Chapter 5

Pioneers in
Education

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 Key Accomplishments of
Educational Pioneers (Part 1)

• Comenius: First picture book for

learning, the Orbis Sensualum Pictus,
or The Visible World in Pictures
• John Locke: Introduced the concept of a
child’s mind as a tabula rasa, or blank
slate

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 Key Accomplishments of
Educational Pioneers (Part 2)
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Revolted against
the theory of child depravity, that children are
inherently bad. Contended in Emile, that
children, instead, are ‘noble savages,’ until
corrupted by society.
• Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi: The object
lesson, a way to encourage Rousseau’s
“natural education” for children in groups.

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 Key Accomplishments of
Educational Pioneers (Part 3)
• Friedrich Froebel: Kindergarten
• Herbert Spencer: Utilitarian education,
emphasizing practical outcomes
• John Dewey: Progressive education,
emphasizing problem solving
• Jane Addams: Socialized education, with
emphasis on responding to student
diversity

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 Key Accomplishments of
Educational Pioneers (Part 4)
• Maria Montessori: Montessori
education, structuring the environment
to accommodate children’s natural
desire to work at learning
• Piaget: Developmentally-appropriate
education, based on children’s stage of
cognitive development

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