ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that progressive education is presently in its ascendency, as educational rhetoric is pushing back on a seemingly traditional and out of date school system and teaching methods. Its proponents, concerned with what is termed 21st Century Learning, argue that society today is dramatically different from what it was in the past and that schools need to be transformed so that we must prepare our youth for the world of the future. While the themes of 21st Century Learning are consistent with those of past iterations of progressive education, what is new is an unrivaled enthusiasm with technologies and their application to the school. This concentration is not led entirely by educational associations, as technology corporations are intimately involved as partners. The chapter makes a case for a historically minded approach to educational reform that can inform educational rhetoric, which has been consistently torn between opposing ideologies that persistently polarize discussions about teaching, learning, and curriculum.
