This probably isn't what you are looking for, but it sounds pretty
interesting. Adds a bit of the historical. Also see
http://www.pbs.org/publicschool/index.html:
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We are very happy to announce that "School: The Story of American Public
Education," which airs on PBS from 9 to 11 p.m. September 3rd and 4th, is
available as a 4-part series on video to the non-theatric market through
Films for the Humanities & Sciences:
School: The Story of American Public Education
Born out of centuries of conflict and experimentation, America's public
school system is one of the nation's most significant--but still
unfinished--achievements. This four-part series, narrated by Academy
Award-winning actress Meryl Streep, is a compelling odyssey that weaves
archival footage, rare interviews, and on-site coverage into an
unprecedented portrait of public education in America. 4-part series, 52
minutes each.
#EYA11761 Video: $539
"It [School] causes a familiar topic to seem strange and rich again."--The
Washington Post Magazine
The Common School: 1770-1890
In the aftermath of the Revolution, a newly independent America confronted
one of its most daunting challenges: how to build a united nation out of
thirteen disparate colonies. This program profiles the passionate crusade
launched by Thomas Jefferson and continued by Noah Webster, Horace Mann, and
others to create a common system of tax-supported schools that would mix
people of different backgrounds and reinforce the bonds of democracy. A
wealth of research illustrates how this noble experiment--the foundation of
the young republic--was a radical idea opposed from the start by racial
prejudice and fears of taxation. (52 minutes, color)
#EYA11762 Video: $149 Rental: $75
As American as Public School: 1900-1950
In 1900, 6% of Americašs children graduated high school; by 1945, 51%
graduated and 40% went on to college. This program recalls how massive
immigration, child labor laws, and the explosive growth of cities fueled
school attendance and transformed public education. Also explored are the
impact of John Dewey's progressive ideas as well as the effects on students
of controversial IQ tests, the "life adjustment" curriculum, and Cold War
politics. Interviews with immigrant students, scholars, and administrators
provide a portrait of America's changing educational landscape in the first
half of the twentieth century. (52 minutes, color)
#EYA11763 Video: $149 Rental: $75
A Struggle for Educational Equality: 1950-1980
In the 1950s, America's public schools teemed with the promise of a new,
postwar generation of students, over half of whom would graduate and go on
to college. This program shows how impressive gains masked profound
inequalities: seventeen states had segregated schools; 1% of all Ph.D.s went
to women; and "separate but equal" was still the law of the land. Interviews
with Linda Brown Thompson and other equal rights pioneers bring to life the
issues that prompted such milestones as Brown v. Board of Education of
Topeka (1954), the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Title IX, and the
Americans with Disabilities Act. (52 minutes, color)
#EYA11764 Video: $149 Rental: $75
The Bottom Line in Education: 1980-the present
In 1983, the Reagan Administration's report, A Nation at Risk, shattered
public confidence in America's school system and sparked a new wave of
education reform. This program explores the impact of the "free market"
experiments that ensued, from vouchers and charter schools to
privatization--all with the goal of meeting tough new academic standards.
Today, the debate rages on: do these diverse strategies challenge the
founding fathers' notions of a common school or are they the only recourse
in a complex society? (52 minutes, color)
#EYA11765 Video: $149 Rental: $75
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-----Original Message----- From: Mike Cole [mailto:mcole@weber.ucsd.edu] Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2001 1:08 PM To: xmca@weber.ucsd.edu Subject: films about classroom cultures
Does anyone know of good films that could be shown to an undergraduate class about culture and communication in the classroom? A colleague is teaching such a course, and it strikes me as a resource that many on thge list might make use of. mike
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Mon Oct 01 2001 - 01:02:09 PDT