Draft:Moshe “Muska” Mosston: Difference between revisions

educator, founder of spectrum

This may take 2 months or more, since drafts are reviewed in no specific order. There are 2,814 pending submissions waiting for review. If the submission is accepted, then this page will be moved into the article space. If the submission is declined, then the reason will be posted here. In the meantime, you can continue to improve this submission by editing normally. Where to get help If you need help editing or submitting your draft, please ask us a question at the AfC Help Desk or get live help from experienced editors. These venues are only for help with editing and the submission process, not to get reviews. If you need feedback on your draft, or if the review is taking a lot of time, you can try asking for help on the talk page of a relevant WikiProject. Some WikiProjects are more active than others so a speedy reply is not guaranteed. Improving your odds of a speedy review To improve your odds of a faster review, tag your draft with relevant WikiProject tags using the button below. This will let reviewers know a new draft has been submitted in their area of interest. For instance, if you wrote about a female astronomer, you would want to add the Biography, Astronomy, and Women scientists tags.

This is a draft article. It is a work in progress open to editing by anyone. Please ensure core content policies are met before publishing it as a live Wikipedia article. This draft has been submitted and is currently awaiting review.

Moshe (Muska) Mosston (December 5th, 1925 – July 22nd, 1994) was an Israeli-born educator and author best known for his discovery and development of the educational theory, the Spectrum of Teaching Styles (SoTS). He wrote multiple books in which he refined this teaching style theory, and he presented at conferences and schools across the world. Alongside colleagues like Rudy Mueller and Sara Ashworth Lankler, the SoTS grew through the academic world. This pedagogy is taught world-wide today. His and Ashworth’s book “Teaching Physical Education” is required reading for many Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) programs and other teaching courses globally. The Spectrum’s usage continues to grow via the Spectrum Institute for Teaching and Learning (SITL), a non-profit organization created by Sara Ashworth Lankler via funding from her late husband, Alexander “Sandy” Lankler^[1].

Mosston began his physical education studies when he attended an 11 month physical education course in Tel-Aviv. He brought what he learned to a farming village, Kfar Vitkin, where he taught from 1945 until he left for America in 1950^[2].

Mosston began his studies at The City College of New York (CCNY) in 1950 along with a friend. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in 1952 and his Master’s degree in 1954 from CCNY. In 1959, he moved to Rutgers University and thus began his path to the SoTS for which Mosston is known and published^[2].

In the early 1960s, Mosston taught at a camp for the blind where he met Ann Bancroft, who portrayed Anne Sullivan in the 1962 film “The Miracle Worker.” He was proud of being able to show her around the camp where many inclusive physical education programs were taking place^[2].

Then, in 1963, Mosston took over a once-a-week, half-hour CBS-TV show called “Shape Up,” a fitness themed show for children^[2].

Mosston published his first book, “Developmental Movement,” in 1965. All of the accompanying sketches inside were done by Mosston. The publishers thought the sketches were so charming that they left them in. In this book, Mosston developed the Three Value Systems of Movement which categorized movements by how they are valued. The three values were Functional, Assigned, and Intrinsic^[2].

From 1966-1969, Mosston took part in Camp Laurel, a camp for children with intellectual disabilities. “In that New Jersey camp, brain-injured children could learn and experience success in the programs constructed by Muska,” wrote Selwyn Lederman, a friend and colleague^[2].

Then, in 1969 Mosston introduced the Spectrum of Teaching Styles in Victoria, BC, Canada at the CAHPER national conference. This led to a one-week workshop held at the Faculty of Education at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. The workshop was then held for three consecutive summers. This was a major step in the Spectrum becoming a world-wide pedagogy^[2].

In 1970, Mosston left (or was asked to leave) Rutgers University. For the next few years, he attempted to create a “Teaching Behavior Institute” at “East Stroudsburg State University.” He also attempted to form a corporation to better coordinate the SoTS^[2].

