--- title: Introduction to Education description: This topic covers the foundational history, philosophy, and structure of modern schooling systems. You will understand how educational policies are formed and how different pedagogical approaches impact student development and classroom dynamics. category: personal-development subcategory: education difficulty: beginner, intermediate, advanced url: /subject/introduction-to-education --- # Introduction to Education This topic covers the foundational history, philosophy, and structure of modern schooling systems. You will understand how educational policies are formed and how different pedagogical approaches impact student development and classroom dynamics. ## Available Resources 4 Books • 1 Courses • 1 Websites ## Courses ### 1. Learning How to Learn This course gives you easy access to the invaluable learning techniques used by experts in art, music, literature, math, science, sports, and many other disciplines. We’ll learn about how the brain uses two very different learning modes and how it encapsulates (“chunks”) information. We’ll also cover illusions of learning, memory techniques, dealing with procrastination, and best practices shown by research to be most effective in helping you master tough subjects. Using these approaches, no matter what your skill levels in topics you would like to master, you can change your thinking and change your life. If you’re already an expert, this peep under the mental hood will give you ideas for turbocharging successful learning, including counter-intuitive test-taking tips and insights that will help you make the best use of your time on homework and problem sets. If you’re struggling, you’ll see a structured treasure trove of practical techniques that walk you through what you need to do to get on track. If you’ve ever wanted to become better at anything, this course will help serve as your guide. This course can be taken independent of, concurrent with, or prior to, its companion course, Mindshift. (Learning How to Learn is more learning-focused, and Mindshift is more career-focused.) A related course by the same instructors is Uncommon Sense Teaching. To join the fully translated Portuguese version of the course, visit: https://www.coursera.org/learn/aprender To join the fully translated Spanish version of the course, visit: https://www.coursera.org/learn/aprendiendo-a-aprender To join the fully translated Chinese version of the course, visit: https://www.coursera.org/learn/ruhe-xuexi To join the fully translated French version of the course, visit : http://www.coursera.org/learn/apprendre-comment-apprendre **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://www.coursera.org/learn/learning-how-to-learn **Tags:** learning-techniques, memory, metacognition, procrastination, study-skills ## Podcasts ### 1. Cult of Pedagogy **Author:** Jennifer Gonzalez Teaching strategies, classroom management, education reform, educational technology -- if it has something to do with teaching, we're talking about it. Jennifer Gonzalez interviews educators, students, administrators and parents about the psychological and social dynamics of school, trade secrets, and other juicy things you'll never learn in a textbook. For more fantastic resources for teachers, visit http://www.cultofpedagogy.com. **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Language:** en | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/pod **Tags:** teaching-strategies, classroom-management, pedagogy, education-podcast, k-12 ## Books ### 1. The Elements of Teaching **Author:** James M. Banner Jr. and Harold C. Cannon Nine short essays from Yale University Press on the qualities that define good teachers: learning, authority, ethics, order, imagination, compassion, patience, character, and pleasure. Readers gain a vocabulary for examining and judging their own classroom practice. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid **Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/0300078552?tag=edmonddante07-20 **Tags:** books, education-teaching, education ### 2. Education **Author:** John Dewey Dewey's 1938 essay arguing that neither traditional nor purely child-centered schooling works, and that education must be built on a theory of experience. Short and dense; it clarifies what progressive education actually claimed. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid **Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/0684838281?tag=edmonddante07-20 **Tags:** books, education-teaching, education ### 3. Pedagogy of the Oppressed **Author:** Paulo Freire Freire's 1968 critique of the banking model, in which teachers deposit facts into passive students, and his case for dialogue-based literacy work with Brazilian peasants. Foundational to critical pedagogy and widely assigned in teacher-education programs. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid **Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/0826412769?tag=edmonddante07-20 **Tags:** books, education-teaching, education ### 4. To Teach: The Journey of a Teacher **Author:** William Ayers Ayers narrates classroom life from a teacher's point of view, treating teaching as intellectual and moral work rather than technique. Useful for prospective teachers deciding whether and why to enter the profession. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid **Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/0807739855?tag=edmonddante07-20 **Tags:** books, education-teaching, education ## Websites ### 1. edutopia.org Edutopia is a practical education resource hub for K-12 teachers. It features articles, videos, and guides on evidence-based teaching strategies, including project-based learning, classroom management, technology integration, and social-emotional learning. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://edutopia.org **Tags:** websites, education-teaching, education --- *This content is part of Dantes.io - Your Treasure Map to Knowledge* *Curated by humans at Dantes.io. Personal study use welcome; republishing this curation requires permission (team@dantes.io).* View this page online: https://dantes.io/subject/introduction-to-education