follower of Dewey and believed in a progressive way of teaching. Snedden advocated for vocational education and believed it should be in schools because vocational classes will prepare students for a specific job. Snedden was able to get vocational programs and many students took advantage of these programs. Margaret Haley was a well known teacher in the early 1900s. She was also the founder and leader if the Chicago Teachers Federation. Haley fought for the rights of teachers. Some things she fought for were increased salaries, job security and ending overcrowded classrooms. Haley has made a difference in education by making the board of education honor pay raises for teachers and get teachers pensions. Daisy Bates was a editor of a newspart in the African American community in Little Rock,Arkansas. She was also the president of the Arkansas chapter of the NAACP in 1957. Bates contribution to education was telling the stories of the students in her book, “ The Long Shadow of Little Rock” which explains the stories of Central High School when 9 African American students tried to attend the school. Bates was an active leader in integrating schools and continued to work on the status of African Americans in the South. Benjamin Rush was well known for his practice in medicine. As a professor of Chemistry in Penn’s medical department he published “A Syllabus of a Course of Lectures on Chemistry” which was the first American text in that subject. This lead to new developments in chemistry. He believed in the importances of passing knowledge down like his apprentice did for him. Rush continued to study medicine and focus on mental disorders. Charlotte Forten was a free African American who went to the south to teach newly freed slaves. She was very anxious to move to the south to teach due to the civil war but she took the chance. Even though she had fears she knew it was important to go teach the freed slaves because not many people were. Forten is most remembered by her diary entries discussing her experiences traveling to the south to teach and her experiences teaching. Ella Flagg Young worked hand and hand with Margaret Haley in Chicago. Young is recognized as the most significant theoretical voice of the teachers movement during the progressive era. She also was a popular figure because she was the first female appointed the superintendent of Chicago schools. Her main goals were improvement in teacher training, recognition of teaching as a profession and including vocational and physical training into the schools. Lastly, she was the first woman elected president of the National Education Association. |