In January, 1973, Mosston opened The Center of Teaching through a grant from then-Commissioner of Education, Carl Marburger. The center operated for eight years. Mosston and colleagues spread the Spectrum of Teaching from physical education into many other classrooms, realizing the Spectrum was a useful pedagogy for all disciplines of teaching. The Center conducted over 250 presentations to schools during this time period^[2].

In 1980, The Center lost funding and closed down when President Reagan cut funding to many educational programs^[2].

From 1980 up until his death in 1994, Mosston travelled the world attending conferences and giving lectures. He was invited into a multitude of schools and further spread the SoTS. It is now a widely used pedagogy for physical education teachers, and the original book Mosston published on the topic “Teaching Physical Education” has gone through many iterations as he and his colleagues have refined the Spectrum^[1].

Mosston was born in Haifa, Israel. He was the only child of first-cousins, Pia and Benny Mosston. His mother and father were Zionists who fled Kiev (then Soviet Union) for Israel^[2].

In the 1930s, Mosston devoted much of his life to the violin, and was considered a prodigy. However, in the 1940s, the violin gave way to the academic demands of high school. And then Mosston volunteered for active duty in World War II. Mosston dropped out of school in the 11th grade^[2].

In the early 1940s and his late teen years, Mosston was part of the Youth Corps of Haganah (the official Jewish underground in Palestine). Late in 1942, at the age of 17, Mosston volunteered for active duty with Haganah and was assigned to the Jewish Settlement Police in Kibbutz Mishmarha’Emek, about 20 miles south-east of Haifa^[2].

In 1944, an 11 month physical education course opened. Mosston and his friend, Uriel Simiri, applied and were accepted. They spent their course in Tel-Aviv. During this time, the students noted that certain teachers who did not adhere to the Scandinavian system of gymnastics were not on the list to be studied with. The students, Mosston included, revolted and signed up those teachers, in particular Itzchak Nesher, to be added to the lists. Mosston went further and spent his free time observing Nesher at work^[2].

During his time studying in the Tel-Aviv course, Mosston was labeled a “wild youth” due to, in his own words, “a number of conflicts, or rather of severe and serious discussions, with them (the board of directors).” He goes on to say, “Because of my educational background, I felt like a pressure cooker and could not accept their methods of teaching. I always asked questions, as I wanted clear definitions of matters.” He was expelled from the course until students and teachers protested, even bringing in a journalist who threatened to publish a story about the chairman’s affairs with female students. Mosston was allowed to finish the course, and he persisted in the education field then on^[2].

During 1945, Mosston taught in a farming village, Kfar Vitkin, and revolutionized the schools there. Adults and youth alike participated in sports, stage performances, and nearby competitions^[2].

During the 1948 Palestine War, Mosston returned to work in active service with the Haganah and during the first provisional armistice, the Israeli army reopened the physical education course. Mosston was one of the instructors. He created exercises that focused on the development of team work, emphasizing the difference in statures and techniques to overcome these complications. When the Israeli army created a paratrooper unit, Mosston was one of the first volunteers and was commissioned as the physical trainer for his unit. He created unique obstacle courses, unlike anything Israel had at the time. After an accidental death of a friend during a training run, Mosston was eventually reassigned to the Physical Training Department of the Army^[2].

In 1949, post-war, Mosston returned to Kfar Vitkin and took up teaching again. When Nat Holman, American basketball coach at The City College of New York (CCNY), offered a scholarship to Mosston’s friend, Uriel Simri, Mosston talked his way into one as well. To be able to attend, Mosston finished his high school courses while also teaching, and passed his final exams. Then, in August 1950, he traveled to New York and began studies at CCNY^[2].

He received his Bachelor of Science degree in 1952 and his Master’s degree in 1954 from CCNY^[2].

Mosston attempted to resettle back in Israel in 1955 to work at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem as head of a new Physical Education Department. However, the representative that had sent him there had no real ties to the school and there was no such department. Mosston worked odd jobs for a time, until he received his papers from the United States in 1957 and returned. He became employed at Weequahic High School in Newark, NJ as well as teaching Hebrew in a Jewish school^[2].

