1. “Sure you can draw, but can you…”

2. The Challenge Continues: A Tribute to the work of Dr. Nel Noddings October 5, 2001 Dr. Allison Nazzal, State University of West Georgia American Association for Teaching and Curriculum Annual Conference, Denver, Co.

3. Dr. Noddings’ Challenge To Educators: To reconceptualize our taken-for-granted conceptions of the purposes of schooling and the value of the liberal arts curriculum To transform education, through an ethic of care, to produce competent, caring, loving, and lovable people

4. Feminist Philosophy and Dr. Noddings: Implications for Purposes of Schooling Purpose of schooling reconceptualized as a moral one - a reformulation of male constructs of competition, rights, and duty that have dominated schools The aim should be to develop competent, caring, loving and lovable persons Democracy dependent on the development of a just and moral society that recognizes mind, body, and spirit

5. Moral Education: Character Education & More! Moral Purpose: To prepare students for all of their social roles, personal and public Moral Policy: To provide choice in the type of education one receives Moral Method: Individuals teachers caring for their students in long-term, continuous relationships

6. “We cannot ignore our children- their purposes, anxieties, and relationships-in the service of making them more competent in academic skills” (p.10) Noddings, N. (1992) Challenge to care in schools: An alternative approach to education.

7. What type of education is important in a democracy? “I have never worried much about whether my neighbors voted….I have always been far more concerned about the basic human qualities of my prospective neighbors: Will they rob or harm me?” (p. 54) Noddings, N. (1992) Challenge to care in schools: An alternative approach to education.

8. A Feminist View of the Liberal Arts Curriculum Liberal arts curriculum and control in a democracy Liberal arts curriculum and the dehumanization of children Liberal arts curriculum and the devaluation of work and values associated with women- false duality of public/private world

9. Transforming Education through an Ethic of Care Curriculum arranged around centers of care emanating out from self Care for ideas, the liberal arts curriculum, plays a supporting role Structure of school changes to allow development of meaningful caring relationships

10. The Significance of Dr. Noddings’ Work “Those who are looking ahead to a new movement in education, adapted to the existing need for a new social order, should think in terms of Education itself rather than in terms of some ‘ism about education’….” (John Dewey, Experience and Education, p.6) “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” Peter Drucker

11. Reflections from the Field: Meeting the Challenge Citizenship: No Children Allowed Teaching them to Care –To “get about” in our democracy –To experience citizenship through all of their social roles –To use the tools of the disciplines to inquire about issues concerning care

12. Reflections from the Field: The Challenge Continues Continue to develop within ourselves and future teachers new understandings of control in school and the classroom Model for our students caring relationships and choice in the classroom

13. Reflections from the Field: The Challenge Continues Continued efforts to transform curriculum and minimize testing might be more useful from the bottom-up –Parental involvement in resistance –Individual teacher resistance to standardized curriculum and testing –Connect with the feelings of Americans to promote care in schools

14. Reflections from the Field: The Challenge Continues Continue research on looping, school within a school etc. Continue academic pressure on political agents to support middle school concept, integration, and exploratories

15. Reflections from the Field: The Challenge Continues Continue academic support for programs such as Learn and Serve America that foster caring through service Continue academic research that gives voice to students on the effects of standardized curriculum and testing on students