Chicken or the Egg from http://www.brainpickings.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/chickenegg1.jpg
Technology vs Paper and Pen
‘Traditional’ vs ‘Progressive’ pedagogies
Knowledge vs Skills
Quantitative vs Qualitative data
Cross-Curricular/Integrated vs Single Discipline/Subject
I’m not sure why so many of these dichotomous arguments emerge – every one of them to me is a case of both being appropriate depending on the context and circumstance. Any ideas on why these bi-polar arguments erupt continuously in education? Does it happen in other industries as well?
This post is Day 14 of my Question Quest.
Steve Mouldey 
Maybe because it has more chicken and egg people (or maybe more accurately more chicken OR egg people). However, what will save the profession in the end will I believe be the fact that the vast majority are “neither” people.
Good spot on the OR, have updated now! Thanks
Interesting question! Perhaps one reason is that too many people see child development and learning as a linear sequential process–One must do this before one can move on to the next level. Unfortunately, this leads to a very narrow view of building blocks, not taking into account the many ways those blocks can be put together, knocked down, and put together again. Until all educators view learning as a both-and, spiraling proposition, I fear the chicken-egg phenomenon will continue to exist.
PS– And don’t forget whole language-phonics! Ugh!