John Dewey s Laboratory School

The Laboratory School is presumably the most famous experimental school of the progressive education movement. Founded in 1894 by John Dewey and President William R. Harper, the Laboratory School existed at the University of Chicago for seven and a half years, and even after more than a century, remains a beacon of hope and inspiration for many educators. The present volume ventures to provide the first institutional history of the Laboratory School and to situate the school in its contemporary context. Drawing on new archival and historical materials, the book tells the story of a legendary school experiment that experienced a steep rise and a dramatic fall due to unsuitable structures and unfortunate decisions.

First comprehensive institutional history of Dewey's Laboratory School Draws on extensive historical archives and other primary sources Includes newly unearthed archival documents from the period

Auteur

Michael Knoll has been a high school teacher and principal at German progressive boarding schools, a research fellow, visiting scholar, and interim professor at German, Swiss, and American universities. His primary areas of scholarship are the history of curriculum, instruction, and school administration with the focus on progressive education in the United States and Germany. His most recent book is Beyond Rhetoric: New Perspectives on John Dewey's Pedagogy.

Contenu

Part I The Foundation and Rise of the Laboratory School, 18941898.- 1. Future VisionA School Experiment in the Making.- 2. Precarious UndertakingThe Establishment of the University Primary School.- 3. Vital NecessityThe Reconstruction of the University Elementary School.- Part II High Tide and the Pitfalls of Practice, 18981901.- 4. At lastThe Stabilization of the Laboratory School.- 5. Reaching the PeakImage Promotion and Public Response.- 6. Teachers and StudentsStructural Frictions.- 7. Demanding TaskPutting Theory into Practice.- Part III The Fall and Dissolution of the Laboratory School, 19011904.- 8. The ChallengeFrancis Parker ante portas.- 9. Mounting ProblemsThe Beginning of the End.- 10. The Final YearDubious Decisions.- Part IV The Evaluation of the Experiment.- 11. Dewey as AdministratorThe Democrat as Autocrat.- 12. Dewey as PedagogueThe Pragmatist as Idealist.- 13. AfterlifeThe School's Impact and Dewey's Influence.