Organized Session, Workshop or Roundtable Title
The Progressive History & Culture of Appalachian Education: Ethnography and Rural Schools
Participation Type
Organized Session
Participant Type
Multi-presenter
Organized Session, Workshop or Roundtable Abstract
The narrative associated with Appalachian education as a region with a stagnant and inferior education system has remained mostly unchanged for decades. However, the recent body of scholarship associated with rural education is working to combat this deficit-oriented narrative constructed on stereotypes and misinformation. By utilizing ethnography, the following presentations aim to contribute to this ongoing dialogue regarding the true Progressive nature of these schools, the educators, and their symbiotic relationships with their surrounding communities. The incorporation of different ethnographic research methodologies, such as collecting oral histories and archival research in the form of school records, helps create a more complete understanding for the importance of rural schools and their strong connections to the communities in which they serve. These school case studies for Holden Central School in Holden, West Virginia and Edward Lee McClain High School in Greenfield, Ohio function as unique, yet also complimentary narratives for the possibilities of rural education when passionate educators are allowed to instruct their students with the necessary resources. Both schools offer counter-narratives to overall deficit-oriented narrative that unfortunately still persists to this day. The importance of preserving these oral histories and the memories of their former students and teachers for future generation is worthwhile in these respects alone, however, the inaccurate and deficit-oriented narrative concerning Appalachian education still influences the development of federal and state educational policy reform, such as the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act and the 2009 Race to the Top Initiative. These powerful and shortsighted pieces of legislation punish rural schools and threaten to close or consolidate them due to either failing to meet their Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) scores or due to low enrollment numbers. By providing counter-narratives to these inaccurate depictions of Appalachia, the incorporation of ethnography in the form of oral histories and archival research of school records help to spotlight the true Progressive nature and value that rural Appalachian schools possess.
Organizer
Harley Derek Walden
At-A-Glance Bio- Organizer
I am currently enrolled in Marshall University's doctoral program in Education with an emphasis in Curriculum and Instruction. For my dissertation research, I will chronicle a coal camp school in Logan County, West Virginia using strong elements of oral history and archival research.
Type of Session
Paper
Presentation #1 Title
Introductory Comments: Doctoral Dissertation Research on the History and Culture of Rural Schools
Presentation #1 Abstract
I will provide introductory comments on the doctoral dissertation research that gives rise to this session on the history and culture of rural schools.
At-A-Glance Bios- Participant #1
I am professor of humanities and anthropology and Director of the Graduate Humanities Program at Marshall University, where I coordinate interdisciplinary graduate study in cultural, historical, literary, and Appalachian studies.I am jointly appointed in the College of Liberal Arts and the doctoral program of the College of Education and Professional Development, and direct graduate projects, theses, and dissertations, as well as teach a broad range of graduate seminars in the humanities, social sciences, and interdisciplinary research methods.
Presentation #2 Title
The Story of Holden Central School: An Ethnographic Look into Community, Education, and the "Rural"
Presentation #2 Abstract
Holden Central School was promoted as a model coal camp school in West Virginia as an example of what was possible when a powerful coal company allocated the adequate resources to the school and allowed it to develop and flourish without a great deal of oversight and intervention. This is significant because the predominant narrative concerning coal camp schools and communities is mostly concerned with a cycle of economic constrictions and inevitable dependency on the part of the coal companies that manipulated and exploited the coal miners and their families. Holden Central School existed and functioned as part of the larger Progressive educational movement in Appalachia that is often ignored and underrepresented by educational historians and survey texts that chronicle the nation’s development of education. In order to address this gap in the existing body of knowledge, I hope to constellate my research within a collaborative framework, one that provides a case study of Appalachia’s contribution to Progressive education and the excellence of caring educators with capable students, while at the same time providing former students and teachers of Holden Central with a document that will preserve their memories and contributions to education in Logan County. The importance of rural schools has recently increased, as most face constant threats of consolidations and closure due to either low enrollment numbers or constraints placed on the schools via high-stakes standardized test scores. The literature on rural education and rural schools is limited and outdated. There is a significant gap in the existing body of knowledge concerning the impact and legacy of rural schools and their communities. One of the most glaring omissions in this literature is the lack of school case studies that look at the experiences and memories of former educators and students through elements of oral history. This is a significant omission, especially given these are the people who were directly involved in shaping the legacies of such schools. This research hopes to address the glaring absences.
At-A-Glance Bios- Participant #2
I am currently enrolled in Marshall University's doctoral program in Education with an emphasis in Curriculum and Instruction. For my dissertation research, I will chronicle a coal camp school in Logan County, West Virginia using strong elements of oral history and archival research.
Presentation #3 Title
he Story of Edward Lee McClain High School: An Ethnographic Inquiry into the School's Role in the Culture of the Community
Presentation #3 Abstract
In 1912, the small farming community of Greenfield, Ohio awoke to an exciting headline in the community newspaper. A local inventor and businessman, Edward Lee McClain, announced that he would be building a new high school as a “Christmas gift” to the citizens of Greenfield, “promising the most good, to the greatest number, for the longest time.” One hundred years after the first bell rang in Edward Lee McClain High School, the building and its surroundings have become the center and foundation of a community that has seen its share of hard times. Through it all, one thing has remained-a school, a tradition, and a powerful history. Built on Deweyan principles, the school was originally designed to be a community itself. A doctor and dentist were on staff to ensure the health and well-being of the students. A state-of-the-art indoor swimming pool and a library that spanned the entire third floor, ensured that the students were educated in both body and mind. Although the ideas upon which McClain were founded were not uncommon, the hundreds of works of art that line its hallways, classrooms, and gathering spaces set it apart from other schools. Enormous murals were commissioned and painted over the marble stairway in the grand entrance of the building. Statues of Socrates, Winged Victory, and Augustus Caesar stand watch over the students as they go from class to class. McClain’s students are surrounded by classical art every minute that they are in the building. To say the school is a treasure is an understatement. The building and what it represents have pulled the tiny town out of the darkest times.
At-A-Glance Bios- Participant #3
My name is Valerie Jones and I am currently enrolled in the Ed.D. Program at Marshall University with an emphasis in Curriculum & Instruction. I plan to conduct my dissertation research on Edward Lee McClain High School in Greenfield, Ohio.
Keywords
Art and Material Culture, Borders, Collaboration, Community, Education, History
Start Date
4-9-2016 3:30 PM
End Date
4-9-2016 5:00 PM
Introductory Comments: Doctoral Dissertation Research on the History and Culture of Rural Schools
Big Sandy Conference Center - Tech Room 03
I will provide introductory comments on the doctoral dissertation research that gives rise to this session on the history and culture of rural schools.