Holistic educational thought in K-12 education

In this interpretive study, I raise the possibility that what American public education policy needs in order to address present and future challenges is a “new guiding narrative, a new myth,” (Jones, 2008, p. 104). This “new guiding narrative,” I argue, is to be found in holistic educational thought. Holistic educational thought is the idea that education resides neither in the head, nor in the hands, nor in the heart, but in the aggregate of all of these. In its modern and contemporary forms, holistic educational thought emphasizes education that is academic and vocational – not as separate tracks – but as an integrated curriculum available to all students. At the core, holistic educational thought articulates a vision of education that is both practical and beautiful. Practical in the sense that education is able to satisfy the intellectual and ecological needs of civil society and beautiful in the sense that education is designated to delight the senses and appeal to the imagination. To articulate this relationship – that between beauty and practicality – is the crux of holistic educational thought. The major concepts discussed in the upcoming chapters are competitive eligibility, ecological literacy, and lifelong optimal learning.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educational Policy Studies

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2014

Author dc:creator

• Grant, Brett

Contributors dc:contributor

• Anderson, James D.
• McCarthy, Cameron
• Harris, Violet J.
• Trent, William T.

• competitive eligibility
• ecological literacy
• lifelong optimal learning

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2014 Brett Grant

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/49426

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/49426