Alfie Kohn's Latest Masterpiece

Pulse Contributor Alfie Kohn has published a provocative new article worthy of your consideration.

The Spring 2008 issue of Independent School features a provocative article by Alfie Kohn. In Progressive Education: Why It’s Hard to Beat, But Also Hard to Find," Kohn does a good job of defining progressive education and the conflicts between traditional and progressive approaches.

"A school that is culturally progressive is not necessarily educationally progressive. An institution can be steeped in lefty politics and multi-grain values; it can be committed to diversity, peace, and saving the planet — but remain strikingly traditional in its pedagogy."

The article also explores the impact progressive education has had on schools, policy and the public's imagination.

"The rarity of this approach, while discouraging to some of us, is also rather significant with respect to the larger debate about education. If progressive schooling is actually quite uncommon, then it’s hard to blame our problems (real or alleged) on this model. Indeed, the facts have the effect of turning the argument on its head: If students aren’t learning effectively, it may be because of the persistence of traditional beliefs and practices in our nation’s schools."

Alfie Kohn makes the case for progressive education and offers hypotheses for why it's rare in American schools. The article ends with a dozen provocative questions intended as a diagnostic instrument for schools claiming to be progressive.

Alfie Kohn will be at the Constructing Modern Knowledge institute this July. Will you?

Computer-rich Learning Adventures for Creative Educators
Featuring Alfie Kohn, Gary Stager, Bob Tinker, Peter Reynolds, Cynthia Solomon, David Wagner, Melinda Kolk, Sylvia Martinez and John Stetson