Full Description
It is the purpose of this book to examine the ever-changing meaning of the term "liberal arts" and to trace its development from antiquity to the present. In doing so, the text will compare and contrast the values of such an education with the other important objective of schools and colleges, which is to prepare students with appropriate occupational training. The book will highlight the arguments of both points of view. In doing so, attention will be paid to the contributions to society of those who have been exposed to a variety of educational curricula. As part of the study, the impact of the community college will be considered, along with the impact of recent initiatives such as the Nation at Risk Report, No Child Left Behind, Race to the Top, and the Common Core. Finally, the text will conclude with an attempt to suggest the direction that will determine the fate of liberal arts in schools and colleges.
Contents
INTRODUCTION
Origins of the IdeaLiberal Arts in the Schools and Colleges in Early AmericaThe First Public Schools in AmericaThe Establishment of Vocational SchoolsThe Community CollegeThe Progressive Education MovementHistory Becomes the Social StudiesPhilosophy as a Component of a Liberal Arts EducationLatin and Other Foreign Languages in the Liberal Arts Tradition The Future of the Arts in Our Schools and CollegesThe Impact of Technology on the Liberal ArtsC.P. Snow and the "Two Cultures Debate"School Choice and the Liberal ArtsThe Growing Impact of the Federal GovernmentThe Common Core CurriculumPoverty and the Availability of an Equal Educational OpportunityA Liberal Arts Education for Special Education and Gifted and Talented StudentsThe Impact of Other ProgramsThe Liberal Arts in Our CollegesThe Future of the Liberal Arts
