Contributions to Education

William H. Kilpatrick

A brief history

• born in White Plains, Georgia
• educated at Mercer and John Hopkins Universities
• greatly influenced by professor/mentor John Dewey
• developed the Project Method
• believed that students should direct their own learning
• advocate of progressive education

"the important thing is for the teacher to understand each child"

Progressive beliefs

• emphasizes the learner rather than subject matter
• focus on social processes rather than cognitive ones
• problem-solving at the core
• purposeful activities based on learner interest

The Project Method

"a project is a whole-hearted purposeful activity proceeding in a social environment."

have freedom to choose

solve practical problems

is realistic and experiential

encourages inquiry and investigation

Role of the teacher

• guide/facilitator
• recognize student accomplishments/strengths
• respect students interests and expand their experiences

Criticism

• lacking a sense of direction
• concerns about a curriculum that lacks rigor
• John Dewey emphasized the role of the teacher in providing guidance and direction to learners

Enduring understandings

• greater emphasis on student-centered practices
• consider learning that is democratic & socially oriented
• importance of learning through authentic experiences

References

• Ornstein, A., & Hunkins, F. (2013). Curriculum: Foundations, Principles, and Issues, 6th Edition. London: Pearson
• Beyer, Landon (1997) PROSPECTS: the quarterly review of comparative education (Paris, UNESCO: International Bureau of Education), vol. XXVII, no. 3, p. 470-85.

Reference cont.

• "William H. Kilpatrick." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2015.
• Killpatrick, William H. (1918) The Project Method. Columbia University n.d. Web 12 Oct 2015