The Paideia Proposal: An Educational Manifesto

When Mortimer Adler wrote this book, he was Chairman of the Board of Editors of the Encyclopedia Britannica. His purpose was to encourage a transformation in public education. As a lifelong learner and a teacher, what I found most valuable in Adler's book is his concept of the three elements of learning: (a) the acquisition of knowledge, (b) the ability to apply it, and (c) the capacity to use it to deepen understanding. In simple, straightforward language, Alder describes (a) why we need to teach all of the students in the first twelve years of schooling to do all three (i.e., acquire, apply, and deepen), not just the first and second as is most often the case, and (b) how to do it. This simple but profound book helped me to become a better teacher and lifelong learner. It can do the same for you. Robert E. Levasseur, Ph.D., president of MindFire Press (www.mindfirepress.com).

Literature that encourages faculty and parents to stress the academic curriculum. Mortimer Adler who hails from New York talks about the kids of today learning the basics as well as to advancing to upper level work. He believes that everyone should go to the university and not just be directed toward a fast track program. He is not saying that fast track is wrong but that options should be provided for the student. A must have book that sheds light on a subject that for the most part has been blurred. If you are tired of books that repeat things over and over but which do not provide a true answer to the educational crisis that is going in America, then get this. In the end, freedom is the key to growth for the student,but the system to some extent wants your kid McDonaldized (in terms of education).

I have no clue as to whether the author of this book is alive or not in 2005 but this book is from the 80's but he comments in it that all kids need to get a good education in order to make it in life. It may sound simple but he talks about kids being placed in vocational programs which he believes only limits their growth and their salaries once they grow up. The idea behind this literature is that all kids are suited for a four year curriculum, learning topics such as philosophy and biology for example and not just being thrown into vocational programs just because of the way one may look, or from the social economic circle one may hail from. Recommended literature to all parents, home school parents, private and public school educators. It is a fast read, because i checked out this book from my public library but the information is really rare to find now a days. Get it!!!

This is the American philosopher Mortimer Adler's attempt to apply his philosophy to real-world problems. His biggest concern was the inability of the educational system to teach children to think (as opposed to memorizing a string of mind-numbing facts). To accomplish this goal he, along with education professionals, developed a program based on the Socratic method of teaching.For example, one exercise might consist of the following instructions from the teacher:"Today I am going to show an object to you and I want you to just look at it for one minute in absolute silence, At the end of that time, please write what you saw first and what question you have about the object. Remember, no talking, because once someone talks it disrupts and alters the others' thinking." This is a book with ideas that will challenge the way you have always thought about education. Indeed, it will make you question what our educational system is doing. If the purpose of an education is the creation of a well-rounded individual who questions and reasons and analyzes, then one will have to conclude that it has been an abject failure. Indeed, our society is increasingly split along two lines - a well-educated, erudite group that has developed a mocking attitude toward traditional conventions and manners and a non-educated group that carries a growing anti-intellectual bias.For further information about the Paidea Proposal, you can visit the Radical Academy Site. As a father who has seen his son prosper under such a program, I would recommend that any parent seriously interested in obtaining a true education for their child explore the possibilites presented in this book.

Mortimer Adler spells out an ideal balance of learning experiences which result in highly literate and competent students. The Paideia proposal is not a recipe for what content to teach but a structure for making sure the student is not trapped in a school with only one way of processing thought. Didactic, or direct, instruction should not take up more than a fifth of the time; at least a fifth should be spent in open-ended seminars that allow students to find personal meaning in conversation about significant topics; the rest of the time should be spent in coached projects which require a synthesis of knowledge and skills. Current jargon would identify these elements with authentic assessment, multiple intelligences, and self-efficacy. This is a best practice model that assumes 'what's best for the best is best for all' and asks all teachers to consider all students capable of reflective thought and creative problem-solving. The original reading list was heavily eurocentric but the current usage is not limited in any way except that readings must have depth and meaning. In its pure form, the Paideia Proposal respects teachers as professionals who design curriculum, so it is incompatible with formulaic philosophies that use teachers as technicians. The Paideia Center in North Carolina provides training; Terry Roberts has written a recent book on it. Any parent or educator serious about deep literacy would embrace the Paideia Proposal.