Orientation to College: A Reader on Becoming an Educated Person
Orientation to College: A Reader on Becoming an Educated Person by Elizabeth Steltenpohl, Jane Shipton, and Sharon Villines. Wadsworth Publishing, The College Success Series.
This book is about authentic learning and why one would want to learn. About why you are going to college. About purpose and understanding. It’s about your future, not your footnotes and tracking your homework.
Reviews
Book Description
In a departure from typical college orientation texts that focus on skills development, Orientation to College: A Reader focuses on developing an understanding of the history and meaning of a college education. It is a rich collection of over 40 readings by leaders in education, govern-ment, and industry that address personal and professional issues as well as the history and role of the liberal arts in education. It also introduces students to the concepts of reflective and critical thinking and to learning as a process that continues throughout life. Commentaries, questions, and suggested activities accompany the readings making the text useful as a complete course or for use with a skills text.
The text is also appropriate for college and university-bound high school students. It will prepare them to approach their foundation courses as true foundations for future learning and not lectures to be tolerated. While a few of the readings will be too difficult for some students, the more advanced students will find them stimulating.
The text is being used in orientation studies at a wide range of schools across the country including California State University, DePaul University, SUNY Empire State College, Marquette University, Mount St. Mary’s, New York University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Texas State University, and University of Rhode Island. It is also being used in high school prep courses.
About the Authors
Elizabeth Steltenpohl (Ed.D., Teachers College, Columbia University) is on the faculty of SUNY Empire State College. As professor of Educational Studies she has conducted and written about college entry-related activities for a number of years.
Jane Shipton (MA, New York University) is Mentor Emeritus at SUNY Empire State College where she was professor of Community and Human Services. She has also conducted courses and written about college entry-related activities for a number of years.
Sharon Villines (MFA, University of Illinois) is on the faculty at SUNY Empire State College. As an artist and writer who also teaches an orientation to college course, she has extensive experience counseling students who are developing and changing careers.
Orientation to College: A Reader on Becoming an Educated Person by Jane Shipton, Elizabeth Steltenpohl, and Sharon Villines. Second Edition. Wadsworth, Thomson Learning, 2004. 226 pp. Index. Bibliography. ISBN 0-534-2684-0
Table of Contents
List of Figures
Erikson’s Eight Developmental Stages
The Life Structure and Its Development in Adulthood (Levinson)
Descriptions of Life Stages (Weathersby)
Kolb’s Modes of Experience and Learning Styles
Liberal Education and Preparation for Work (Chickering)
Preface
INTRODUCTION: ON BECOMING AN EDUCATED PERSON
The Educated Person by Thomas B. Jones
About This Book and Thinking About How to Use It
CHAPTER 1: THE PURPOSES OF COLLEGE
Introduction: What Is College?
Two Essential Goals by Ernest L. Boyer
The Baccalaureate Degree: What Does It Mean? What Should It Mean? by Howard R. Bowen
What Does Society Need From Higher Education? by David R. Pierce
What Does Society Need From Higher Education? by Robert H. Atwell
The Educated Person: A Changing Ideal by Henry J Perkinson
Universities and Their Function by Alfred North Whitehead
Summary
CHAPTER 2: THE ROLE OF LIBERAL ARTS IN A COLLEGE EDUCATION
Introduction: Joining the Academic Conversation
The Earthly Use of a Liberal Education … A. Bartlett Giamatti
What is an Idea? … Wayne C. Booth
The Liberal Studies … Carey W. Brush
The Purposes of Liberal Education … Henry Rosovsky
Beyond the Machine: Liberal Education for an Information Society … Bruce E. Strasser
Having a Degree and Being Educated … Edmund D. PellegrinoSummary
CHAPTER 3: EDUCATION AND THE IDEA OF CULTURE
Introduction: The Meaning of Culture
Beyond Tribalism … Laurent A. Daloz
Cultural Literacy … Alan C. Purves
An Educated and Culturally Literate Person Must Study America’s Multicultural Reality … Ronald Takaki
Multicultural Education for Freedom’s Sake … James A. Banks
Diversity, Community, and the University … Joan Wallach Scott
Defining a Global Perspective … Rita WeathersbySummary
CHAPTER 4: EDUCATION AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Introduction: Learning and Self
Erickson’s Eight Stages of Life … David Elkind
Maslow’s Theory of Self-Actualization … Gerald Corey and Marianne Schneider Corey
The Life Structure and Its Development in Adulthood … Daniel Levinson
Life Stages and Learning Interests … Rita Weathersby
Individual Identity Versus Identity Confusion … Barbara M. Newman and Philip R. NewmanSummary
CHAPTER 5: THINKING AND LEARNING
Introduction: The Discovery of Meaning
Learning and Brain Development … National Research Council
Learning from Everyday Experience … Robert M. Smith
Developmental Foundations of Critical Thinking … Joanne Gainen Kurfiss
Learning to Make Reflective Judgements … Patricia King
Changing Concepts of Learning … Graham Gibbs
Peak Learning: The Flow State … Ronald GrossSummary
CHAPTER 6: LEARNING HOW TO LEARN
Introduction: Ways of Learning
Your Preferred Learning Style … Arthur W. Chickering and Nancy K. Schlossberg
Competence in Self-Directed Learning … Malcolm S. Knowles
Exploring Self-Directedness in Learning … Stephen D. Brookfield
The Learning Group … Robert M. Smith
Collaborative Learning … Kenneth A. Bruffee
Team Learning, Dialogue, and Discussion … Peter SengeSummary
CHAPTER 7: EDUCATION AND WORK
Introduction: Becoming Employable
Report of the Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills … U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration
21st Century Workplace Trends and Their Implications … Joseph H. Boyett
Liberal Education and a New Generation of Corporate Leadership … Michael Useem
Holland’s Theory of Vocational Personalities and Environments … Nancy C. Evans, Deanna S. Forney, and Florence Guido-DiBrito
Liberal Education, Work, and Human Development … Arthur W. ChickeringSummary
Bibliography
Index
