This ~n~ That: How Firm a Foundation

Schools buy into expensive programs and implement passing fads rather than invest in the foundational ideas that undergird methods of teaching.
Methods alone do not make a school a Mason school; this produces shallow results
No information should be given without an informing idea

A Look at Various Educational Models Used Throughout History

Classical Model

Industrial Revolution/Apprenticeship Model

Factory owners recruited whole families, trained skilled laborers
Began school run by the industry
1911 Frederick Taylor wrote Principles of Management; encouraged industry to monitor workers’ time not related to work
Industry gets involved in Education; propaganda campaign to convince citizens that vocational training is good for America.
Similar to German Model which placed education under the auspices of the Department of Commerce & Labor.
Three types of learners: Cultural, Industrial, Factory
Education is for social engineering
Teachers are public servants; present ideas of controlling majority
Principles of Industrial Education:
§ Education for training for trade/vocation
§ Children are raw material
§ Schools are like factory plants
§ Architecture of school building mimics factory, ie., classroom designed to look like shop floor
§ Middle school years explore possible vocations
§ Test for aptitude, “probable destiny”
§ Student placed into appropriate “tier”
§ Utilitarian methods: Standardized tests, textbooks, strict schedule
§ CM believed this type of education to be immoral

Humanitarian Progressivism

Shifting Sand
Against industry slavery of children, adults
Persons above profit
Wanted reform of industrial educational model
Education is equalizer of opportunity
John Dewey:
§ Science has potential to improve or debase society
§ Dominant vocation of humans is living
§ School environment:
Free play
Hands on
Democratic atmosphere
Integrated curriculum
Emulate real life
Loop learning
Balance of Liberal Arts & Vocational studies
Free of authoritarianism
§ Education is intelligent art of shaping beliefs and desires of children
§ Education reform enough for social revolution
§ Education should have child-centered instruction
Learning centers
Unit Study
§ Mason not child centered; she did not believe humans were at the center of the universe
§ Mason: Education is an Atmosphere
§ Even very young children are capable, insulted by twaddle
§ Students should dig for relationships between subjects not teachers
§ Contrived grouping of students silly to Mason
§ Outer character change, futile; only inner change produces real, lasting change

Mason’s Foundation

After viewing “Triumph of St. Thomas Acquanis & the Allegory of the Sciences" by Andrea Da Firenze 1344-1377, Mason came to the impelling,underlying conclusion: All Knowledge is derived from God through the Holy Spirit.
By studying Living Things, we learn that God is life
Study of Math, God is form, order
Study of Arts, God is beautiful
Study of Languages, God communicates
Study of History, we learn of the evolution of the relationship between God and man.
Teacher spreads a feast of ideas before the learner
Teacher allows student to ingest, digest what is proper for him
Trinity of education, Knowledge of God, Knowledge of Man, Knowledge of the Universe
Of God: Bible, character
Of man: Humanities, Arts
Universe: Science, math
History is the pivot of a CM education
Literature & Languages, Math & Science, Arts, Bible & Character extend from History studies
All learning comes from Holy Spirit
Mason approach connects learning: careful observations leads to relation to prior knowledge leads to assimilation of new knowledge leads to expression of knowledge leads to (?slide changed before I got it)
Trivium, Grades, Behaviorism, Isolated Skills not needed in Mason method

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