Book recommendations on the philosophy of education
August 4, 2011 8:53 PM Subscribe
I'm looking for recommendations for books related to the philosophy of education, especially those related to multicultural approaches to education or foreign language instruction.
The people whose work I've read or have on my list include: John Dewey, bell hooks, Pablo Freire, Neil Postman/ Charles Weingartner, Rob Reich, Martha Nussbaum, and K. Anthony Appiah.
What else should I look at? What have you read that you found really compelling? I'm particularly interested in books (or articles, or whatever) that focus on the topic from a philosophical perspective, but I'd also be open to suggestions that come more from the educational side of things. I'd also be interested if anyone has opinions on the list I have so far or recommendations that criticize these writers/philosophers. The books I have in mind so far are mostly pretty recent, but anything from ancient to contemporary would be helpful.
I'm an undergrad studying philosophy, so recommendations can be anywhere from casual to fairly technical/academic.
Thanks!
The people whose work I've read or have on my list include: John Dewey, bell hooks, Pablo Freire, Neil Postman/ Charles Weingartner, Rob Reich, Martha Nussbaum, and K. Anthony Appiah.
What else should I look at? What have you read that you found really compelling? I'm particularly interested in books (or articles, or whatever) that focus on the topic from a philosophical perspective, but I'd also be open to suggestions that come more from the educational side of things. I'd also be interested if anyone has opinions on the list I have so far or recommendations that criticize these writers/philosophers. The books I have in mind so far are mostly pretty recent, but anything from ancient to contemporary would be helpful.
I'm an undergrad studying philosophy, so recommendations can be anywhere from casual to fairly technical/academic.
Thanks!
oooh great question.! go historical..... Giambatistta Vico, in 1709, published an anti-Cartesian polemic, On The Study Methods of our Time
posted by thelonius at 9:12 PM on August 4, 2011
posted by thelonius at 9:12 PM on August 4, 2011
For philosophy of language education, check out the writings of B. Kumaravadivelu.
posted by treblemaker at 9:15 PM on August 4, 2011
posted by treblemaker at 9:15 PM on August 4, 2011
Zig Englemann: Teaching Needy Kids in Our Backwards System
http://www.amazon.com/Teaching-Needy-Kids-Backward-System/dp/1880183005/
http://www.zigsite.com/
posted by zeek321 at 9:41 PM on August 4, 2011
http://www.amazon.com/Teaching-Needy-Kids-Backward-System/dp/1880183005/
http://www.zigsite.com/
posted by zeek321 at 9:41 PM on August 4, 2011
If your university has a foundations of education class take it, or at least ask for a copy of the syllabus. Foundations of education is a field that uses philosophical, historical, sociological, anthropological lenses to examine education.
posted by mareli at 4:38 AM on August 5, 2011
posted by mareli at 4:38 AM on August 5, 2011
I'd suggest John Holt and John Gatto for an alternate, non school based philosophy of education.
posted by COD at 4:58 AM on August 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by COD at 4:58 AM on August 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
Greg Cajete is a Native American Educator who writes about pedagogy a lot. I found his Look to the Mountain to be interesting, helpful, and inspiring. His Ignite the Sparkle: An Indigenous Science Education Curriculum Model, about, you guessed it, science education, was a lot less useful, since I don't think he really understands what science education is for (but that's a different argument). I still use some of his ideas on a regular basis.
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:36 AM on August 5, 2011
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:36 AM on August 5, 2011
Eva T. H. Brann's Paradoxes of Education in a Republic
Description from Google Books:
Written over a decade ago, Eva T. H. Brann's enlightening analysis of American education places the recent debate on the means and ends of a liberal education in new perspective. She goes beyond discussion of courses and particular books to claim that philosophical inquiry is far more important to the improvement of education than curricular and administrative schemes. She provides both a broad philosophical and historical analysis of education in any republic and specific, practical suggestions for achieving the education that will serve as the best preparation for life in our own republic.
Brann is a tutor at St. John's College, one of the great Great Books schools.
Maxine Greene's The Dialectic of Freedom is also very good.
Description from Google Books:
In this book about freedom, possibility, and imagination in American education, Maxine Greene taps the fields of philosophy, history, educational theory, and literature in order to discuss the many struggles that have characterized Americans' quest for freedom in the midst of what is conceived to be a free society.
posted by bokinney at 11:02 AM on August 5, 2011
Description from Google Books:
Written over a decade ago, Eva T. H. Brann's enlightening analysis of American education places the recent debate on the means and ends of a liberal education in new perspective. She goes beyond discussion of courses and particular books to claim that philosophical inquiry is far more important to the improvement of education than curricular and administrative schemes. She provides both a broad philosophical and historical analysis of education in any republic and specific, practical suggestions for achieving the education that will serve as the best preparation for life in our own republic.
Brann is a tutor at St. John's College, one of the great Great Books schools.
Maxine Greene's The Dialectic of Freedom is also very good.
Description from Google Books:
In this book about freedom, possibility, and imagination in American education, Maxine Greene taps the fields of philosophy, history, educational theory, and literature in order to discuss the many struggles that have characterized Americans' quest for freedom in the midst of what is conceived to be a free society.
posted by bokinney at 11:02 AM on August 5, 2011
Response by poster: Thanks everyone! I haven't had a chance to look through everything yet, but there are so many good ideas in here!
posted by one little who at 11:01 PM on August 6, 2011
posted by one little who at 11:01 PM on August 6, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by MidSouthern Mouth at 8:55 PM on August 4, 2011 [1 favorite]