IMPLEMENTATION OF THE IDEAS OF ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION OF F.U.PARKER IN THE MODERN AMERICAN SCHOOL

Abstract

The article` purpose is to reveal the peculiarities of using F.U.Parker` ideas of alternative education in a modern American school. Research methods: theoretical ‒ study of scientific literature, analysis, systematization, comparison, concretization, information generalization. Alternative education differs significantly from traditional education in its content, forms and methods of educational process organizing. It gives greater freedom to teachers and students, takes into account the individual characteristics and capabilities of children as much as possible. The article emphasizes that the ideas of alternative education emerged a long time ago. They can be found in the works of famous scientists of Ancient Greece (Anaximenes, Heraclitus, Democritus, etc.), the Renaissance (T.More, F.Rabelais), in the period of the New Age (XII-XIX centuries) (Y.Komensky, D. Locke, D.Diderot), the modern era of the second half of the 19th century (I.Hegel, H.Spencer, R.Steiner), "postmodernism" (R.Usher, K.Torres, M.Rosenau). The scientists` works expressed the ideas of humanism, freedom, equality, justice, the uniqueness of each individual and the need to ensure an individual approach to children. Alternative education is developed in the USA, whith numerous educational programs and schools that differ significantly from traditional ones. The activities of J.Dewey, F.Parker, J.Counts, W.Kilpatrick, H.Rugg, K.Washburn and others became a prerequisite for the development and establishment of alternative education in the USA. The pedagogical legacy of F.W.Parker deserves special attention, who, having started the fight against formalism in education, set before the school the task of harmonizing the content of educational subjects with their vital importance for students. It was found that today in the USA there are schools that actively implement the ideas of alternative education of F.U.Parker (the connection of learning with life, the development of children's creative thinking, interdisciplinarity, classes of different ages, etc.).