Reading Response Template:

 Elements of reasoning
 SEE-I Activity

Elements of reasoning:

Purpose: -To give a comprehensive view of philosophy

 What are some key before the year 1900
purposes of the chapter? - To give an overview of the beliefs and opinions of
certain philosophers who were influential before
1900, especially in regards to education
- to define and introduce key concepts that will be
useful to the reader throughout the rest of the text in
regards to philosophy and the philosophy of
education
Question-at-issue: -What is philosophy? How does it relate to the field
 What are some key of education?
questions/issues the chapter -Who are some of the influential philosophers pre
asks/addresses? 1900?
 What questions did the -What is progressivism?
chapter raise for you? -What implications did progressivism have on
education?
-How will progressivism alter my philosophy as an
educator?
Answers/conclusions/ -Philosophy is the study of everything around us
interpretations: and how we know it to be true. It relates to the field
 What answers/conclusions/ of education because our own personal philosophies
did you find most directly impact the way in which we teach. It also
interesting in the chapter? relates to the education field because education is
o These are in build upon the foundation of philosophy.
response to key - Some of the most influential philosophers of the
questions/issues the time include Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Rousseau,
readings ask/address. Frobel, Pestalozzi, Herbart, and Dewey.
-Progressivism is the belief that human living and
social institutions can always be improve
-Progressivism had implications on education
because for the first time people wanted schools to
be more open, free, and liberating. It was a strong
reaction to the previous belief that children should

Information:
 What information, data,
evidence did you find most
interesting in the chapter?
 What information would
you have liked to have seen
in the chapter?
Fundamental concepts/ideas:
 What are some key
concepts (big ideas) you
found most interesting in
the chapter?
Logic/reasoning:
 How might you describe
the reasoning or logic in
the chapter?
o For example, is it
Adapted from Nosich, G. (2010). Learning to Think Things Through: A Guide to Critical Thinking
Across the Curriculum. New York, NY: Pearson.
Grigg, Fall 2021
2
only be seen and not heard.
-Progressivism will alter my philosophy because I
also adhere to the belief that children need to have
choice within their time at school, and that school
should not be a place where children come and sit
quietly to listen. Education sometimes means
getting messy and allowing children to have a
voice/opinion.
I was very interested in Frobel’s idea of education
through the senses – I disagree that children need to
be taught in a garden to truly learn, but I guess I
also need to take into account that I have been
molded by beliefs other than progressivism that
make me feel that way. But seriously. What about
in winter? I do agree that we do need more focus on
the entire child, physically AND mentally, but I
disagree spiritually. Who am I to tell a kid what to
believe? I would have liked to have seen more of
how this translates to a modern day setting – are
there still progressivists out there? How has the
belief changed?
-A big concept that I found interesting from the
chapter was just the idea of progressivism in
general. I don’t want to get ahead of myself here
and go spouting to the world, “Progressivism
Rules!” or anything, but I do agree with it
fundamentally. I believe that we as educators as
well as humans can always improve, can always be
looking to better ourselves. We can always be
looking for ways to make things better than we
found them, even if that doesn’t include the
scientific method.
-The logic of the chapter is fairly straightforward (I
think??) although I believe it is both abstract and
concrete. It goes through different philosophers and
their beliefs, but I think that it could go more in
depth when it comes to applying each of their own
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abstract, concrete or beliefs to a somewhat more modernized classroom.

a bit of both?
o If you’re familiar
with logic, feel free
to identify deductive,
inductive and/or
analogical reasoning
in the chapter.
 If not, not to
worry 

Assumptions:
 What assumptions do you I feel that the chapter assumes that a) the person
feel the chapter makes? reading it already has a basic foundational
o What do you think knowledge of philosophy and what it entails, and
the authors also that the person reading it has already developed
assume/take for their own philosophy of education prior to reading
granted? the text. So far, I don’t see any glaring assumptions
o For example, do they in regards to the deep comprehension of key
assume a concepts, because this chapter is just an overview. I
deep/shallow can see that happening in future chapters though. I
understanding of key also think it is important to note that the “basic
concepts, issues realities” of teaching and education have changed
and/or current drastically since the time these authors were
realities basic to writing, both Aristotle and company as well as
education? Noddings.

-some important implications include the fact that

Implications and consequences: students need to have an active role within their
 What might be some own learning in order for it to become more
important implications of effective. Instead of simply being the “sage on the
some key insights from the stage” it is essential for students to feel that they too
Adapted from Nosich, G. (2010). Learning to Think Things Through: A Guide to Critical Thinking
Across the Curriculum. New York, NY: Pearson.

Grigg, Fall 2021

 4

chapter? are invested and responsible for their education.

o If we accept some of
their key claims,
what could follow?
-if we are to accept these claims, we could
hypothetically have a more all encompassing
education system that is individualized for the needs
of each student. However, that could in turn lead to
the breakdown of the systems of the world as we
know them because not everyone is entering the
workforce with the same skills and capabilities.

Point of view:
 How would you describe
the point of view or
perspective of the chapter?
Professional and/or
academic? Descriptive,
critical, philosophical,
political, biased, etc.?
 Are there viewpoints not
considered in the chapter?
o These could be
viewpoints you’re
interested in.
-The point of view and the tone of the chapter is
academic, but I enjoyed that fact that it was written
in first person perspective. I found it made the
chapter easier to read and more personalized,
instead of just monotonously stating the facts.
Because I have read ahead into later chapters, I
know that Noddings does in fact become more
critical, and I believe she does an effective job of
highlighting some of the problematic areas of the
theories brought forth without explicitly telling the
reader what they should and shouldn’t believe. I
also believe that education is inherently political
and pretending that it isn’t is often what leads to
trouble in the first place.

-As always, I believe that there is always more

room to consider the viewpoints of the non white
men (the stale, pale, and male, if you will) which
can include women, Indigenous people, and
members of the BIPOC community. I am heavily
interested in all of these viewpoints.

Adapted from Nosich, G. (2010). Learning to Think Things Through: A Guide to Critical Thinking
Across the Curriculum. New York, NY: Pearson.

Grigg, Fall 2021

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SEE-I Activity

•S: State in a single sentence your working definition of a concept you

found very interesting.
-Progressivism is the belief that human living and social institutions can
be improved.

•E: Elaborate upon the meaning of that working definition in 2-3 sentences.

-Progress as a society is possible through applying the scientific method
to social situations. Through applying this to political, economic, and
educational settings, we as a society can always improve ourselves.
Progressivists believe that education should focus on the whole child,
rather than on the content or the teacher.

•E: give an Example of that concept.

-Instead of having a student sit and listen to a teacher explain how
gravity works, the child is encouraged to drop various items from
different heights to see what the outcome is, and then ask why it
happens

•I: create an Image of that concept.

•This can be an image, metaphor or analogy

Adapted from Nosich, G. (2010). Learning to Think Things Through: A Guide to Critical Thinking
Across the Curriculum. New York, NY: Pearson.

Grigg, Fall 2021

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Adapted from Nosich, G. (2010). Learning to Think Things Through: A Guide to Critical Thinking
Across the Curriculum. New York, NY: Pearson.

Grigg, Fall 2021