A Postmodern Vision of Time and Learning: A Response to the National Education Commission Report Prisoners of Time

Abstract

In this article, Patrick Slattery challenges the assumptions underlying many educational policy documents, such as the 1994 Report, Prisoners of Time, which, in Slattery's view, depict time as both an object to control and as a dictator of the linear sequencing that shapes schooling. Slattery argues for a proleptic understanding of time in education. That is, he calls for an understanding that acknowledges how time interconnects with classroom life by providing an overview of various perspectives from classical physics that illuminate the interdependence of the space-time continuum, by addressing the role of personal history in influencing the relationships of students and teachers, and by advocating for curricula that connect to the realities of students' lives.