Cast of Characters

Immigrant/Non college-bound student  Cat

College-bound student Jackie

Corporate evil Jared

Teacher Adelle

Narrator Anna

Herbart- Jared

Dewey- Jackie

Thorndike-Adelle

Narrator- In the late 1800's many changes were taking place in America.  There was a large influx of immigrants arriving, and the economy was shifting from being mostly rural and agricultural to higher and higher concentrations of curban developments, large corporations and large unions.  When High school became officially public and free in 1874, it was no longer serving just the elite, but became "an institution serving the masses."

The boat arriving/immigrants arrive

Immigrant  enters- Gee...America is great, I'm so glad that school is public otherwise, I couldn't afford to go" 

School house slide is shown

CB student enters also

Teacher : Now i have both of you in my class, your lives will be so different in the future...what can i teach that will benefit you both?

How about latin...everybody needs the classics right?....a little homer anyone?

CB student:  thats great...  I'm going to harvard when I graduate....this is exactly what I need

IMMI: Awwww shuchks...Alot of good latin will do me at the factory....this is stupid...I need to learn things that help me get a job when I graduate.

Narrator :  A debate began over how to structure a curriculum that would serve both college bound and non-college bound students.  A difference in curriculum for these 2 types of students created a potential for a class system of education to develop.

America is great slide falshes

Teacher/Immigrant/College-Bound stand and face the flag as though they were reciting the pledge of allegiance

 Aside from  student demand for job training, the growing  national concern about the economic position of the Us relative to other industrialized countries was a major factor in incorporating vocational training into the schools.  Germany  was a threat to the US's industrial ego,and America envied their success.  Germany'shgbfvc  use of vocational development in highschool was key in their development.   "In the world's race for commercial supremacy, we must copy and improve upon the German method of education." (quote from the 1905 report of the Commitee on Industrial Education of the National Association of Manufacturers)

Teacher/Immigrant/College-Bound- (in unison)  With liberty and justice for all....

Teacher: Well then, if  I am  going to help you (points to immigrant) get a job then I need to know what to teach you... I have a certain corporate monger in mind to help me understand what he wants from you at the factory

enter the corporate monger/ factory backdrop

teacher:  Some of my students are your future workers.....what can I teach them so that they are prepared to be good workers for you?

corporation:  (thought bubble pops up with dollar signs)  We need them to know that corporations are the most important thing in the world...woops I mean cooperation....they need to learn how to follow rules...they need to be guided into their most efficient place in society....they need to know how to work with metal, in assembly lines....heavy machinery, woodwork, that kinda thing. 

teacher:  okay, I'll do it (walks back towards the class)

corporation: really...im ...helping society and the economy by being efficient with our human capital... (convincing himself as he walks away from the school )

narrator  This marked the beginning of corporate influence over school curriculum and raised the question...Does better education benefit society or the corporation?  Had schools turned into factories and children into future factory workers?  lets watch and find out...

teacher hmmm what can I do at school to help the kids learn about cooperation?  Maybe we can make high school a model of society... lets have extracurricular activies to develop leadership potential and learn to work together, they can have  their own newspaper, sports teams, school assemblies this will be great!...they'll be so busy, they wont  have any free time for their radical free thoughts and rampant sexual desires...

Slide flashed with school activities

Narrator-  So, some children were educated for factory jobs, and others for a life of priveledge.

facory slide returns

College-Bound-  Harvard here I come....have fun at the factory!

Immigrant-  Isn't this the land of opportunity?(.... wanders off towards the factory screen sadly)

Narrator: With the newfound focus of educating for the workplace came new theories of instruction and classroom organization There were three major influences Johann Herbart, Edaward Thorndike and John Dewey

...And....with a special halloween feature...these three educational philosophers have risen from the dead to come to this very classroom and tell you a little more about themselves.

Johann-giant lesson plan My name is Johann Herbart.  I was a German psychologist who lived from 1776-1841.  In the classroom I placed a strong emphasis on order and detailed planning.  Detail and Order and Planning aree verything.  Just bolt the kids desks to the floor and control everything.  I also invented the lesson plan which some say opened the way for beaurocratic control of teachers curriculum. But  I worshipped my lesson plan....  plan plan, detail, detail order order, yesss......

Edward Thorndike- measuring tape.. (student in front of screen with mind bubble)    My name is Edward Thorndike. I lived from 1874-1949.  i was deeply concerned with the control of human behavior.  I believe that human intelligence is determined by nature, not nurture.  You were born with it (or not) and I can measure it scientifically.

Dewey- forks as prop....  My name is John Dewey. I lived from 1859-1952  I believed that without social experience and real world application that abstract knowledge and facts are useless.  The kids need to use their social Imaginations to create practical uses for what they learn in the classroom.  I believe that student activities, group work and cooperation are what make a student successfull when they enter the real world. 

Narrator- Thank you Gentleman,

To conclude- One could argue that schooling as  a way of developing human capital became the most important goal of the education system in the 20th century.  The idea of "social efficiency" became key.  By measuring peoples abilities we could know their best placement in society.  It was assumed that schools were an excellent place to objectively measurethe students capabilities and best placement in society.  But this became a mask for the social-class and racial discrimination that would become a major theme in 20th century education.