Henry Barnard Journal

Henry Barnard Journal

Henry Barnard worked with Horace Mann in the movement for foundation of public education. He had grown up on the highlighted path to success. He had gone to the academy before attending Yale College and going into law. Although he could have chosen to live above the other Americans as a high class lawyer he decided to see the world open minded. Henry Barnard was not only a lawyer but help a position in the legislature as well. He gave up those things though so that he could become a secretary of education. He noticed that the schools were suffering in a large way. Barnard seemed to be a highly respectable person, he put others completely before himself and truly valued the greater good over his personal gain. His ability to see the flaws within a society that he didn’t have to be surrounded around is very impressive. He saw the schools were failing and that something needed to be done. When he was in office Barnard worked to make real improvements to the schooling system. It is more often than not, that public leaders make promises of improvement for the greater good that never seem to come. Barnard had a plan of action that he quickly put into to motion. His solution was to “addressed public meetings, set up schools for teachers…” (Henry Barnard) and to create and run a paper called the Connecticut Common School Journal. A large part of Barnard’s plan was to have the teachers educated. It was the first step necessary step to take because schools are useless if there is no one to teach in them. He wanted prepared educators that would offer a student a productive practice. He wanted to plan to be pursued by the public. These goals that Barnard created were for the benefit of the public and he knew that he couldn’t do it without the people backing him. Barnard worked hard to place these plans into action that the work that he was able to accomplish is highly respectable. After all of the work he had put in he was then voted out of office, which was a tragic loss of the state.
The next movement Barnard decided to make was in Rhode Island. He worked as a principal and a superintended. His actions are a great reflection on his character. He speaks of people being able to have an equal opportunity for education and he is giving everything he has to provide it for the world. He gave up his high paying, important jobs to work for and with the people. He was a selfless man that accomplished great things in his life. Throughout his life he was a motivational speaker, which spoke to people encouraging them to push for public education. He devoted his life to wanting more for the next generation. It is empowering that although Henry Barnard was born on the guided path to wealth he rejected it to fight for the public good. He was a devoted man that inspired many people and was a major piece of developing public schooling in the Untied States.

"Henry Barnard." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 31 Jan. 2010. .

Journal Horace Mann: Report of the Massachusetts Board of Education (1848)

Journal Horace Mann: Report of the Massachusetts Board of Education (1848)
Horace Mann gave a speech to the state legislature on the board’s activities. He explained that there are two different types of theories for the ways of life. The European theory is that men are not equal. Men should be divided into social classes and rated as human. It is bold of him to point out that in Europe it was expected that some people would never be able to succeed in life, they worked and labored for nothing while “others to seize and enjoy” (Horace Mann). The class separation in Europe was discouraging and expected throughout Europe. It is scary to look back at the country that we stem from and find such a dark history. The class system that we escarped should have been extreme motivation to present a completely different social class system.
Horace Mann is placing the British theory against the Massachusetts theory. In the Massachusetts theory he explains that it represents equality. The Massachusetts theory shows that “all are to have an equal chance for earning, and equal security in the enjoyment of what they earn” ( Horace Mann). The Massachusetts theory on classes allows for people to move up in the class system. There are no locked in classes like the ones that are set for generation in the British system. It then explains to reach the goal of the Massachusetts system of maintaining a republic it would require the people to have the potential to be equal. The people of the republic should all be able to have a free education, and the possibilities to have a brighter future. To attempt to run the Massachusetts theory without public education “is the most rash and foolhardy experiment ever tried by man…” (Horace Mann). He was applaud to find that people didn’t see the massive problems in that plan. Horace Mann becomes emotional when reaching the republic portion of his speech. He explains his plan for the future. To create the America we claim to have we must have an education system that “… knows no distinction of rich and poor…”(Horace Mann), so that all students have the possibility to succeed. Horace Mann shows great emotion and passion in his speech when explaining the system of educations ideas. He wants America to be all of the equal things that it wishes to represents.

