PERENNIALISM Cantessa Puckett EDU 513

What is Perennialism Comes from the word perennial meaning everlasting. A very conservative and inflexible philosophy of education. A teacher-centered philosophy that emphasizes the importance of transferring knowledge, information, and skills from the older (presumably wiser) generation to the younger one. Perennialism says since people are human, one should teach first about humans, not machines or techniques.

Two kinds of Perennialism in Education Secular Perennialism – the word perennial suggests something that lasts for an indefinite long time, recurs again and again, or is self-renewing. Perennialism is learning to reason Advocates using original work in education Comprises the humanist and scientific traditions Formulated in the 20th century by Robert Hutchins and Mortimer Adler

Two kinds of Perennialism in Education Religious Perennialism – focuses on the personal development of the student, and says that all learning could not come from within. First developed by Thomas Aquinas Religious Perennialism continues to shape the nature of Catholic schools throughout the world

General Principles of Perennialism Permanence is more real than change Human nature remains essentially the same no matter the culture The good life-the life that is fit for man/woman to live-remains essentially the same Moral principles remain essentially the same Education that men/women receive should remain essentially the same

People of Perennialism Robert Hutchins Perennialist educator who strongly believed in having traditional liberal arts in all schools Introduced the Great Books program Wanted NO extracurricular activities in schools…said they were irrelevant to the learning process Stated that textbooks “have probably done as much to degrade the American intelligence as any single force.” Professor and Dean at Yale Law School

People of Perennialism Mortimer Adler Helped Hutchins organize the Great Books program Proposed a single elementary and secondary curriculum for all students, with no curricular electives except the choice of a second language Professor of Philosophy at Columbia University

Perennialism in the Classroom Students spend most of their time mastering the three “Rs”- reading, ‘riting, ‘rithmetic Greatest importance placed on reading Teach values and character training through discussions about underlying values and moral principles in stories Only elective is the choice of second language

Perennialism in the Classroom continued… Few, if any, textbooks Schools are organized around books, ideas, and concepts Teach from the Great Books-works by history’s finest thinkers and writers Teachers do not lecture but lead and facilitate discussions

Perennialism in the Classroom Continued… Role of the Teacher Teach time-honored classics Lifelong Learner Discussion Leader…Not Lecturer Role of the Student Active Thinker/Learner

Perennialism in the Classroom continued… Teaching Tools Standardized Tests Teacher-made tests Memorization Classic Books Classroom Management Orderly rows Neat/Clean room Strict rules Punishment/Rewards

Does Perennialism Still Exist?? Perennialism was started in the 1930s Perennialism IS still around St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland Adopted the Great Books as a core curriculum in 1937 Readings in Literature, Philosophy, Theology, History, Social Sciences, Mathematics, and Music Students write extensively and attend weekly seminars to discuss assigned readings

More on St. John’s College Grades are given but students only receive their grades upon request Expected to learn for learning’s sake Thrives in small-group atmosphere 2nd campus opened in 1964 in Santa Fe, New Mexico

How Perennialism fits with Content Standards http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards/english-language-arts-standards/anchor-standards-6-12/college-and-career-readiness-anchor-standards-for-reading/ The high school reading standards sound very similar to the ideas of Perennialism.

??? About Perennialism With this philosophy, what happens to the students who are poor readers or who do not like to read? Are we setting them up for failure? Research showed that religious schools use the Perennialism philosophy…why? Are electives really not important? How can teachers teach all subjects without the use of textbooks?

References www.oregonstate.edu www.successfuleducation.info Ediger, M. (1997). Influence of ten leading educators of American education. Education, 118(2), 267. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Perennialism (2003). Retrieved from http://www.mtsu.edu/~tsbrown/pere.htm Sadker, D., Zittleman, K. Teachers, Schools, and Society: A Brief Introduction to Education. p.200-207. Retrieved from http://www.education.com