Ch. 4 – Questions About the Principles
1. The Range of Questions (p.25-26)
The questions that were raised about the principles came from educational administrators, school boards or boards of education, associations of principals or of teachers, and other educational groups across the country at that time. Adler grouped the questions into four categories:
1. “Questions about the recommended curricular framework”
2. “Questions about the applicability of the course of study to all students and their reaction to it”
3. “Questions about teachers and teaching”
4. “Questions about matters of organization, administration, and financing”
(M. J. Adler, 1983) (p.26).
2. Questions About the Recommended Curricular Framework (p.27- 52)
“The Paideia Program recommends the reading and discussion of classics – that is, any works of lasting value – only in the sense that the books and other artifacts chose have this lasting value and only for the sake of their relevance to problems that anyone must face in today’s world” (M. J. Adler, 1983) (p.29).
- Educational program that is:
- General, not specialized
- Liberal, not vocational
- Humanistic, not technical (p.30)
** “Is not The Paideia Proposal implicitly, if not overtly, elitist in its recommendations?” (M. J. Adler, 1983) (p.30)
**RESPONSE - NO!! “The Paideia program is a one-track program. It allows for no differentiation whatever between the college-bound and the rest. It maintains that all children are truly educable and educable in precisely the same sense of that word. It explicitly rejects the elitist view that only some are innately well enough endowed to be educable, while the rest can only be trained for routine jobs, not prepared for the duties of citizenship and not prepared for continued learning in adult life, regardless of college” (M. J. Adler, 1983) (p.30-31).
- “All” is referring to all who go to school and stay there.
***** INTERESTING POINT REGARDING SPECIAL ED *****
- Paideia Program Divides Special Education Programs into 2 Groups
1) Those w/ Learning Disabilities 2) Gifted Children
Paideia Program says, “The greatly improved quality of the Paideia curriculum make special programs for the specially gifted totally unnecessary…But the Paideia program will give the specially gifted every opportunity to use their talents to the fullest measure. There is therefore, no need to retain special programs for them.” (M. J. Adler, 1983) (p.34-35).
- “If the specially gifted have surplus energy and avidity for learning after they have done their best in the required studies, this surplus can be used by having them learn more by teaching their less able classmates” (M. J. Adler, 1983) (p.35).
** Computer Technologies (COLUMN THREE) **
-They endorse the idea of technology, stating that they see no reason why computer technology would not benefit the students.
*** State Mandated Testing **
- Stated that, “A student who does what is required in the Paideia program should have no difficulty at all in handling the current group of competency tests” (M. J. Adler, 1983)(p.45). Even goes on to say that, “Some of these tests are poorly conceived and constructed; they mainly reward the recollection of disconnected items of information, rather than call for the possession of organized and well-understood bodies of knowledge” (M. J. Adler, 1983)(p.45).
3. Questions About the Applicability of the Program to Students and Their Reaction to It (p.53 - 55)
- With the 3 modes of learning & teaching the Paideia Program applies to all 12 years of teaching
- The main key is that it must be integrated at all levels
- Paideia program leaves as much time for social activities as current school systems do.
4. Questions About Teachers and Teaching (p.56 – 60)
- Many teachers now are capable of teaching in the Paideia Program, if given the opportunity. They could become successful teachers.
- When it comes to the fact that the Paideia Proposal involves 3 types of teaching & the fact that most teachers now only possess 1 type (coaching method); they should be given the time to learn the other 2 methods (Socratic & Didactic)
5. Questions About Matters of Organization, Administration, and Financing (p. 60 – 64)
- When it comes to classroom size & manageability of teacher to student ratio, these are the best scenarios:
Didactic teaching: Class size 35 or 40
Coaching: ratio of 10:1 at most; better done when ratio is larger (5:1)
Socratic: seminar, at least 15,
as many as 20,
at most 25
as many as 20,
at most 25
- Are class hours different for Paideia program classes?
Yes - Elementary - flexibility to accommodate
different amounts
of time throughout the day
different amounts
of time throughout the day
Secondary - 45-55 min. periods, with 5 – 7 min. b/w periods
Ch. 5 – Problems of Implementation
- “The members of the Paideia Group are thoroughly aware that they are projecting an ideal plan” (M. J. Adler, 1983)(p.65).
- The Paideia Group speaks of the ways of handling “the questions” very effectively. They talk about the fact that changes will only be accomplished by taking “small steps.” This is true because they are dealing with an educational system that has been in place for a very long period of time. It is not going to change overnight, if it changes at all.
- Another “problem” that is mentioned is the fact that they, “… do not know the solutions, definitely or with full assurance…” (M. J. Adler, 1983)(p.65).
- A good point is made when answering a question in “Problem 2.” The question is: “Should it (the Paideia plan) be tried in a model school that puts the plan into operation for all twelve grades?” à The answer given by The Group is, “We are not willing to settle for a ‘Paideia high school’ because, in our judgment, no reform of secondary schooling is likely to succeed if it is not built upon a successful reform of the first eight grades”(M. J. Adler, 1983)(p.69).
Ch. 6 – A Pair of Entering Wedges
To Implement the Paideia Program:
Suggestion #1: “Socratically conducted discussions, based on the reading of books that are not textbooks, or on the experience of music, dance, or the graphic arts should be instituted as the most desirable initial improvement of the present curriculum” (M. J. Adler, 1983)(p.75).
Suggestion #2: “Improve and strengthen such coaching of intellectual skills as now exists and then extend this kind of teaching and learning to skills that are now either very poorly developed, or not developed at all…” (M. J. Adler, 1983)(p.76).
“With these two entering wedges working in concert, the reform of the course of study can move to the first column in the diagram and spur efforts to improve didactic teaching in all the basic subject-matters” (M. J. Adler, 1983)(p.76).
Ch. 7 – The Possibilities
- “To take advantage of possibilities, we must believe that they exist” (M. J. Adler, 1983)(p.79).
- “To sum up: the Paideia plan is not utopian. There is no empirical evidence that its recommendations go beyond the bounds of the possible. What it calls for has never been tried. We cannot say, as if we knew from actual experience, that schools are being asked to do what cannot be done”(M. J. Adler, 1983)(p.81).
- There are difficulties in the way of the Paideia plan, however the plan should not be abandoned.
- “… in a difficult situation, it is a mistake to give up too soon. One attempt at application may fail, and still another, but that does not call for total surrender. We should not set any limits to our ingenuity at innovation” (M. J. Adler, 1983)(p.81-82).
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