An interesting utopian undertaking : The Philhellenic Society of Amsterdam and the journal Ελλάς/Hellas (Leiden, 1889–1897)

This chapter deals with the journal Ελλάς/Hellas (Leiden, Holland, 1889–1897). It examines the broader frame of the periodical’s publication and the intentions of its editorial board. Ελλάς/Hellas was the organ of the Philhellenic Society in Amsterdam, which was founded in April 1888. The Society’s basic aim was the support and promotion of the modern Greek language (katharevousa, an archaic, purified form of Greek used for official and literary purposes) as an international language, in opposition to the appearance and diffusion of invented languages such as Volapük and Esperanto. The Society and its journal make also a special plea for substituting modern Greek, and the modern pronunciation with it, for the ancient Greek taught in elementary instruction in Europe. This chapter examines this experiment as a utopian effort in the late nineteenth century.

Memorization in DSS, NT, Talmud and Patristic Documents

The history of civilization has its own uniqueness. There is an era in which all forms of knowledge must be memorized. However, after the advent of the printing press, many books circulated that could be a source of knowledge. And after this post-modern era arrives, all knowledge is available at hand via smart-phone at any time.According to historical records, education in the Jewish tradition is very strict. From an early age, a human child has been accustomed to remember what has been learned as part of life. There are four records in history to understand the practice of learning in understanding God's Law carefully and memorizing it. These sources from different eras testify simultaneously that memorization is a must for Jewish education context both at home, public school and synagogue. The sectarian, in Qumran, maintained their own strict interpretation of the Law. Family was still the chief institution and primary context for the dispensation of elementary instruction; although the scribes, Pharisees and learned rabbis played a major role in Jewish education during the NT era. Talmud is more specific about the age of studying and the sign of mastering. Origen also was trained since his childhood by his father, Leonides, to memorize Scripture daily and recite them every day.

An On-Line Cross-Sectional Questionnaire to Assess Knowledge of COVID-19 Pandemic among Citizens Tested for the SARS-CoV-2 Virus in Quito and Ibarra, Ecuador

Several public health measures have been implemented to contain the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak. The adherence to control measures is known to be influenced by people’s knowledge, attitudes and practices with regard to the disease. This study aimed at assessing COVID-19 knowledge in individuals who were tested for the virus. An online cross-sectional survey of 32 items, adapted to the national context, was conducted among 1656 Ecuadorians. The mean knowledge score was 22.5 ± 3 out of 28, with significant differences being observed with regard to educational attainment. People with postgraduate training scored higher than those with college, secondary and elementary instruction. Indeed, multiple linear regression revealed that lower scores were associated significantly with the latter three levels of education. Interviewees were knowledgeable about the symptoms, detection, transmission and prevention of the disease. However, they were less assertive regarding the characteristics of the virus as well as the usefulness of traditional and unproven treatments. These outcomes indicated a lack of knowledge in fundamental aspects of virus biology, which may limit the effectiveness of further prevention campaigns. Conclusively, educational and communicational programs must place emphasis on explaining the basic molecular characteristics of SARS-CoV-2; such information will certainly contribute to improve the public’s adherence to control measures.

‘We have the right to stand up’: Elementary students’ conceptual understandings of civic virtue and engagement

Early purposes of education in the United States concentrated on preparing young citizens to understand democratic principles in order to participate in their democratic communities. Today elementary instruction has contracted in response to years of high stakes accountability measures. Social studies has not been a focus of federal accountability measures and therefore has become increasingly absent in elementary classrooms. The purpose of this study was to examine how elementary students understood and applied their knowledge of civic virtue and engagement within an integrated social studies and literacy unit of instruction based on the framework of Critical Democratic Literacy. A modified version of Design-Based Research was used with a classroom teacher in a multiage first, second, and third grade classroom with the goal of ‘improving practice’ and engaging in ‘an iterative, collaborative design’ in an authentic instructional environment. Findings demonstrated that the elementary students understood the concepts of civic virtue and civic engagement in both historical and present contexts, as well as its relevance to their lives and the lives of others as helping and standing up in the face of injustice.

Conversion and Curriculum: Nonconformist Missionaries and the British and Foreign School Society in the British West Indies, Africa and India, 1800–50

This article examines the ways in which Nonconformist missionary societies worked hand in hand with the British and Foreign School Society (BFSS) to provide them with pedagogic training in the British System and BFSS teaching manuals and resources, as part of their evangelical mission of conversion in the British West Indies, Africa and India in the nineteenth century. The BFSS appealed to Nonconformist missionaries because it was based on unsectarian pedagogy, pioneered by the educationalist Joseph Lancaster. The article explores the various obstacles these missionaries faced, including the religious persecution they experienced in teaching an unsectarian system and the educational difficulties they experienced in persuading parents and local governments of the value of elementary education. It also draws attention to the ways in which they fought race and sex prejudice in the teaching of Africans, slaves and young girls. The current literature on missionary activities in the early nineteenth century pays scant attention to their role as educators: the article reveals the degree of their educational ambition and zeal and the lengths they went to in order to implement a progressive system of unsectarian elementary instruction in key parts of the British empire during the nineteenth century.