“Synergy may be defined as two or more things functioning together to produce a result not independently obtainable.” —Wikipedia Democracy and education should have a synergistic relationship. Whether they do have a synergistic relationship is an interesting point of inquiry. As David Miller (2003) points out, “Democracy…is a demanding business. It requires people to take … Continue reading
Notions of liberty, truth, justice, and citizenship are all bound to be interpreted according to an overall ideological orientation. The meaning of each will be shaped and colored by individual, social, and cultural beliefs about their fundamental purposes. For me, each ought to be interpreted according to its contributions toward interdependence. Interdependence is basically the … Continue reading
During the early 20th century, the American schools, society, and economy were rapidly accelerating. “Between 1890 and 1930, over 22 million [immigrants] came to the United States, including almost 3 million children. For them, school was the place where the American Dream was nurtured and the future itself took shape” (As American as Public School: … Continue reading
“…nobody ever brings anything small into a bar.” —Elwood P. Dowd (played by Jimmy Stewart) Harvey (1950) I think that the same thing might be said of a classroom. Like the bar patrons described by Elwood Dowd in Harvey, teachers and students alike enter classrooms along with “the big terrible things they’ve done and … Continue reading
