Abstract This paper examines how both JeromeBruner and E.D. Hirsch, Jr. have made significant contributions to the public discourse surrounding education. It looks at how Bruner's "The Process of Education", first published in the 1960s has greatly influenced the development of today's curriculum, and how, in his book, "Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know". Hirsch argues that the current curriculum fails to provide today's students with the cultural literacy that they need to communicate effectively. It summarizes and analyzes the contribution of both of these authors and their respective works in relation to the field of educational curriculum development.
From the Paper "Bruner notes that when students understand the structure of a subject, they can then relate this information to a large number of other things that may seem unrelated. He uses the structural concept of tropism in biology to make this point. Tropism is simply the involuntary tendency of an organism to orient toward or away from external stimuli. He notes that tropism occurs when the swarm density of locusts is related to temperature, and the movement of insects to different altitudes is related to their preferred oxygen content (thus preventing cross breeding). As such, he notes that understanding the fundamental concept of tropism allows students to understand a large number of phenomena within the biological realm."
Abstract Jerome S. Bruner is one of the best known and influential psychologists of the twentieth century. He was one of the key figures in the so-called "cognitive revolution" but it is the field of education that his influence has been profound. Bruner has made numerous contributions to our appreciation of the process of education and to the development of curriculum theory. This paper explores Bruner's accomplishments, philosophy, and specific theories.
Abstract This paper relates that the importance of social interaction as a part of learning has been greatly researched and it has been found that it is a vital part of the learning process. In particular, the paper looks at the elements that are important in social learning settings and examines the theories of psychologists as Jean Piaget, JeromeBruner and Lev Vygotsky.
From the Paper "Piaget had an idea of a child being a somewhat "lone scientist who creates his or her own sense of the world" (www.newfoundations.com/Gallery/Piaget.html). Piaget believed that the child would interpret (and then act out accordingly) what he faced in his environment. He talked about a process called "internal assimilation". This idea means that until the child develops logic (or understanding) inside of them, they can only base their opinions on what they can see. In this sense, Piaget believed that the child's main source of knowledge and learning came from discovery. He thought that children, in autonomous situations, discover everything from relationships to ideas in classroom situations that involve activities of interest to them. He did state that he believed further understanding was built up step by step through active involvement (or social interaction), which leads one to believe that Piaget probably would agree that social interactions are definitely necessary for learning. "
This paper analyzes the engraving, "St. Jerome in his Study? by Albrecht Durer, which is located in the Ball State Museum of Art in Indiana and the Clark Art Institute of Massachusetts.
1,515 words (approx. 6.1 pages), 0 sources, $ 49.95
Abstract This paper explains that Durer, a German artist who spent much time in Nuremberg, was part of the Northern Renaissance Gothic movement, which centered on Germany and the Netherlands in the 15th and 16th centuries. The author points out that this work is quite interesting because it not only shows the room in such detail, but also because of the items the artist included in the work. The paper stresses that ?St. Jerome in His Study" draws viewers into the work, giving a differing view every time they look at the piece.
From the Paper "What is so miraculous about this piece is the detail Durer showed in the room. The windows are made up of tiny circles of glass, and their shadows radiated into the room, showing their makeup and the great attention to detail. The wooden ceiling is so realistic viewers can see the knots and grain of the wood, and a variety of items hang on the back wall, indicating that St. Jerome does have other pastimes, such as gardening, to keep him busy. The dominant colors in this work are black and white, while of course there are a variety of grays used in shadow and light. The starkness of the engraving gives a high degree of naturalism and realism to the print, and focuses directly on the man and his work, which is the main subject of this work."
Abstract This paper summarizes and reviews author and criminal law professor Jerome Skolnick's book on justice in a democratic society. The paper explains the main thesis of Skolnick's book that the first line of defense in the protection of personal safety and property in any democratic society is that of effective law enforcement and then explains why Skolnick see this as inherently problematic.
From the Paper "Skolnick wrote in 1966 that despite the appearance in the instutitionsal fabric of American society, of a disinterested justice ethic, the systemic focus upon clearance rates in the then-current American policy model of criminal justice encouaged police to merely create an appearnce of doing their job. Police, Skolnick argued when he first wrote the article that became the text under discussion, that the police were pursuing convictions rather than seeking truth at any price. Police were willing to see the innocent convicted, at the price of justice itself, merely to 'do their job' and they thought, to create a more secure society."
Abstract This paper focuses on mathematical achievement in African-American boys versus their white counterparts. It addresses risk factors such as family income, mother's education, single-parent households and a non-English primary language. The paper discusses the works of theorists Lev Vygotsky, JeromeBruner and John Dewey regarding this issue.
