5. 19th Century American Education

During 19th century, we had the establishment of the First Public High School, and by the end of the century high school education was becoming the new norm. Another important marker of the 19th century was the Teacher Training Schools. It
was a new idea to train teachers formally. The training was brief because most teachers were women likely to marry soon and leave the classroom. The purpose of the Teacher Training Schools was to give teachers ideas which they would use in their own way and assert their own individuality. The 19th century was also known for the First Kindergarten. At the start of the century, children were taught just the same as college students. Children were considered "little adults." The idea that children were different from adults was non-existent. How much more we can appreciate our struggles to establish child-centered education and find a balance between the content and method of education, when we realize how recent are the traditions of child education. Until the late nineteenth century all higher education was "liberal arts." There was no such thing as "majors." Everyone took the same basic courses. Land was plentiful and most of the major universities were built back in the woods. The idea was that students needed a quiet, serene, and isolated atmosphere in which to study. Thus, students were sent away to spend time "thinking" full time. Major universities were preoccupied with liberal arts and were reluctant to legitimize the practical research to support the scientific development of agriculture. One of the things that makes our country great is agriculture. Even now, our agricultural exports account for more foreign trade income than any other sector. The establishment of public land grant colleges, was another visionary act of the 19th century which created a whole new category of higher education to support practical research. In every state, land was given to establish practical universities. Virginia Tech is a land grant college and its main responsibility is agriculture. Over the last century, land grant universities have grown in the direction
of liberal arts and the liberal arts universities have taken on practical work as well. The University Land Grant Act, was a strong impetus in making university study practical and led to the development of the broad range of professional graduate
degrees which characterize American education today.

	Which were some of the major contributions made to American education during the 19th Century?	Answer Here
	Mr. Jordan was a teacher that attended college in the early nineteenth century. Mr. Adams attended school in the late eighteenth century. How would Mr. Jordan's teaching skills be superior to those of Mr. Adams'?	Answer Here