John Caldwell HoltApril 14, 1923-September 14, 1985

The Road to Education… "... the things I'm supposed to know so much

about I never learned in schools." Growing up:

› 1920’s New England› Private Schools› University› Navy

5th Grade Teaching› Differences in toddlers vs. ten year olds

Children in school vs. children at home

Boston› Met Bill Hull› Educational research William E. “Bill” Hull

John C. Holt

Publications of John Holt; How Children Fail

http://iwcenglish1.typepad.com/Documents/Holt_How_Children_Fail.pdf

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TS8OEhxjtzk› 4:34-5:18

Published in 1964 Focuses on how Public

schools failing:› Children love to learn, but not taught› Striving for “right” answers› Game of school› Only look for formal reasoning

How Children Learn http://www.foti-peter.hu/holt/hcl.pdf Published in 1967 Focuses on how children learn:

› Organic process of learning› Process of “unschooling”› Appealing to the student› H-O-R-S-E

John C. Holt

Connections to Dewey Excerpt from How Children Learn:

“What teachers and learners need to know is what we have known for some time: first, that vivid, vital, pleasurable experiences are the easiest to remember, and secondly, that memory works best when unforced, that it is not a mule that can be made to walk by beating it.”

Founding theories for Holt› Theories are concrete, but application isn’t practical

John Dewey

Later Years Previous works republished (1982, 1983) “To a very great degree, school is a place

where children learn to be stupid.” Advocate of Home Schooling More publications (many not listed here)

Works Cited

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Holt_(educator)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_Children_Fail

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_Children_Learn