AboutDr. Widad Ashurax Expertise I can answer questions pertaining to the following areas: Teaching methods, evaluation of teachers, teachers` moral, curriculum design and market research, students` attrition and completion rate, students` counseling and career planning in Post Secondary Education.
Experience I was a President of private two-year school of business for over ten years, Vice president for three years, and a director of education for two years for a two-year college. Additionally, I have over twenty years of teaching experience in high school and post secondary education combined.
Organizations retired
Education/Credentials Doctorate degree in Education from Nova University
Master degree in Early Childhood from Nova University
Awards and Honors School evaluator for the Accrediting Council of Independent Colleges & schools in Washington DC.
Expert: Dr. Widad Ashurax Date: 5/17/2008 Subject: PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION AND COLLEGE
Question I'm very interested in the progressive education model. As I'm concerned about the development of daughter's whole being, I'm equally concerned about secondary opportunities and how she will rate when it's time for high school/college. Please advise or forward some stats.
Thank you
Answer
Dear Kieren:
Progressive education is actually progressive in nature which is more likely democratic in outlook. This pedagogical movement started in late nineteenth century. It came as an alternative to the traditional way of teaching our kids in general.
I understand your concern, and if you decide to choose this method of learning I would encourage you to survey the schools around in your area to be able to see how your child can actually progress and benefit from any one of the schools that use progressive education as their main curriculum.
Let me expound to help you formulate your decision. Progressive education was created by Parker, John Dewey, and then have been modified by other practitioners to become as a new move in education as well as a system that basically concentrates on : Hands-on projects, experiential learning, integrated curriculum, learning by discovery, problem solving, critical thinking, group work, and child understanding, though it has other critical and important issues that any concerned parent like you must see the other side of the coin of this type of progressive learning and examine it carefully before actually enrolling your child.
It is known that this type of education puts an effort on de-emphasis on textbooks, emphasis on lifelong learning of a child and his/her social skills as well. Moreover, this type of schooling assesses students and evaluates them on their projects and procedures. It is a child- centered education than its counter part... So it replaces the traditional way of teaching such as: Reading, spelling, grammar books with children own writing, literature, and teachers prepared materials.
Schools that are adopting progressive education type of teaching may vary in their procedures and methods of how to integrate this learning method into their own curriculum design. The variations of methods and/or curriculum design in such schools can lead each school to have its own interpretation and practice that, in my opinion, may hinder the progressive education program from being a valid tool to use in teaching our kids. In addition, lack of an objective assessment tool to measure its effectiveness, makes it more difficult for us as educators to evaluate its validity and impact on our kids in the long run...
In fact, that each child is unique and learns completely different, due to many facts, from the other child. Therefore, to assess this progressive education effectively can be misleading and unjustifiable. Children come with different physical, emotional, social and economical growth and development along with various tradition and customs that can have different impact on each child learning process indeed.
I personally suggest that after, of course, understanding your child developmental growth in all aspects of learning mentioned above, you need to have a clear understanding about what school uses progressive education and offers the best methodology and curriculum that might suit your child way of learning (and specifically check teachers’ prepared materials used to teach your child.). Remember we have in our country so many problems with our education system that may have increased the number of deficient students that they can not read, write, or speak well.
It is a well known fact that what the child learns in his/her early years of schooling can have either positive or negative impact on whatever success or failure he/she may encounter in college life.
Good luck
