In Classroom Conversations, two generations of educators—a mother and daughter—point us to the great thinkers who have shaped their beliefs and practices in education, and who continue to influence teachers today. Nineteen essays by educators from Dewey to Delpit offer parents and new educators an education degree in a nutshell. The Milettas frame these touchstone texts with commentary explaining why these writers resonate for them, sharing not only the personal meanings they have derived from the selections but why these writings have endured in the field over time. Brief biographies set each author in context for the lay reader. As educational fads and jargon come and go, parents and teachers alike will appreciate and find value in the wisdom distilled here. Classroom Conversations will help experienced teachers find renewed meaning in these seminal essays and will help younger teachers discover just how important the work they do can be. For parents, the book will inform and enrich their understanding of their children’s educational experience.

The history of American education is a vital and productive field of study. This reference book provides factual information about eminent people and important topics related to the development of American public, private, and parochial schools, covering elementary and secondary levels. In addition to major state and regional leaders and reformers, it includes biographies of significant national educators, philosophers, psychologists, and writers. Subjects embrace important ideas, events, institutions, agencies, and pedagogical trends that profoundly shaped American policies and perceptions regarding education. The more than 350 entries are arranged alphabetically and written by expert contributors. Each entry closes with a brief bibliography, and the volume ends with a list of works for further reading. Entries were drawn from a review of leading history of education textbooks and the History of Education Quarterly. These topics were further refined by comments from leading authorities and the contributors. Most of the contributors are established scholars in the history of education, curriculum and instruction, school law, educational administration, and American history; a few also work as public and private school teachers and thus bring their practical experience to their entries. The period covered begins in the colonial period and continues through the 1990s.

This volume argues that educational problems have their basis in an ideology of binary opposites often referred to as dualism, and that it is partly because mainstream schooling incorporates dualism that it is unable to facilitate the thinking skills, dispositions and understandings necessary for autonomy, democratic citizenship and leading a meaningful life. Bleazby proposes an approach to schooling termed "social reconstruction learning," in which students engage in philosophical inquiries with members of their community in order to reconstruct real social problems, arguing that this pedagogy can better facilitate independent thinking, imaginativeness, emotional intelligence, autonomy, and active citizenship.

ocial Reconstruction as a philosophy, stream of thought or “official program” ois often synonymous with Depression-era Progressivism. But, Social Reconstruction, unlike progressivism, enjoyed political stardom. The spirit of progressivism, at least in terms of education, found a home in those enthusiasts who supported a child-centered perspective of education. Others, such as the essentialists viewed their progressive role as one that advanced the view of essential or basic education as the most sound approach to curriculum and teaching. Still others, more radical in their outlook, believed that progress should be framed with questions about social justice and equity. Proponents of social reconstruction included Harold Rugg and George Counts, although the “movement” was rich with supporters. To date, social reconstruction is only a by word in most texts that deal with the Progressive Era or progressive education, perhaps, because Rugg and Counts, the two most visible proponents, sought and received the political limelight, no matter how glaring. In any event, the depths of social reconstruction have yet to be plumbed. Hence, the first book in this series will offer a comprehensive treatment of Social Reconstruction, which include chapters that examine its proponents, political nature, and social justice programs born of and within the tumultuous context of progressive politics.

Originally published in 1977 and compiled over a period of 25 years of teaching and research in the fields of education and anthropology, this annotated bibliography was designed as a single source reflecting (1) historical influences (2) current trends (3) theoretical concerns and (4) practical methodology at the interfaces of these disciplines. All entries, listed alphabetically by author, are numbered for ready reference, and the material covered spans nearly three centuries, from the earliest entry in 1689 to the most recent in 1976. The volume also contains entries for items dealing with the teaching of anthropology and the use of anthropological concepts and data in teaching.

This book challenges educators to be agents of change, to take history into their own hands, and to make social justice central to the educational endeavor. Paraskeva embraces a pedagogy of hope championed by Paulo Freire where people become conscious of their capacity to intervene in the world to make it less discriminatory and more humane.