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 The
Paideia teaching method grew out of the writings and ideas
of American educator and philosopher Mortimer Adler. Expressed
in his 1982 book, 'The Paideia Proposal,' Adler argued that
all schooling should be on one track, not differentiated,
and that learning is not finite or static, but ongoing and
lively. For that reason, he asserted, the educational system
must prepare students to become lifelong learners - and adults
who are charged with the education of youth must adopt a similar
attitude.
Paideia's
goals have remained constant over the years: to provide a
rigorous liberal arts education in grades K-12 that will enable
critical thinking and provide the skills necessary for full
participation in a democratic society. The Paideia approach
is learning based on the Socratic method and involves a departure
from the traditional classroom approach of lecturing material.
Instead, Paideia uses a more interactive approach, including
small seminars, didactic instruction, and academic coaching.
Specifically, the program advocates three types of teaching:
- Didactic
instruction (which should be relegated to a minimum of the
school day and kept as interactive as possible)
- Coaching
(which is seen as learning by doing and is supported by
a variety of techniques such as labs, cooperative learning,
and project-centered teaching and learning)
- Seminars
(which are advocated as a regular instructional method and
seen as the vehicle that will bring about the greatest educational
transformation)
The Paideia
philosophy also speaks of "three columns" that list
goals and how they might be achieved:
- Acquisition
of organized knowledge (through didactic instruction)
- Development
of intellectual skills (through coaching, exercises, and
supervised practice)
- Enlarged
understanding of ideas and values (achieved through Socratic
questioning and active discussion of books (not textbooks),
other works of art, and involvement in artistic activities
(Adler, 1982)
 The
method articulated by Adler is supported by the National Paideia
Center (NPC). NPC was founded in 1988 and is housed at the
University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Its purpose is
to provide training and technical assistance in Paideia methods,
continue research on the results of Paideia methods when implemented
in schools, and act as a clearinghouse for schools establishing
Paideia programs.
By the
late 1980s and early 1990s, the teaching method began to be
used in schools throughout North Carolina, although primarily
in the more metropolitan areas of the state. For the past
seven years, the Guilford County School District has implemented
the Paideia method in more than 70 of the district 97 schools.
Although
use of the Paideia method is most prevalent in the Guilford
County School District, other schools in North Carolina have
adopted portions or the entire program. With the National
Paideia Center in Greensboro, North Carolina has become the
center for this movement. But it is a national movement that
has been embraced by school systems across the nation.
Paideia:
Making the Grade, an UNC-TV original, hour-long documentary,
airing Tuesday, January 15 at 8 PM, seeks not only to describe
the Paideia method and how it works, but also delves into
many other issues facing North Carolina schools.
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