The fables of Aesop Book

This overview of the philosophy of education is a good survey of thinking on education through the ages. Noddings comes to the subject with a strong commitment to dialogue between competing view points, and thus presents a wide variety of perspectives on concepts as diverse as logic, epistemology, ethics, equity, and accountability.

However, her own strong conviction for an ethic of care overshadows the presentation of competing perspectives. Noddings argues that unbiased reporting is impossible, and thus is open about her own agenda. I appreciate her openness, but I was left feeling like some points from people that would disagree with her are watered down and simplified. It helps that I generally agree with everything that she has to say. Specifically, I appreciate how she highlights the importance of relationships in any learning interaction. However, I disagree with her thinking about learning standards, and am curious about a more expansive exploration of the contrasting points of view which get short shrift here.