LakeNET - William Albert Wirt

In 1907, Mr. Wirt became superintendent of schools in Gary, Ind., where he developed a plan of school operation (progressive education) known variously as the Gary plan, the platoon system, and Wirt's "Work-Study-Play" plan. This system increased the utilization of the school plant by alternating classes between regular and special teachers. Wirt was in many ways the father of modern education and the education this system he built in the city became a national model. Going beyond the mere basics of "reading, writing, and arithmetic," Wirt believed in the education of the whole child. Into Gary's first classrooms he introduced courses in technical and practical skills from woodworking and bookbinding to cooking and pattern making. Wirt also incorporated playgrounds into the mix, asserting that physical and social development were important attributes of a well-rounded education. Wirt's schools were a beehive of activity where children not only learned mathematics, history, and philosophy, but also tended gardens, fed and learned about animals, and acquired demonstrable skills. Today educators take it for granted that young minds learn best with visual aids and hands-on tools. It was Wirt who invented the concept. When he decided to teach geology, Wirt made a contour map out of clay and brought it to the classroom. His ideas formed the foundation of educational initiatives -- from social development to now extensive programs in vocational education -- that continue into the new century.