2008 Woodie Awards
Museum offers insight on education, campus heritage
Issue date: 11/30/05 Section: News
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Features Editor
The Foster building played host to the Education Museum Nov. 21-22. The Foundation of Education classes put together the museum. Everything from the beginning of the recorded history of education to present time was presented.
The goals behind creating the museum were for the classes to learn through immersion while teaching other people through the museum itself.
"The students exceeded all my expectations. They brought in so many artifacts and arranged them so well. They showed a deep level of involvement," said Dr. Jill Branyon, associate professor of education and mathematics.
The museum started with ancient times, including the Sumerians, Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. Bright posters integrated information and pictures of each of these ancient civilizations and the beginning of the recorded history of education.
Next came the medieval period, with highlights of important people and traditions. The museum portrayed how faith was strongly intermingled with education and the vast role of the church in education in early history. Special emphasis was given to early leaders such as Martin Luther and the roles they played during the Reformation.
Examples of Samplers, which were stitching made by girls and wives, and were used to teach children during colonial times and many other artifacts were available throughout the museum. Emphasis was placed on the way the Bible was used to teach children how to read and write. In most of America's past the Bible was the main textbook used for teaching and during the colonial period it was the only textbook. There was no separation between church and state.
One of Noah Webster's Blue Back Spellers was available for viewing. The passages were made up of scriptures and it also contained the Ten Commandments and the Lord's Prayer.
Interesting information about individuals who played prominent roles in education during the Civil War Era was also displayed. George Washington Carver, who refused to patent most of the inventions of discoveries he made because he wanted them to be used for the good of all was one well-known member of this section. Mary McLeod Bethune, who started Bethune College in Florida and several black colleges in South Carolina that are still running today, was another prominent member of Civil War Era.
The last section of the museum consisted of the roots of North Greenville University. The Rector School was started Jan. 31, 1880. It was one of the first schools started in this area of South Carolina. North Greenville was started in 1892 to save poor mountain children and teach them reading, writing and arithmetic.
Now NGU holds the purpose of furthering education and keeping the strong traditional tie between religion and education.