Benjamin S. Bloom: Portraits of an Educator

Few individuals in the history of education have had greater impact on educational policy and practice than Benjamin S. Bloom. During a career that spanned over five decades, his research and writing guided the development of innumerable educational programs and provided powerful insights into the untapped potential of educators to help all students learn well. Benjamin S. Bloom spent most of his professional life at the University of Chicago, where he held the Charles H. Swift Distinguished Service endowed chair. At this university, he founded and chaired the program in Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistical Analysis (or MESA), authored or co-authored 17 books, and wrote numerous journal articles. He served as the president of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), a member of the National Academy of Education, and a founding member of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). Also the recipient of several awards, perhaps his greatest accomplishment was the profound influence he had on his students and professional colleagues. Much of his time was spent in one-to-one interactions with them, which have become known as "Bloom Stories" and have gained legendary status. Many of the "Bloom Stories" are humorous and show his amazing quick wit. Others recall the kindness and encouragement, and subtle wisdom he showed in helping students and colleagues overcome obstacles or setbacks. No matter what the topic, Benjamin Bloom's stories are touching remembrances that offer special insight into his uniqueness as a preeminent scholar, colleague, mentor, and friend. This book is a collection of these stories, with brief reviews of some of Bloom's major professional contributions.

Table of Contents:
 Foreword by Jonathan E. Bloom  Foreword by David Bloom  Preface  Acknowledgments 1. Remembering Ben Sophie Bloom 2. Unlimited Expectations Thomas R. Guskey 3. “Typically We Will Find…” Lawrence Hecht 4. It’s More Than Numbers Elliot W. Eisner 5. The Early Years Thomas R. Guskey 6. Strength in Simplicity James H. Block 7. The Best in the World Thomas R. Guskey 8. Using Time Wisely George Englehard, Jr. 9. The University of Chicago’s Board of Examinations Thomas R. Guskey 10. In the Shadow of Greatness Thomas R. Guskey 11. Making Expectations Clear Jeremy Finn and Thomas R. Guskey 12. Problem-Solving Processes of College Students Thomas R. Guskey 13. The Father of Israeli Curriculum Reform Shevach Eden 14. An Itinerate Traveler Richard Wolf 15. A Constant Encourager Leah Shefatya 16. Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Handbook 1: The Cognitive Domain Thomas R. Guskey 17. The Origins of the Taxonomy Edward Kifer 18. Ideas Ahead of Their Time Peter Airasian 19. A Powerful Influence in Africa Christopher Modu 20. Stability and Change in Human Characteristics Thomas R. Guskey 21. Multiple Approaches and Tenacity Richard Wolf 22. On Publishing Jeremy Finn 23. Not Every Effort is a Success George Englehard, Jr. 24. Compensatory Education for Cultural Deprivation Thomas R. Guskey 25. A Man of Principle Neville Postlethwaite 26. An Uncompromising Commitment to Excellence Bobbie Anthony-Perez 27. Rights of Passage Thomas R. Guskey 28. Sophie’s Influence James H. Block 29. Learning for Mastery Thomas R. Guskey 30. Audacity of Imagination Torsten Husén 31. An Appreciation of Arguments Edward Kifer 32. In His Own Words Peter Airasian and Thomas R. Guskey 33. Honored in One’s Homeland James H. Block 34. A Grand Vision Neville Postlethwaite 35. Collaborative Leadership John Goodlad 36. Human Characteristics and School Learning Thomas R. Guskey 37. The Man Who Hated the Normal Curve Torsten Husén 38. A Powerful Influence on Japanese Education Akio Nakajima 39. High Expectations for All Judy Eby 40. Keeping Things in Perspective Thomas R. Guskey 41. The 2 Sigma Problem Thomas R. Guskey 42. Always Consider the Audience Lorin W. Anderson and Thomas R. Guskey 43. You Are a Student of Benjamin Bloom? Joanne Anania 44. A Sensitive Mentor David Krathwohl 45. Different Approaches to Understanding Thomas R. Guskey 46. Developing Talent in Young People Lauren Sosniak and Thomas R. Guskey 47. New Views of “Giftedness” Judy Eby 48. Subtle Humor Lauren Sosniak 49. Students Come First Jeffrey K. Smith 50. Unique Traveling Rituals Roy Phillips 51. A Productive Career Thomas R. Guskey 52. The Benjamin S. Bloom Dissertation Fellowship Thomas R. Guskey  Postscript  References  Appendix A: Writings of Benjamin S. Bloom  Appendix B: Writings About Benjamin S. Bloom and His Work  Appendix C: Doctoral Dissertation Students of Benjamin S. Bloom  Appendix D: Doctoral Dissertation Committees of Benjamin S. Bloom About the Contributors  

About the Author :
Thomas R. Guskey, Ph.D., is professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Kentucky.  Benjamin Bloom served as his advisor during his years of graduate study at the University of Chicago, as the director of his doctoral dissertation committee, and later as a colleague on several large-scale research projects.

Review :
Almost every educator knows that Benjamin Bloom was the author of the Taxonomy of Educational Objectives.  Most know that he was responsible for the development of mastery learning.   There are many sources of information about Ben Bloom, the professional educator.  Tom Guskey has done a wonderful job of assembling a set of stories that help us understand the human dimension of this remarkable thinker and truly appreciate Ben Bloom, the man. This book is an important reminder to today’s scholars and researchers that many current ideas are not new. Guskey has assembled an wonderful array of stories portraying Bloom the scholar and Bloom the man that remind us of his contributions to many of the current lines of research today. The combination of personal and professional stories in Guskey’s volume remind us what a truly remarkable man Benjamin Bloom was. “I really enjoyed Benjamin S. Bloom: Portraits of an Educator. This book has gotten me more interested in Dr. Bloom and, in fact, I purchased three more books that were written by him, simply due to your book. I have a  full-time job and am pursuing a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction, and though I am not a traditional college age student, I am more interested in learning about education now. Thanks so much for the incredible book and it was a delight to learn more about the man behind Bloom’s Taxonomy. Far more than I ever knew about Benjamin Bloom and I will be reading even more in the months to come simply due to your book. Thank you!”