Table of Contents:
Objective
Introduction
Theoretical Framework
Limitations
Literature Review
Summary of The Literature Reviewed
From the Paper "The African American male was not expected to achieve in educational areas of management and accounting studies evidenced in the statement related in the work of Dantley and Leonard (2006) who states that a participant related that: "I only indulged myself in my studies to the degree that I was satisfied that I could do math up to multiplication and division of fractions and decimals and it was good enough for me for what was I going to do. I wasn't going to be doing any math. To be a laborer, all it's going to require is to run a piece of machinery." (p. 42) additionally a participant stated: "We don't have no industry out there and the industry that is out there, they're not targeting the Black community and saying, "If you go and get more math, then I can guarantee you this." (p. 45) and finally: "I have hopes. My expectation is that (my son) will graduate from high school. If he doesn't, it's no big deal...My expectation for him is to probably be no worse than I was. Just to pass." (p.46) (Dantley and Leonard, 2006)"
Abstract In this paper, the writer first discusses JeromeBruner's theory of discovery learning where students interact with the world around them by wrestling with topics, manipulating objects and doing experiments in order to learn things. The writer then turns to John Dewey's approach of project-based learning where students design their own projects to learn about a topic. Finally, the writer explains the benefits of David Ausubel's advanced organizer that highlights important information and causes students to look for that information. The writer points out that a variety of instructional methods must be used in an effort for all students to thrive and understand the information presented.
From the Paper "Discovery learning is a theory begun by Jerome Bruner and is an approach where students interact with the world around them by wrestling with topics, manipulating objects, and doing experiments in order to learn things. "The idea is that students are more likely to remember concepts they discover on their own" (Conway). However, key to discovery learning is that students do have background knowledge of their subject already. Teachers also find that structured experiences result in much more learning. This method would involve taking field trips to meander around famous places. However, in today's world, virtual field trips would also work really well."
Tags: teaching, experiments, projects, charts, information
Abstract This paper is about the letter of St. Jerome to Eustochium, a nun in the 4th century, outlining why he thinks she has chosen correctly in remaining a virgin. It discusses how Jerome was instrumental in securing that celibacy was held as the noblest state and that marriage was seen as solely for the procreation of children, hopefully virgins. Virginity was to be exalted above any other lifestyle choice. It examines how at the time, the idea of virginity dominated the entire female livelihood and was a measure of a women's religiosity. Through the letter, it outlines the ideals for a woman in early Christianity and the thinking at the time towards the body and sex.
From the Paper "Throughout the letter there are also many references that clearly show Jerome's bias in thinking that virginity was the superior and proper way for a woman to live her life. He speaks about his letter to Julian, his friend, and is overjoyed to discover that his sister has chosen this path for herself and had remained firm in her resolve (Kelly, 51). He clearly praises Eustochium for dedicating herself to this great virtue from such a young age and comments that she is much stronger than her sister, who only took the vows of chastity after her husband died."
Abstract This paper identifies three assumptions on cognitive development that may already be outdated or no longer apply to current developments and discusses propositions that may be accepted in the current period. Moreover, the paper compares and differentiates two great minds in cognitive theory, Bruner and Vygotsky.
From the Paper "There are many ways in which cognitive development can be learned and studied, but I just want to point out three assumptions on children and human nature which might be problematic for educators, specifically early childhood educators. The separation of mind and body: It is usual to think that thinking from feeling and thinking from social interaction is separate. The cognitive becomes attached to the logical, reasoned, rule-governed, and thoughtful; non-cognitive becomes everything else, including the intuitive, the emotional, and the social. We assume that developments on the cognitive side of the fence can be isolated, observed, described and even fostered without direct involvement of non-cognitive processes (Siefert, 2002). Unfortunately, this assumption is far from the fact, that work with children routinely requires attention to the common influence of the cognitive and non-cognitive. Unfortunately, the facts uncovered about this assumption is still being used today and textbooks, research programs and entire academic careers are arranged in such a way."
Abstract This paper discusses how schools will have to offer well-rounded education to successfully prepare the next generations of students to meet a wide variety of experiences and face many different challenges. The paper then looks at studies that recognize that children learn differently and the teacher-lecture approach does not provide the best education for everyone. In addition, the paper explores the philosophy of constructivism that places the emphasis on the learner rather than the teacher and refers to the ideas of Piaget, Roger and Bruner. Furthermore, the paper explains the common learning styles and environmental factors that should be considered when attempting to create the best learning conditions and reviews Gardner's list of intelligences and his approach to a curriculum.