"Horace Mann: Report of the Massachusetts Board of Education (1848)." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 31 Jan. 2010. http://www.americanhistory.abc-clio.com.

Journal Common Schools

This article explained the process of developing public schools. It started with the “common school reform movement” which was anything but over night. A basic education consisted of fundamental literacy skills from a mom or local woman. Any education that they had was almost valueless. The upper class was using tutors while the lower class was settling with no real education system at all.
The change was finally brought during the American Revolution when people started to notice the importance of an educated population. It is disturbing to know that in the land of free the classes were segregated rated so strongly in schooling. Because the students were limited in their schooling it prevented them from ever improving classes in life. As schools began to be created Dr. Benjamin Rush established a school for woman. To advocate education for woman at this time was rare and very impressive of Dr. Rush. As the article continued though it shared that his reasoning was not as heroic as his actions lead to believe. The reason he had created the school was because he felt that it was important that the girls that would one day become the mother of the country’s leaders should be able to offer them a the best moral education possible. Even in through their education they were trapped into an assigned future. Education is supposed to be the key to a brighter future, so to have schools to lock them in the life of motherhood is ironic.
Horace Mann worked with others to reach new goals. They wanted more school terms, smaller classes with age limits and separations, more students that would be taught by highly educated teachers, and text book shat were American rather than British. Horace Mann’s seemed to be crazy to people for fighting for these school requirements that are necessary for students to learn. It is hard to comprehend that people were working hard to prevent wonderful ideas from happening in the public school system. A basic education is one of the most important things in the country currently; an America with different values doesn’t feel like the same country at all. The opposing opinions on public education was that there should be no tax funding for these schools because it was wrong to pay “what they considered local issues,”(Common Schools). How could the education of the population be a local issue? How would the values of a democratic country that is supposed to give everyone an equal opportunity to work for a better life be shown in a country with no public schools? Those issues cause no change in the schooling system.
When the world began to quickly develop and the cities were blooming the job market started to change. The work world was looking offering job that required an education, such as an accountant. These jobs acted as proof to people that schools were needed. Although the proof was evident in the country change didn’t come over night. The changes in school took a long time to progress.
The big change came with McGuffey’s First Eclectic Reader (1836). McGuffey’s book was a schooling program that contained lesions and story that connected with the people reading them. It started with basic vocabulary and grammar and then worked its way up to harder leaves throughout the book. It is fascinating that even in the 1800’s they used a quick fix system to improve their lifestyle. We have followed that pattern even to this day. This program that was just simple teaching books was a large piece in the public school movement. It is fascinating to know that one book could make such a difference in America’s history.

"common schools." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 31 Jan. 2010. .

Start of Educatoin Journal

The article American History: Education seemed to be a detailed timeline in paragraph form. The article contains a positive perspective on our countries educational history. It explains that before long the American colonists had created schools and this ear was also creditable for the system of public schools. It is fascinating to know that the education program. It explained the details of what education has started from to what it has become today. Home schooling was the first form of education. It was up to the family’s parents to teach their children what they felt was important; there was an optimistic outlook that the parents would be good teachers. Because parents were the only source of education the next generation was restricted to the career their parent worked in and massed on. These limiting qualities are what made it necessary for public education. The public education was mostly used for the poor and the orphaned children that would have no other possibilities of gaining a future. This was one step our country took for the common good of the people. The public schools were the best gift our ancestors could have possibly given us, not only were they showing a charitable gift for the next generation of their people but they were also opening up our country to endless possibilities. The orphan that would have never learned how to read could now grow up and change the world.
The article then passed through time explaining when the first text book appeared, secondary schools, middle schools, and universities as well. All of things appeared rapidly throughout one hundred years. The speed that these different pieces of our current education system were put together is amazing. These were no small task, to start not only a new school but a completely new type of school, where different ages and material were being taught is something unimaginably hard.
The progress in education wasn’t always open to all though. Outside of public education different private schools were being created for people of different religions. It is stimulating that America has not changed the divided system of having both public and then private for all different purposes. The article introduces the separations of the schools at the time in a slightly negative light. It shares that while the private schools were used for the upper class “free public education centered on the poor.” The separation was in clear existence during this schooling period. Comparing what they had done then to what is done now; I didn’t see much of an improvement. Although Obama had addressed in his speech even yesterday that education for everyone should be one of the countries number one priorities it has yet to become equal. Schools are separated by the quality of the towns, while some public schools are having almost all students go on to college others have a slight few that progress. It is weird to think that one of the same problems that they seemed to have then is still a problem to this day.
"education." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 28 Jan. 2010. http://www.americanhistory.abc-clio.com/.

