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Jan 1, 1534
Publication of the Translated Bible, Martin Luther
Martin Luther translated the Latin Bible into German, which allowed for people to learn in their own language. The Old Testament was published in 1522 and the whole bible, including the New Testament, was published in 1534. This supported public, universal education. Reading was then taught to all children and adult literacy was valued. -
Progressive Education Movement, John Dewey
John Dewey contributed his ideas of “progressive” education. This belief focused on the child’s interests rather than the content coining the term “child centered curriculum.” His beliefs focused on the home life of the child, child as part of a community, problem-solving, experiences and intrinsic motivation, and the teacher’s role as programming appropriately for each student. -
Theory of Multiple Intelligences, Howard Gardner
Howard Gardner developed the multiple intelligence (MI) theory consisting of 9 abilities contributing to the different ways in which children think and learn. Intelligence is a broad set of strength areas rather than one ability. MI led to the individualization of curriculum for the child. -
Psychosocial Theory, Erik Erikson
Erik Erikson published his theory in a book titled, Childhood and Society. Erikson developed the Psychosocial Theory encompassing the belief that social and cognitive development occur simultaneously and cannot be separated. The 8 stages involve both social and cognitive development as the child’s response to the demands of society. This includes new skills, risks, values, and beliefs that children experience from their environments. -
Launching of Sputnik, Soviet Union
The Soviet Union launched the world’s first satellite, Sputnik. With this advancement, the U.S. feared Soviet takeover and the collapse of the U.S. In 1958, The National Defense Education Act (NDEA) was considered the best defense in combatting U.S. takeover. This act focused on educating youth in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), as well as foreign language. STEM received federal funding and it is said to be the beginning of federal standards. -
1960 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs
Abraham Maslow developed a theory based on humanistic psychology, meaning that basic needs must be met before learning can take place. Human needs are ranked in a hierarchy of 5 categories from life essentials (air, food, water) to love and belonging (affective needs). As needs are met, individuals move on to the next level of need, eventually reaching self-actualization. -
Civil Rights Act
With the Civil Rights movement, an individual’s Constitutional rights are protected in all public areas. Most importantly, this included public education for all students. In 1972, the Civil Rights Amendment Title IX gave women equal opportunities in sports. The amendments concerning education in the Civil Rights Act are known as the Equal Opportunity in Education Act. -
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is signed into law. NCLB is highly influenced by NDEA (that was set into effect after Sputnik). NCLB carries on the standard movement and focuses on accountability through testing. Schools that meet their AYP (high test scores) receive federal funding. Currently, NCLB and standardized testing is a controversial subject, questioning the authenticity of the assessments.
