The theorist that is seen as a thread in chapters 15-18 is Froebel. The church and Lutheran Christian faith were pillars in Froebel's own early education. Oberweissbach was a wealthy village in the Thuringian Forest and had been known centuries long for its natural herb remedies, tinctures, bitters, soaps and salves. Families had their own inherited areas of the forest where herbs and roots were grown and harvested. Each family prepared, bottled, and produced their individual products which were taken throughout Europe on trade routes passed from father to son, who were affectionately called "Buckelapotheker" or Rucksack Pharmacists. Froebel advocated the importance of free play in childhood (Britannica, 2008). Each gift was designed to be given to a child to provide material for the child's self-directed activity. Playing with the Froebel Gifts empowered children to be lively and free. It is important to consider what Froebel expected the Gifts to achieve. He envisioned that the Gifts would teach the child to use his/her environment as an educational aid; secondly, that they would give the child an indication of the connection between human life and life in nature; and finally that they would create a bond between the adult and the child who play with them (Liebschner, 1992, p. 82).
In the chapter on Black Americans, the importance of the people and nature, agriculture was important. As slaves worked the fields, infants were often taken on their parents' backs. If black children made it to the toddler age, they would begin to interact with other children. As they grew older, they were allowed to play in the fields, forests and streams. Their leisure time diminished greatly as they were older, they could still sing, talk and help one another in slavery. Religion was a very important part in the slave's life as it had been in Froebels. During 1859-1912, Josephine Silone Yates became the first black American certified to teach in the public schools. Froebelian kindergartens were established for the black children (Lascarides, & Hinitz, 2000). Anna Murray advocated for Froebelian kindergarten and trained teachers in Froebel's ways. She even persisted in getting Congress to appropriate funds for the white and the black kindergarten.
The kindergartens for Asians existed to the ideas of Froebel. Preschools and kindergartens opened up all over China. Christian missionaries ran the private schools; thereby stating the importance of religion in education as Froebel had in his. The most rapid growth in kindergartens came after World War II (Jeynes, 2006). However, it was also at this time that there was much persecution of the Asians as well. The father was the head of the household as was true of the Black Americans and at Froebel's time. Japanese differed from Chinese in that a priority was placed on primary education for the general population. In 1872, Sinzo Seki published a description of Froebel's ideas on creative self-activity of children (Lascarides, & Hinitz, 2000, p. 525). Once again, Froebel's influence appeared in Japanese kindergartens.
Hispanics often have a large extended family. The hierarchial structure is very much like that of the Asian families where the father is te authority figure. Children are treated warmly and most homes are child centered. A child's self image is often based on their culture. Teaching strategies that accept child and family beliefs, cooking, nutrition experiences, stories, myths and proverbs that teach rules and values, music and dance are all important in the Hispanic culture and education. Due to the Federal Government, state, and local initiatives, and newer immigration laws between 1965 and 1995, many Head Start programs which are influenced by Froebel began to address the needs of children and families.
Due to Froebel's influence and popularity in America, many children of different cultures were able to attend school, even though, for some of them, it was a struggle for their family and for them. Froebel's concepts endured the test of time, space and culture.
References
Education. (2008). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved July 23, 2008, from Encyclopædia Britannica
Online: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/179408/education
Jeynes, W.H. (2006). Standardized tests and Froebel's original kindergarten model. Retrieved July 23, 2008
www.tcrecord.org
Lascarides, V.C., & Hinitz,B.F. (2000). History of early childhood education. New York: Falmer Press.
Liebschner, J. (1992). A child's work: Freedom and guidance in Froebel's educational theory and practice. Cambridge:
Lutterworth Press
Module 6 Poetry, Drama, Film, Response
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