Bases for SAE zHistorical zPhilosophical zPsychological zLearning-Theory zLegal Copyright 1999 William G. Camp, Virginia Tech

Historical Changes in Education z Practical - Scribe Schools in Egypt z Academic - Classical Schooling in Greece z Bookish - Monastery Schools in Europe z Applied - The ”Manual” movements

Rousseau and Other Reformers zReacted to repressive schooling of the time. zLearning should be through observation and experience, not through rote. zWe learn a thing when we need it, not when the teacher wants us to learn it.

Great Schools of Philosophy zRealism -- What is real is what we can observe. What is important is what we can measure. zPragmatism -- What is real is what we experience. What is important is what works. z Idealism -- What is real is what we can reason. What is important is what we believe.

What is the philosophical basis for SAE? zSAE is built on the philosophy of pragmatism - the worth of an idea (or what is true) is proven when it is tested, experienced, in a real word setting. (C. S. Pierce, William James and John Dewey are associated with the philosophy of pragmatism.)

zExperience is either primarily active or primarily passive zActive experience means trying things zPassive experience means undergoing things Role of Experience in Learning

Doing to Learn zDo zExperience zReflect zDiscover zConclude zAcquire

Dewey on Experience “All genuine education comes about through experience.”

What is the psychological basis for SAE? zMaslow’s Hierarchy of Behaviors ySAE fits into several levels of Maslow’s Hierarchy zVarious theories of motivation. Students learn best when they are “motivated” to learn. SAE gives the student that motivation.

What is the educational basis for SAE? zBehaviorism yStimulus-Response Learning Theory yLaw of Exercise zConstructivism yCognitive Science yInformation Processing

What is the legal basis for SAE? The Smith-Hughes Act of 1917 (a federal law) required all students to have "directed or supervised practice in agriculture, either on a farm provided for by the school or other farm, for at least six months per year."

Historical Basis Movement from applied to esoteric and back to applied

Philosophical Pragmatic application of experience to produce learning

Psychological zWe are motivated by hierarchical needs beginning with survival needs zWe do what we are motivated to do, learn what we are motivated to learn

Learning Theory zWe connect stimuli and responses. zWe learn what we do, what we put into practice

You Ought To zA teacher SHOULD require every student to have an SAE because it is well-founded on historical, philosophical, psychological, and theoretical grounds

You Can zA teacher CAN require every student to have an SAE just as the teacher requires every student to do homework, take tests, and work in the agricultural laboratory. SAE is a part of agricultural education. The SAE can even be graded.