I suspect that those who enjoy reading literature from a variety of genre have a reference text in their personal or professional library that is a compilation of famous quotes from well known writers, politicians, philosophers, scientists, and humorists. I have one, I admit. Foundations of Modern School Practices is such a book in that it brings together pertinent ... Read morepassages that eloquently, elaborately, pointedly, or expertly illustrate trends, beliefs, practices, and observations. It is different, however, in that it focuses on the contributions of educational historians, teacher and administrator trainers, child psychologists, and theorists during the period 1880–1935. It provides insight into the developing story of a system of free, universal, public education in the United States while educating the reader in the uncanny parallel arguments and concerns that are still factors in contemporary public schools and modern educators. It provides a rich and diverse source of quotes that can salt an academic's lectures and season the casual reader with historical knowledge. It is fascinating and useful.
Jennifer Sughrue, PhD, educational leadership, Old Dominion University In this book, Dr. Lock makes a frantic plea for educators, policy makers, and political leaders to learn from history. Surely, this has not been the case! He brings to life traditional and historical statements made by educational gurus of their time. Maybe, if we had been learning from history, we would not have continued to make the traditional mistakes that we have continued to make.
Festus E. Obiakor, Ph.D., professor, Department of Exceptional Education, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee By selecting and carefully arranging a wide variety of quotes put forth by scholars and educators between 1880 and 1935, Corey Lock takes us on a vivid journey to a time when today's public school system was just beginning to coalesce, to professionalize, and to formalize. Foundations of Modern School Practices causes us to reflect on the durability of today's accepted truths about schooling. The more you think you know about American schooling, the more you will enjoy the book.
Guilbert C. Hentschke, Richard T. Cooper and Mary Catherine Cooper Chair in Public School Administration, Rossier School of Education, University of So If you took the dates away from so many of these quotations, the words would seem as appropriate to today's education scene as they were 100 or so years ago when first written. The value of these quotations, and the style in which Corey Lock presents them, is that they remind us of 'essences'—and boil down a lot of modern verbiage to make the meaning, and the importance, more clear. What Corey Lock has shown us in this book is that we can gain value by revisiting points of view from our own past to shed better light on the dilemmas we grapple with today.
James Greenberg, director, Office of International Initiatives and K-16 Partnership Development Center, College of Education, University of Maryl Show Less