Innovators vs. Makers

When I read through the biography of Horace Mann, I immediately felt as if this man truly had an influence on public education known today. An innovator is one who creates something new, often for the first time, and Horace Mann fits this definition perfectly in regards to his work involving educational support. When reading about the “makers,” I didn’t get that initial jolt that told me that these men had as much influence on today’s public education as when I read about Horace Mann.  The makers that I read about were men of wealth, men who may have had some form of education, but their influence on the public education of today was more indirect.

            As I read about the life of Horace Mann, I knew that I was learning about a man who had a direct influence on public education past and present. In the late 18^th and early 19^th century students in public schools only attended classes for a couple of weeks in the winter, which is unbelievable when thinking about the amount of time spent in the classroom today. When did the change happen someone might ask? Well, Horace Mann’s idea to improve education started when he established the state board of education, which subsequently led to the increase in the length of a school year to six months, which is much closer to that of today’s school year. This was only one of the many improvements that Mann made to education, but it is one of the great examples of his role as an innovator.

Andrew Carnegie, the steel baron, was the one “maker” who stood out when thinking about today’s public education. Ironically, Carnegie himself is said to have had minimal formal education himself, but he was taught early the importance of learning. So what exactly did Carnegie do to influence the public education known today? Personally, I feel as if Carnegie had more of an indirect influence on the public education, whereas Horace Mann had more of a direct influence; for me this was the major difference between the innovator and the maker. Carnegie is said to be one of the richest men in history, and his money donations to establish schools, universities, and libraries shows that he thought education was of utmost importance.  So if one of the richest men in history thinks so highly of public education, then there has to be some merit there to show its’ importance. Additionally, Carnegie’s life could be a model for the students of today’s society. Through education and hard work, you can achieve success much like Carnegie, even if your wealth doesn’t reach $309 billion (Lubin)!

References:

Lubin, G. (2010, September 2). The 20 Richest People of All Time. Retrieved from  

http:// www.businessinsider.com/richest-people-in-history-2010-8?op=1