In 1959, he moved to Rutgers University and thus began his path to the Spectrum of Teaching Styles for which he is known and published^[2].

While attending CCNY, he met and married fellow student, Leora Mosston (ne – Kohn) in 1951. They were divorced by August 1973. Together they had^[2] –

• A daughter, Ronny (June 1954)
• A son, Jesse (May 1958)
• A son, Adam (October 1960)

On July 22^nd, 1994, Muska Mosston passed away in his New Jersey apartment^[2].

The SoTS has been embedded in the teacher preparation curriculum of colleges and universities across the world. The adaptation and use of the Teaching Styles is still growing^[1].

Mosston came from a Zionist family, and he actively took part in the Haganah, the official Jewish underground in Palestine, as both a teenager and young adult. He joined active service for the 1948 Palestine War as part of the Israeli army. He followed the Jewish faith^[2].

• Mosston, M. (1965). Developmental movement. New York, NY: Charles E. Merrill.
• Mosston, M. (1966). Teaching physical education. Columbus, OH: Merrill.
• Mosston, M. (1972). Teaching: From command to discovery. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing.
• Mosston, M. (1981). Teaching physical education (2^nd ed.). Columbus, OH: Merrill.
• Mosston, M., & Ashworth, S. (1986). Teaching physical education (3^rd ed.). Columbus, OH: Merrill.
• Mosston, M., & Ashworth, S. (1990). The Spectrum of Teaching Styles: From command to discovery. White Plains, NY: Longman.
• Mosston, M., & Ashworth, S. (1994). Teaching physical education (4^th ed.). New York, NY: Macmillan.
• Mosston, M., & Ashworth, S. (2002). Teaching physical education (5^th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Benjamin Cummings.
• Mosston, M., & Ashworth, S. (2008). Teaching physical education (First Online Edition; 6^th ed.). Spectrum Institute for Teaching and Learning. https://spectrumofteachingstyles.org/index.php?id=16

• Mosston, M. (1984). From command to discovery: Toward a unified theory of teaching. Bulletin of the Federation Internationale Physique, 54(3/4), 5-8.
• Mosston, M. (1985). From ordering to discovering: Toward a unified teaching theory. Boletim da Federacao International de Ed cacao Fisica (Belo Horizonte, Brazil), 56(4), 7-11.
• Mosston, M. (1992). Tug-o-war, no more: Meeting teaching-learning objectives using the Spectrum of teaching styles. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, 63(1), 27-31, 56.
• Mosston, M., & Ashworth S. (1985). Toward a unified theory of teaching. Educational Leadership, 42(8), 31-34.

• 1952 – Bachelor of Science Degree, Education, CCNY, NY^[2]
• 1954 – Master’s Degree, Education, CCNY, NY^[2]
• 1982 – Doctoral Degree, Education, Temple University, PA^[2]
• Honorary Doctorate, 1984 University of Jyväskylä, Finland, Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences^[1]

• 1967 Author Award  for contribution to education – given by the New Jersey Association of English Teachers.
• 1968 Fellow Honor Award  for contribution to the field of physical education. Given by the N.J.H.P.E.R.
• 1977 National Validation Award to the Center on Teaching for outstanding contribution to education^[2].
• 1979 The University Medal of Honor for contribution to Finnish Education. Given by the President of the University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland^[1].
• 1984 Honorary Doctorate  awarded for contributions to Pedagogy by the University of Jyväskylä^[1].

• Sara Elizabeth Ashworth Lankler
• Spectrum of Teaching Styles / Spectrum Institute for Teaching and Learning

https://www.nytimes.com/1972/11/17/archives/rejected-educator-carl-louis-marburger.html

http://www.spectrumofteachingstyles.org/ebook

https://spectrumofteachingstyles.org/

https://spectrumofteachingstyles.online/