Rome & its Contribution
Many methods and procedures that standardize today’s education are said to be products of early agricultural practices. Rome, one of the oldest civilizations to first stress the importance of education, has inadvertently influenced today’s educational format. Their focus on war and politics made it possible for roman individuals to set forth techniques that we would one day consolidate and thus produce the educational system of today. Once a small republic state, Rome had begun to develop into a vast empire whose focal points were in need of altering. Romans, whose emphasis was once on agriculture, warfare, roman traditions, and public affairs, began to concentrate on “the administration, law, and diplomacy needed to maintain their new empire” (p.76). As opposed to Greek mentors, who’s focus was on philosophical issues, Romans focused on educating “practical politicians, able administrators, and skilled generals” in order to continue running their prosperous domain (p.76). One of Rome’s most highly educated instructors was that of Marcus Fabius Quintilianus. He was a senator, lawyer, teacher, civil servant, and politician whose concentration dealt with oratory; the art of public speaking. Although he was well noted for his fancy and decorative way of speech, Quintilian was also recognized as one of the first to develop stage-based learning through a program founded on rhetorical studies. “Quintilian emphasized the need to base instruction on the learner’s readiness and stage of development” (p.77). He understood the fact that there are differences between students and stressed that the information and instruction given to the student be appropriate to their “readiness and abilities”. He encouraged instructors to teach their lessons by making them interesting and engaging. Quintilian’s early version of stage-based learning consists of four intricate stages “that corresponded to the patterns of human development” (p.77). His first stage,...
Please join StudyMode to read the full document