Chapter 21: Recapturing Education's Full Mission

Home

Green Book II

About this book
Table of Contents
Unit Summaries
Chapter Summaries 

Comments
Site Map
Print it!

Recapturing Education's Full Mission: Educating for Social, Ethical, and Intellectual Development

Catherine Lewis, Marilyn Watson, & Eric Schaps

Goals and preconditions. The primary goal of this theory is to foster social and ethical, as well as intellectual, development-to build caring relationships, ownership, reflection, internal motivation, understanding of prosocial values, and academic development. The theory is intended for K-6 schools.

Values. Some of the values upon which this theory is based include:

  1. social and ethical development, as well as intellectual development,
  2. a school as a caring community of learners in which all children feel valued and emotionally attached to their school,
  3. a curriculum that fosters positive bonds among students and internal motivation to learn.

Methods. Here are the major methods this theory offers:

  1. Literature-based reading.
    1. The books should be rich in social and ethical themes.
    2. Use read-alouds (by the teacher) and partner reads (two students reading and discussing a book).
    3. Hold compelling, lively discussions about each book.
    4. To teach reading comprehension by modeling, practice, and providing opportunities to actively construct understanding of interesting texts and access to the thinking of teachers and peers.
    5. Plan and reflect on how core values (e.g., respect, responsibility) should govern partner work.

  2. Developmental discipline.
    1. Draw on prosocial motivations (e.g., desire to contribute to a valued group), rather than on self-interest, as the basis for discipline.
    2. Begin the school year with children getting to know one another, and continue to build human relationships throughout the year.
    3. Don't rely on punishments or rewards.
    4. Have students help build and maintain class norms (values), not rules.
    5. Address disciplinary problems with a problem-solving approach, including diagnosing the cause of the problem, repairing the damage they have done, and developing ways to prevent future occurrences. Model this approach, and help students to use it.

  3. Cooperative learning.
    1. Use group work to build children's understanding and practice of social skills and ethical values.
    2. Use group work to build human relationships.
    3. Foster internal motivation by addressing important subject matter, including compelling social and ethical themes, and by providing complex, open-ended activities.

  4. Schoolwide activities.
    1. Use schoolwide activities to extend values of respect, fairness, and kindness beyond students' immediate group of classmates.
    2. Make sure schoolwide activities meet children's needs for friendship, contribution, and belonging, rather than pitting children against one another.
    3. Make students' families feel more welcome at school.
    4. Emphasize inherent interest and challenge rather than awards.

Major contributions. Addressing the cognitive and affective in a thoroughly integrated manner-especially social and ethical development. Emphasizing self-discipline over external discipline.

  

Search     Comments    Print it    Site Map   
Home  Green Book I  Green Book II  Basic Methods of Instruction  EPSS  Other Sites


This file was last updated on March 10, 1999 by Byungro Lim
Copyright 1999, Charles M. Reigeluth
Credit