Educational thinking in America was once strongly activist. Schools had a part to play in social evolution and were an important factor in social progress. This paper shows how passivity and powerlessness is built into the deepest assumptions of current educational thinking. It provides an overview of modernist theory and postmodern accounts, and…

The issue of educational design was central in a study conducted at the University of Twente (The Netherlands). The goal was to describe the strategies that well-known designers in various education and training practices use. Twenty-three designers from different educational sectors (textbooks, curricula, educational media, etc.) were…

Jean-Francois Lyotard is considered by many as the pre-eminent non-Marxist philosopher of the "postmodern condition." This paper offers Lyotard's intellectual biography, describes his political writings and subsequent turn to philosophy, and discusses his views on capitalism in the postmodern condition and the problem of the legitimation…

Postmodernists have criticized modern conceptions of supervision as bureaucratic, hierarchical, and oppressive. This paper asserts that the postmodern proclivity to completely eschew expert supervision, evaluation, and judicious use of directive supervision is misguided, potentially limiting, and dangerous. The paper argues that collegial…

This paper examines the differences between Marxian/Gramscian educators and Foucauldian educators regarding school curriculum, teacher education, knowledge production, and other factors. Marxian/Gramscian educators view the school as continuing to reproduce unfair and unjust institutions and to assert that ideology shapes schooling. Foucauldian…

The nation's schools and society in general face serious problems that are largely rooted in moral and spiritual issues. Modern philosophy has led to a secular culture in which the existence of a divine God has been rejected, and man has become his own God, his own standard of measurement. These issues are addressed from the point of view of a…

This paper suggests that present-day curriculum, based on Newtonian thought, has been rendered obsolete by the holistic and interactive "post-modern" world view based on quantum physics, nonlinear mathematics, general systems theory, and Ilya Prigogine's nonequilibrium thermodynamics. The Newtonian world view, which is linear and…

This article tries to understand, by using some poststructural tools, practices with children that were performed by a Left action group in Sweden in the 1960s and 1970s. Modernist resistance discourses of enlightenment and liberation from obedience, silence and innocence can be seen as being produced, together with postmodern acts of unfolding…

This article explores the collective works of Peter McLaren and his contribution to critical pedagogy within the field of education and beyond the academy. To understand how McLaren's work took a radical turn in the 1990s, the article traces the historical development of his praxis. In particular, McLaren's engagement with the postmodern Left and…

Based primarily on stories told by a male elementary school teacher and stories told about him by parents, staff, and children, this paper explores how the identity of this male teacher is shaped. The paper begins by telling a specific story of a student who had wet her pants and how the teacher addressed the matter. Recounted conversations with…

Offers the author's own assessment or perspective on the usefulness of Fredric Jameson's work to the field of composition studies. Discusses his work on postmodernism. Explores in more detail the "pedagogical" functions of art Jameson hints at in his postmodernism work. (TB)

Examines implications of postmodernism, particularly chaos theory, for academic advising. Suggests that postmodernist advising acknowledges student angst and self-doubt, views each individual as a unique person and each advising session as a unique opportunity, views change as an ally rather than nemesis, and believes the advisor's impact is not…

This article synthesizes articles discussed as part of the research symposium at the 24th International Conference on Learning Disabilities on October 11, 2002. Topics include translating learning disability research to practice, identification of learning disabilities, special education and postmodernism, and the response to treatment model.…

Argues for the value of postmodern picture books as a classroom resource for addressing contemporary challenges. Offers a discussion on what postmodern picture books are, a rationale for using postmodern picture books, and teaching postmodern aesthetics. Includes some examples of postmodern picture books. (CMK)

Considers the impact of superhighways technology in the United Kingdom schools. Explores the effects of new information and communication technologies on traditional boundaries, such as boundaries among curriculum, subjects, pupils, and teachers. Concludes that effects on boundaries are mixed. Includes references. (CMK)