Holding Values: What We Mean by Progressive Education

by Brenda S. Engel

The essays in "Holding Values" together constitute both a critique of current policies in education and a clear statement of an alternative vision of progressive education practice. Addressing important topics, like the ways children learn, testing, evaluation and assessment, staff development, racial diversity, and community, are some of the nation's most experienced and thoughtful voices, Vito Perrone Lillian Weber Joseph and Helen Featherstone Deborah Meier Harold Berlak Kathe Jervis Eleanor Duckworth Edward Chittenden Susan Harman Patricia Carini George HeinThe essays provide compelling, jargon-free explanations of the ideas embodied in the progressive perspective, along with classroom stories that will strike a chord of recognition in anyone who has worked with children in schools.Speaking to the pressing need to expand boundaries and open possibilities for children, "Holding Values" makes an eloquent plea to keep alive the humanistic values and practices that have been in large part abandoned in schools. At the same time, it provides practical examples of how to implement an education that upholds social justice, creativity, thoughtfulness, and intellectual and social growth.

Genres: Education, Nonfiction

Mass Market Paperback

First published March 23, 2005

Reviews

[Nicholas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Articles by members of North Dakota Study Group, a group of Progressive educators that has been meeting for almost 50 years. Vary in quality from good to great. Some deal directly with the how the organization itself has evolved, others describe or illustrating progressive education. Authors include Deborah Meier, Vito Perrone, Eleanor Duckworth among other greats.

[Lizzy Denny · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I really appreciate all of the contributions to this book, many of the articles could have been edited down and were often repetitive. Still, the book gives a many great opinions on progressive education as opposed to testing-based education as prescribed by NCLB.