An Education In Education Part 4

In part 3 the heartbeat of OBE was exposed through quotes of those who support and back this type of education. These ideas are not run-off from the turbulent, radical sixties, although they did give it a large boost on the scene. The ideological mentors to Benjamin Bloom and William Spady are traced to B.F. Skinner and John Dewey.

B.F. Skinner: Behavioral Psychologist, Harvard University, Humanist

He wrote Beyond Freedom and Dignity, in it he states man plays two roles: one as a controller, as the designer of a controlling culture, and another as the controlled, as the products of a culture.” Neitzsche the famous philosopher who coined the phrase, “God is dead” believed the same way and called it master morality, slave morality, in his thesis Beyond Good and Evil.

Much of his basis for study was controlling behavior through machines. He believed free will could not be exercised due to the controlling quality of the stimuli in the environment.

He is the pioneer of using machines for remediation for desired results. This is a very important part of OBE today. Computers and software are now tools to shape behavior in our education system.

When you see the term “technology” in a school’s curriculum, this is warning sign to watch out for. Yes, there is learning through computers but when questions become personal such as the one posed to my daughter such as, “do you like studying in a dark or light lit room”? Or, “What are your parents rules?” one should ask why this data is needed. How does this data bring about academic fact; knowledge for the students benefit? Why does the school want to know this?

John Dewey: Father of Modern Education in America, Author of the Humanist Manifesto, Founder of the National Education Association.

This father of modern American education went to Russia in the 1930’s to help establish Karl Marx ideology in education and help founded the Socialist Society.

He believed using education to change the world is far more efficient than through politics. He also believed objective truth and authoritative notions of good and evil are harmful to students. He attacks these notions in his book Quest For Certainty.

David A Noebel a researcher into Dewey’s life said it best, “Anyone interested in American Education can not fail to see Dewey’s foot and fingerprints on every page of the curriculum and the classroom.”

So what do all these people influencing education have in common? They all slant towards Socialism and the one educator revered and tagged with the title; Father of Modern American Education aligns himself openly with Karl Marx.

I think it is important to take a moment to read the Humanist Manifesto and CommunistManifesto. It only shows the delineations of these ideas born out in OBE.

I hate to even say this but I see the marks of socialism even in the traditional curriculum. I have also read articles where pastors support OBE for their private school curriculum. OBE is the leaven in the bread. A little leaven, leavens the whole bunch. Some form of it exists in the school system; I just see my school embracing it even more. Where does your school fall under the ‘leaven’ spectrum?

When you see the history laid out, why do we wonder why our kids struggle not only academically but morally? Why are parents so willing to blindly support this system when it fails decade after decade?

Researching American Education for this parent has caused me to re-evaluate my responsibility to my child and has confirmed we need God back in our schools.

(Credit for Research is found in the links. Sepcial Thanks to Dennis Cuddy, Ph D, David Noebel and Brannon Howse.)