John Amos Comenius 256r27

John Amos Comenius Jan Amos Komenský Father of Modern Education • John Amos Comenius was a seventeenth century visionary and innovator. • He tended to think in big pictures, and believed that much of life's learning should be woven together, a concept he called Via Lucis, or "way of light."

TOPICS: • Philosopher's Background • Education and Schooling • Principles of Teaching and Learning • Influences on Educational practices today

John Amos Comenius FYI: He wrote more than 200 books on his educational system of rounded curriculum and human betterment. He became world-renowned for his progressive views of education and was offered the first presidency of Harvard University but never set foot in the US of A because he died before he could come.

BIOGRAPHY • (Czech) Jan Ámos Komenský • Born March 28, 1592 Nivnice, Moravia, Habsburg domain [now in Czech Republic] • Died Nov. 15, 1670, Amsterdam, Netherlands • His ancestors came from Hungary and his original family name was Szeges. •He was a Protestant bishop who reformed the educational system. •Considering his childhood was an unfortunate one, Comenius strived to become one of the most OPTIMISTIC educators. •Not only did he rose from a poor family, but his family died from a plague in1604.

BIOGRAPHY • Czech philosopher, scientist, pedagogue and theologian from Margraviate of Moravia. •served as the last bishop of Unity of the Brethren His works reflect that of a REALIST •He was a contemporary of Descartes

https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Amos-Comenius

BIOGRAPHY • religious refugee – lived and worked in other regions of the Holy Roman Empire, and other countries: Sweden, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Transylvania, England, the Netherlands and Hungary.

• one of the earliest champions of Universal Education • wrote Orbis Pictus (1658) and Didactica Magna https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Amos-Comenius

•Since that time, he studied different languages and went to ministry. •Orbis Pictus (famous children’s textbook) and Didactica Magna (he set forth a Christian program of learning from nature) •Comenius became a sought after teacher in Europe in the 17th century

Father of Modern Education 1. an innovator who first introduced pictorial

textbooks 2. written in native language instead of Latin 3. applied effective teaching based on the natural gradual growth from simple to more comprehensive concepts 4. ed lifelong learning and development of logical thinking by moving from dull memorization

Father of Modern Education 5. presented and ed the idea of equal opportunity for impoverished children 6. opened doors to education for women 7. made instruction universal and practical

Philosopher and REALIST

Education, Schooling and travels • He attended the Latin school in Přerov and continued his studies in Herborn (Hesse) and Heidelberg. • Comenius became a pastor at age 24 and left the Brethren into exile. • universities where Protestants were allowed to study, and it was there that Comenius met figures who were influencing European scientific, theological, and philosophical thought. • It was a period of great reforms. http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Comenius

Education, Schooling and travels • greatly influenced by the Irish Jesuit William Bathe, who wrote Janua Linguaram (The Messe of Tongues) • 1614, returned to Moravia, first to teach, and then to run a parish. • compiled the very first Czech encyclopedia, called The Theater of All Things. •his other teachers were Johann Piscator, Heinrich Gutberleth, and, particularly, Heinrich Alsted. •1614, returned to Moravia, first to teach, and then to run a parish. •first efforts as a theologian and educator were compiling the very first Czech encyclopedia, called The Theater of All Things.

• 1628, Comenius left Czech lands for Lešno (Poland), where he wrote his educational works (Velká Didaktika). • 1641-42, he lived in England, where he had been invited by English revolution parliament. • 1644-1645, he took part in peace talks. (There was still 30-years war.) • In Lešno he was accused of corrupting children and covering up Christian wisdom with pagan science.

• He left to Amsterdam where he lived for the next 14 years and where he published Opera didactica omnia. • He was trying to prepare for the great task of rebuilding the land and the society of Czech lands, which were devastated by war, and he knew that education would play a vital part in it.

Reform Of The Educational System: 1. revolution in methods of teaching – Teachers ought to “follow in the footsteps of nature” – Comenius made this the theme of The Great Didactic and also of The School of Infancy—a book for mothers on the early years of childhood

Reform Of The Educational System: 2. make European culture accessible to all children – advocated “nature’s way,” – wrote Janua Linguarum Reserata (pupils could compare the two languages and identify words with things)

Principles of Teaching and Learning • He was interested in “pansofia“, which is scence about all phenomena in the world.His ideas were very close to the teachings the English philosopher, Francis Bacon. • Thanks to his pansofic works, he was invited to London in the year 1641 by his followers(Comenians).

What does “pansophism” actually refer to? • Comenius believed there was only one truth. • The light of reason must submit in obedience to the will of God. (This is Comenius’s fundamental pedagogical and pansophic principle.) • "the unification of all scientific, philosophical, political, and religious knowledge into one allembracing, harmonious world view."

His philosophy • "pansophism," emphasized political unity, spiritual redemption, and religious reconciliation, and cooperation in education. • This philosophy of pansophism related education to everyday life and called for systematic harmonizing principles to be developed for all knowledge. • Hi book Consultation (1640) describes his pansophic views because he wanted learning to be universal

Education • the goal of education as the development of universal knowledge among all people, including women and children, and all nations. • educated people are those who sought knowledge from all sources in order to become more like the God in whose image they were made—omniscient and universally comionate.

Orbis Pictus (1638) – the first children’s picture book. The book later led to audiovisual techniques in the classroom. Didacta Magna – this book described a very different educational system. He believed that school should be organized in stages from easy to hardest. He also thought that teachers should be kinder to the children instead of harsh. He felt that teaching in different languages was beneficial to every child wanting to learn.

Education • education was not for the rich or other elite, but for everyone. • He advocated universal education, teaching children both in their native language as well as Latin, the universal language in Europe at the time. • his educational system retained the uniqueness of individual culture while at the same time promoting the unity of humankind.

Influences in Educational Practices Today • Comenius used pictures, maps, charts, and other visual aids. • He even brought drama into the classroom. • first to recognize that the play of childhood was learning.

Influences in Educational Practices Today • In his system, there were four grades, equivalent to pre-school, grade school, high school, and college. • He was also an advocate of continuing education, believing that learning should be a lifelong process.

As the whole world is a school for the human race… so every individual's lifetime is a school from the cradle to the grave. (Comenius 1633)

Orbis Pictus Coelum, 1. rotatur, et ambit Terram, 2. stantem in medio. Sol, 3. ubi ubi est, fulget perpetuo, ut ut densa Nubila, 4. eripiant eum a nobis; facitque suis Radiis, 5. Lucem, Lux Diem. Ex opposito, sunt Tenebrae, 6. inde Nox.

Orbis Pictus(The World in Picture) The Heaven, 1. is wheeled about, and encometh the Earth, 2. standing in the middle. The Sun, 3. wheresoever it is, shineth perpetually, howsoever dark Clouds, 4. may take it from us ; and causeth by his Rays, 5. Light, and the Light, Day, On the other side, over against it, is Darkness, 6. and thence Night.