From the Paper "It is now understood that the traditional form of education needs to be changed. First, students will face a completely different environment when they go on their own into a fast-paced and global world. Second, more studies are recognizing that children learn very differently, and the teacher-lecture approach does not provide the best education for everyone. Third, in today's environment, knowledge is the main product for sale. To develop this product, students need a high-quality specialized learning situation. Increasingly, schools will have to offer well-rounded education to successfully prepare the next generations of students to meet a wide variety of experiences and face many different challenges."
Abstract This paper analyses section by section "Three Seductive Ideas" by Jerome Kagan. The book, a blend of philosophy and psychology, focuses on three specific issues that potentially mar the accuracy of empirical studies:The tendency towards over-generalization, the belief in infant determinism and a bias towards a pleasure principle that guides human behavior.
From the Paper "Three Seductive Ideas is divided into three sections, plus the Prologue and Epilogue. The first section, ?A Passion for Abstraction,? deals with overgeneralization, what he calls ?loose thinking,? (p. 1). Kagan believes that the general public remains particularly vulnerable to the passion for abstraction because of the basic human need to apply specific knowledge to the world at large. However, social scientists perpetuate this problem by resting on species-wide assumptions and context-wide assumptions. What a laboratory rat can do, we assume so can we; what an eight-year old boy thinks and feels we assume will apply to all others in his age group, regardless of gender or upbringing. These assumptions are particularly harmful when studying psychology because of its prevalence today in popular culture. Kagan hones in on four specific areas where generalization is evident: fear, consciousness, intelligence, and temperament. Entitled ?The Allure of Infant Determinism,? the second section of the book confronts the prevalent myth that the first few years of life leave an indelible mark on our psyches, either scarring or blessing us for life. Kagan refutes this widespread fallacy and supports his theories with ample evidence as he does throughout Three Seductive Ideas. Finally, the third section broaches the notion of the pleasure principle, which is deeply rooted in Western philosophy. In the most philosophical section of the book, ?The Pleasure Principle,? Kagan questions morality and ethics and attempts to formulate a new understanding of what motivates human beings to act altruistically. Current scientific knowledge, Kagan claims, is sorely lacking in all three of these areas, impeding honest insights into human nature."
This paper discusses Jerome Rothenberg's "Technicians of the Sacred", which is an anthology of poetry that explores a variety of ceremonies and images from many different continents.
650 words (approx. 2.6 pages), 1 source, 2002, $ 26.95
Abstract This paper shows how these poems have inspired many people in different cultures, as we see a cross-range of poetries from Africa, America, Asia, Europe and Oceania. The author believes that Rothenberg is clearly preoccupied with what we can call "ethnopoetics", because he is interested in the link between what has been seen as "primitive" poetry with the kind of poetry that has emerged in the modern age.
An analysis of the elements of religion and science in "Galileo, Science and the Church" by Jerome J. Langford and "On Crimes and Punishments" by Cesare Beccaria.
1,400 words (approx. 5.6 pages), 2 sources, 2002, $ 53.95
Abstract This paper will discuss the book "Galileo, Science and the Church" by Jerome J. Langford and "On Crimes and Punishments" by Cesare Beccaria. By understanding how both of these books seek to tell us how the world may view theories in the scheme of religion and science, we may have a better understanding of the issues that are at hand with these modes of thought.
An overview of the sports management process through a review of Contemporary Sports Management" by Janet b. Parks, Beverley R. K. Zanger and Jerome Quarterman.
2,150 words (approx. 8.6 pages), 4 sources, 2002, $ 80.95
Abstract This paper will discuss the sports management scope of administrative by "Contemporary Sports Management" by Janet b. Parks, Beverley R. K. Zanger and Jerome Quarterman. By realizing how the management process with an athlete can be detrimental to his or her organization within the world, an analysis of the way that these two entities meet will be explained. The active organization of an athlete's life is dependant on what their manager can make happen for them in the sports world. The main incentive of this paper is to describe how this is planned out, actualized and thought on, for the sole purpose of making the athletes life more organized and their careers the best they can be under guidelines of this book.
Abstract It is often said about Alice Walker that her works demonstrate a creation of modern American mythology. This paper shows that it can also be argued that Walker's thematic representation of character and universal human conflict is also a retelling of classic mythological themes. The paper examines how, in Walker's short story, "Her Sweet Jerome", she represents a retelling of the story of Euripides' "Medea".
From the Paper "Within these two works is a universal story of the shunned and scorned woman and their revenge upon the injustice of men. The works are also steeped in literary tradition, with deep meaning and messages of feminine grief. Walker's work serves to remind the reader of Medea's tragedy. Her character is proactive, though unprepared for what she finds, as Medea is unprepared for Jason's treachery. The theme of Walker's work serves to remind the reader of the universality of the ancient theme of cultural rifts that can find themselves deeply embedded in the death of relationships, just as it was in the ancient."