Education Research Topics

Education is vital to our countries history as well as to our future. Without education a country has no growth. It is interesting that although education is the key to our country’s success it has not progressed in at a constant rate. I have prior knowledge that the systems of education even in the last twenty years were vastly different. The former restrictions that were in place where based on things such as gender, skin color, or class rank, are no longer the qualifications to attend schools. Education seemed to be moving at a slow pace that prevented people from moving up in the world. I am proud to live in a country now that has such a high value on education, and that works to provide a fare chance to learn to all. Another reason I am interested in this topic is because I am interested in this topic because I am considering a career involving education.

Obama's State of the Union Speech

One nation one people. Obama started off taking the listeners back through our countries history. He compared our recession to the different wars and struggles our country has embraces and said that we were now being called on again. He didn’t try to mask or glorify the position that the Untied States is currently in, instead he explained how one in ten Americans can still not find jobs, and although he had always promised change to the country, he admitted that it has not come fast enough for some people. Obama seemed to be truly disappointed in himself that he was not able to assist the country in reaching their common goals of success. He shows respect for the issues that have yet to be solved but are still being worked on. He continually shows the hope he has for our country while trying to exam the importance of our union. It was interesting how he explains how together both the republicans and the democrats felt upset about the bank payout situation. Obama tried to create a common enemy that worked to bring the people together for the start of Obama’s speech. He wanted the unity that our country was once centered upon. Obama tried to continue the bond by explaining his solution and what was already being done to regain the money that had been taken. The floor seemed to be united until Obama explained that he hadn’t gotten all of the money back yet. And his ideas on gaining and spending that money is what divided the people. His strong opening of union and fighting as one people was forgotten when he reached this part of his speech.
He then went over all of the things he had done thus far in his term. The explanation of his progress seemed to be intended to erase his confession, “change has not come fast enough.” Obama explained the tax cuts he had offered and the jobs he had provided, and finished by sharing that he hadn’t raise anyone’s taxes. These acts of progress were all part of the recovery act. This was his introduction for his plans of “Change” (because we’ve never heard that before). He transitioned into his plans of slashing tax rates, preventing monie from being sent overseas, supporting small business, and creating new, clean, energy efficient nuclear power plants. When these ideas were dropped it hardly seemed believeable that these people were all from the same country. The drastic difference of opinions was displayed beautifully by the bodies standing up and cheering, or the ones the sitting in their chairs and looking away in disgust. It seemed ironic that a speech that opened with unity was reaching a middle with a rivalry.
The crowd was clearly emotional and divided at this point, so it makes more than enough sense that Obama brought the speech back to the union of the country. He worked to please his way back into the peaceful hearts of the people, but it was clear that the people were already emotional. Although they shared some agreements throughout the speech for the most part they seemed to be on two different planets. He entered with a positive outlook that seemed to be contagious among the democrats. After addressing other issues he wanted the people to go back and reflect and see that it is not only our economy that is in trouble. It is not just our digits behind our dollar sign but rather our sprit for our country. The country needs to find this hope that Obama is continually working on to spread to all of us.

CARL

http://carlvstheworld.blogspot.com