Monthly Archives: October 2013

Summerly Hills

The idea of the school system at Summerhill seems like a very risky decision by the founders. I am not exactly surprised that the idea worked out but I am more surprised that enough people showed an interest and initiative … Continue reading

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Paper II prompt

This paper, due in triplicate in class on Tuesday 12 November, is to be two pages, 1.5 spaced, with complete heading-information. You are to choose one aspect of A.S. Neill’s philosophy of education that you believe Whitehead, Dewey, or both … Continue reading

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Self Government

The thing that inspires me most about the second reading, and in particular the entire book, is the idea of letting the students mold the school for themselves–as opposed to the adults telling them what they should do. On page … Continue reading

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Second reading of Summerhill

Summerhill stresses the importance of the school fitting the student. He describes how students how have traditional education than transfer to Summerhill school, around their teens, get less of the experience out of it. I think that there is a … Continue reading

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Self regulation and problem children (Samantha Lantz)

In these next few chapters, Neill discusses how children grow and the attitudes and behaviors they form because of adult influence at home and in school. In the chapter entitled Play and Self Regulation, he talks about the difference between games and … Continue reading

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How much freedom is enough for kids? (Cameron)

In the initial chapters of Summerhill , it is stated that this ideal system of education relies on the school fitting the student and not the other way around. The Summerhill School would accommodate the desires of the student, allowing the student … Continue reading

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Instilling a Sense of Freedom in Children

Neill talks about certain problem children he had at his school.  He makes the observation that children that came to Summerhill at a young age, 10 years or younger, seems to get a lot out of the experience.  However, children … Continue reading

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Work and Play

In this section of Summerhill School, Neill discusses the topics of play, work, and problem children. The topic that most caught my attention was his discussion of children’s play. He starts out by asserting that children are not given the option … Continue reading

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I like Summerhill’s discussion on the fear of teachers.  When I was in third grade, I was absolutely terrified of my teacher.  Most of what I chose to do were things that would not get me into trouble because the … Continue reading

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Freedom Both Ways

The first few chapters of A.S. Neill’s book “Summerhill School” talk about an experimental school that was founded in 1921 by thirty-seven year old Alexander Sutherland Neill (xvii). The main purpose of the school was to give the students, and … Continue reading

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The New School

In the readings we learn about this new way of education with an entire new school system of Summerhill. Where it is basically an entire democracy where rules and regulations are voted on. The author believes that the old school … Continue reading

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Summerhill School (Pages 3-30) (Samantha Lantz)

So far, we have learned that Summerhill, a “new” school is run to model the progressive ways of education. Students go to classes if and when they see fit and all school rules and polices are voted on by staff … Continue reading

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Joe Burnett on Whitehead

Burnett delineates the Whitehead ideal in a short digestible 10 page summary that although doesn’t add a significant amount to what we have already read, still provides an excellent review. Burnett elaborates on Whitehead’s idea of “the art of life” … Continue reading

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Too Much Freedom

After reading this first section of Summerhill School, I am shocked that this type of education actually worked. The fact that children get to choose whether they want to go to class or not from such a young age is ridiculous. How … Continue reading

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Importance of University

This chapter of Whitehead stuck out the most to me regarding the education system we have in our country. I believe this was most prevalent to me because I am currently in an institution of which he is speaking about. … Continue reading

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Thanks, Whitehead

This chapter by Whitehead has helped me try an answer one of, if not the most, pressing question of my life right now: why am I in school?  Obviously I know that you have to go through the appropriate channels, … Continue reading

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Aims of Education ch.7

Whitehead begins the chapter by expressing the importance of universities today. Then he decides to tell us that we haven’t had a need for a university since the printing press in the fifteen hundreds. He says that there is a … Continue reading

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Ch. 7 “Universities and their Function” (Cameron Mothersbaugh

    Out of all the chapters assigned thus far, Ch.7 had initiated the greatest personal connection with me. Being a freshman at a University, topics discussed in this chapter seemed quite relevant. In our current society, it seems that the … Continue reading

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Knowledge and Imagination

In chapter seven, Whitehead ventures into topic that I have never really been able to place my finger on. What I mean is, I have never been able to see why I prefer lectures over reading a book; why I … Continue reading

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Universities and Schooling (Samantha Lantz)

Whitehead discusses the importance of university education and praises it for its development of nations across the world. Although he agrees in the first few pages of chapter 7, that the university education could be gained through much cheaper means, … Continue reading

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