Horace Mann - The Father Of American Education

Here is a great video to watch to get more information about Horace Mann. this video gives you insight as to how education in America was set up and how Mann's ideas are still in existence today in public schools. Take some time to view this video. Brian Walther created this video for a Human Growth and Development class while studying at Dakota State University in Madison, SD. Walther did an excellent job discussing the issues that plagued a nation and how Mann's reform ideas changed education in this country. Enjoy watching this video.

Reference:

YouTube Horace Man- The Father Of American Education. (n.d.). YouTube- Broadcast Yourself. . Retrieved June 16, 2010, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAnTmplQ_tw

Chronology of Horace Mann's Life

Here is the chronology of the life of Horace Mann. He dedicated his life for social reform. Take a look at some of his accomplishments along the way.

• 1796 born May 4th, in Franklin, Massachusetts. He was one of five children born of Thomas and Rebecca (Stanley) Mann.
• 1809 Thomas Mann died
• 1816 Entered Brown University as a sophmore
• 1819 Graduated from Brown University
• 1821 Studied law under Judge James Gould at Lichfield, Connecticut
• 1823 Admitted to the Massachusetts bar.
• 1824 Began active interest in public affairs
• 1827 elected member of Massachusetts General Court
• 1830 Married Charlotte Messer, daughter of President of Brown University
• 1832 wife died
• 1833 Moved to Boston and was elected to the Massachusetts Senate
• 1835 Elected Senate President, established State Hospital for the Insane
• 1837 Resigned from legislature to accept newly established position as the Secretary of the Board of Education in Massachusetts
• 1837 Prepared and published twelve annual reports on the conditions of education in the state
• 1839 Formed The Common School Journal
• 1843 Married Mary Peabody
• 1843 Traveled to observe educational systems of other countries
• 1848 Resigned as Secretary of board Of Education accepted a vacancy in the US House of Representatives (Death of John Quincy Adams)
• 1852 Became President of antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio
• 1859 Died, August 2
• 1900 elected to the American Hall of Fame

Reference:
Downs, R. B. (1974). Horace Mann: champion of public schools (Twayne's great educators series, 1). new york, new york: Twayne Publishers

Prussian Schools Influence on Mann




While visiting schools Horace Mann was impressed with the Prussian schools. The schools had women teachers and they were educated in how to teach children. These schools did not believe in corporal punishment as a means of discipline. The students took pleasure in learning. Prussian schools had a high rate of attendance because children loved school. American schools were not manditory and children were frequently absent.



Prussian school teachers were highly qualified to teach. Women developed skills in pedagogy and classroom management by attending Normal schools. Prussian women went to two year universities to learn how to teach. Prussian schools were set up to develop children and prepare them for higher learning or a career in teaching.



Mann considered Children as rational beings capable of reason. He did not believe in beating children to make them obey. He felt that it was the teachers responsiblity to prevent violations of misbehavior. He believed children needed to understand the rules and laws in order to have to know what was expected.

He believed teachers needed to understand the learning process and be educated in common school curriculm. Higher education needed to be established in this country in order for teachers to learn how to teach classroom management, curriculm, and classroom organization.

Mann believed that teachers should be positive role models and should conduct their private lives showing strong moral character.

Prussian schools had a positive influencem on Mann as he brought his reform plans back to America.


References:

Brouillette, M. (1999). The 1830's and 1840: Horace Mann the end of Free-Market Education, and the Rise of Government Schools . Mackinac Center for Public Policy. retrieved from
http://www.mackinac.org/2035

Education of Women

Historically women did not get any formal education after grammar school. They stayed home and helped their mothers with the housework. Horace Mann's education reform movement helped women attend college. Mann thought women were better suited to teach young children. Women were more nuturing and loving and were less likely to seek vengence against their students.

Prussian Schools Influence on Mann

Manns vistied Prussian schools and witnessed how differently children reacted towards school. While there he noticed:

• Teachers were educated in teaching


• Schools were manditory for boys and girls


• Women taught students


• Teachers mingled with their students


• No corporal punishment


• No students in tears


• Children loved school

Mann thought children needed to feel safe at school and not be punished for all any transgressions. He knew if schools helped develop children it would set them up for higher education which in turn would be more profitable for the country.

Normal Schools

Mann's influence towards eduation helped women to attend college. The first public normal school opened Lexington, Massachuesetts in 1839. Normals schools were the first colleges to accept women. Women were taught teaching techniques and strategies. Normal schools provided women the first step to higher education and provided an opportunity to work outside the home.

Discipline

Mann saw children as rational beings and felt that corporal punishment needed to be abolished. Discipline needed to be replace by behavior management techniques. Punishment was to be instilled only as a last resort or to preven greater evils. Mann believed that children needed a rational understanding of the rules. It was the teachers duty to prevent vioalations and teacher were to teach moral values while they attended school.

Sources:

The Women of Courage. Early College of Women: Determined to be Educated. Retrieved from http://www.northnet.org/stlawrenceaauw/college.htm

King, Pam Mason. Horace Mann. Retrieved from http://www.nd.edu/~rbarger/www7/mann.html

History of Horace Mann

Horace Mann

I learned about Horace Mann in an education class I took in college. I'm sure not many people heard of Horace Mann so I wanted create this blog to educate and make everyone more aware of his many contributions to education in America. His ideas from 1840 are still in place today in many schools today. His reform changed education in this country and helped women's rights to an education. Read some of the facts about the history of Horace Mann:

• Born May 4, 1796 in Franklin, Massachusetts


• He worked and lived on a farm


• Studied at Brown University


• Worked as an assistant under Judge James Gould in Lichfield, Connecticut


• Admitted to the Bar in Massachusetts in 1823


• Elected to be a member of the Massachusetts General Court in 1827


• Became Secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Education in 1837

As the Secretary of the Board of Education Mann had the most influence on schooling and education. today we take for granted that schools will have running water and toilet facilities but when Mann visited many schools in the 1830's he found them to be inadequate and found they posed health and safety risks to the children. School buildings had no ventilation, no toilet facilities, and no water for drinking or washing. Students sat on backless benches and the rooms were too small to accommodate all the students.
Mann realized education needed reform. The industrialization of America was posing a threat on moral values and Mann though it would be easier to instill values on the youth rather than change adults. Schools became the place to instill such values in children. Mann's belief in education changed this country and changed the way we look at education even today. Read more about Horace Mann and his contributions to education in my blogs......

Sources:
School: The Story of American Public Education ., Innnovators retrieved from
http://www.pbs.org/kcet/publicschool/innovators/mann.html


Tozer, S., Senese, G., Violas, P., (2008) School and Society: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives. (pp 63-77 ).