Models of Education

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that Nel Noddings sees education, which she defines as "a constellation of encounters, both planned and unplanned, that promote growth through the acquisition of knowledge, skills, understanding and appreciation", as central to the cultivation of caring in society. The author points out that Aristotle suggests it is human nature to start with what is already known, which is not far from Noddings' theory that much of learning and knowledge stems from the home environment of the student. The paper concludes that examples of inner-city experiences in the Los Angeles Unified School District provide support for the argument that both models coexist and can be applied in the modern classroom.

Table of Contents
Introduction
Noddings and Aristotle: A Hypothetical Conversation
Noddings' Argument
Aristotle's Argument
Inner-City School Experience
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Receptive attention is an essential characteristic of a caring encounter. The carer is open to what the cared-for is saying and might be experiencing and is able to reflect upon it. However, there is also something else here - motivational displacement. In other words, the carer's motive energy flows towards the cared-for. The carer thus responds to the cared-for in ways that are, hopefully, helpful. For this to be called 'caring', a further step is required. There must also be some recognition on the part of the cared-for that an act of caring has occurred. Caring involves connection between the carer and the cared-for and a degree of reciprocity; that is to say that both gain from the encounter in different ways and both give."

More papers on Models of Education:

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• Essay # 26083 : "The Purpose of Education"

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