As a high school teacher, it was interesting to read in last week’s assignment the education views that Isocrates held and how he used them to structure his own school of rhetoric. It was equally as interesting to read about the origin of curriculum in the field of education in the Hellenistic period of rhetoric. (Something I was unfamiliar with concerning that time period) The “enkyklios paideia” implemented to standardize education throughout the Greek world was birthed from the political powers and desire for influence over occupied territories. This “barbaroi” actually strengthened the educational and political powers as great minds from occupied territories joined forces to innovate current practices. A particularly interesting innovation in curriculum concept was the implementation of “progymnasmata”: a surprisingly advanced approach in instruction that has recently been practiced in current educational theory. This building-block approach to instruction is utilized by many new-aged teachers as they adopt a “Best Practice” approach to their instruction (as opposed to the more Traditional forms of instruction) but is termed as the method of “scaffolding”. Scaffolding concepts and ideas have proven to increase student achievement and proficiency in higher level skills. It was surprising to read that such contemporary traces of pedagogy came to light in the Hellenistic period.
In addition, the concept of ethics and morality in rhetoric (specifically those concerning law) did not seem to die out with the death of Isocrates. “The good man skilled in speaking” concept can also be seen in Cicero’s “Vir bonus” –“good man” in relation to virtue and ethics in oration as well as in Quintilian. Also, some of Aristotle’s views are whispered in Carneades ideals concerning an orator’s knowledge of an array of topics, but he also believe that effective orators need to be eloquent and be able “to argue “ in utramque partem”, or in the absence of certain knowledge, but can still be able to argue both sides of the conflict. It just goes to show that the art of eloquence and the skills of an orator simply adapt to the government and allowed practices of the times. It does not “die”, like Tacitus’ characters argue over in Dialogue, rather, it simply adjusts its approach to the forum it is given.
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I, too, am intrigued with the "modern" teaching concepts that we see espoused by the ancient world. I wonder why Isocrates isn't a more known name. I certainly had never heard of him and I find Isocrates a man I would enjoy engaging in conversation. I wonder what he would think of the concept of public education for all classes of citizens, as well as the equal education of females as we know it in our country. Certainly a "rounded education" in one form or other has survived the test of time. We see this extended to higher education, as well.
ReplyDeleteWith today's reliance on what I'd call "mechanical learning" i.e. the computer, I wonder how the modern student would fair with the progymnasmata approach to learning which required learning a series of more and more difficult patterns, with each exercise building on what was learned in the previous exercise and then adding a new element. Rhetoric certainly demanded that memory be pushed to the ultimate ranges within the ancient computer-the brain.
I'm in a syntax course that reminds me very much of math which reminds me very much of what you're saying about progymnasmata, Marilyn. The mastery of language, or any pursuit, really, should come from the lesson and practice mode of learning. Essentially, a lot of courses follow that idea: write x amount of papers in a semester, read so much from a specific text and discuss for x amount of days/weeks. I think it's become a matter of what is a classroom willing to do and how much time will be dedicated to the learning?
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing new under the sun. We are constantly pushed to attend meetings on the most inovative, and "new" concepts in education, most of which have been around since education became a formal entity. It amazes me to continue to discover that the techniques, such as scaffolding, are simply renamed strategies that have bene practiced in schools for centuries. The Greeks and Romans created such an effective method of educating young minds, that Western education continues to discover it all over again every few years.
ReplyDeleteThe concept of a "good man" resonates throughout the history of man and philosophy and religion and government and the rhetoric . Language is the primary weapon of truth in this struggle for understandin.
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