John Dewey And His Impact On Education

The following is an interview with John Dewey, who comes back as a ghost to speak to us about his philosophies (hopefully you’ve read Harry Potter books – ghosts in an educational setting are very common).He answers the following questions:

What is the purpose of education/ education = what?

1. What is the straightest path to literacy?

2. Who should participate in education? Who do you feel a call to reach/who particularly needs to be educated?

3. How does a teacher establish a positive learning environment?

4. What is the role of an adult educator?

Good morning.I’m honored to come back and speak with you today.My name is John Dewey.I am mainly known as a philosopher, educator, and social activist, and I’m pleased to see that my philosophies are still being discussed, debated, and applied today.

I am proud to have played a significant part in changing the philosophy and face of American public education.Back in my career days (I was born in New England in 1859, graduated from college in 1879, and was at the height of my career from 1890 on), life was of course very different.The year I was born Darwin published his Origin of Species, and that transformed our approach to science, religion, and philosophy.My time period was called the late Victorian era, and the public education system was sorely lacking in many ways.The severe problem was a huge chasm between the knowledge taught in schools, and the knowledge needed to survive and grow in life.Schools did not keep up with our changing industrialized society or with the sciences, and they taught with rigidity:straight rows of desks, teachers lecturing, memorization of facts and figures, knowledge cut off from the everyday lives and experiences of students.There was no learner-centered learning, no learning by doing, no enthusiasm for lifelong learning. The purpose of education should be to gain knowledge useful for real life and for building moral character and growth of the whole person: intellectually, personally, socially, and professionally. Education must represent life, and it must be available to every member of society.

The mission of my Dewey School, an experimental school of experiential learning, was exactly the purpose I just stated, and it had a major impact on public education.I also advocated better education and professionalism of teachers, and founded the first teacher union.I founded the American Association of University Professors.My philosophy of Pragmatism, or the practical approach to problem solving and affairs, became America’s official philosophy.I advocated vocational education.I wrote 40 books on philosophy of education, democracy, and social reform, and started the magazine “The New Republic.”All of these accomplishments helped to change American public education.

Excuse me; what was your question?My ears are not the same as they used to be…JWhat practical advice can I give on the straightest path to literacy?People learn by doing.People learn through social activity.People learn by seeing the relevance of education to their everyday life.I value experimenting.During my years at the University of Chicago I became a social activist, and founded the Laboratory School, or the Dewey School, in 1896.Books were de-emphasized and treated as supplementary material to use as needed.Subjects were directly applicable to everyday life:cooking, sewing, weaving, and carpentry.Students learned math through actually doing carpentry and cooking. After learning applicable knowledge and skills for the home, the learning moved to knowledge of modern industry and the impact of the industrial revolution on society.History was studied in terms of how it affected contemporary life.Teachers were guides, not lecturers – they presented students with the tools to learn, and then assisted as needed in the learning process.As I said in my book Schools of Tomorrow (that I wrote with my daughter Evelyn),“When a pupil learns by doing he is reliving both mentally and physically some experience which has proved important to the human race; he goes through the same mental processes as those who originally did these things.Because he has done them he knows the value of the result, that is, the fact.” (Dewey & Dewey, 1915, p. 210). When public education began to embrace this philosophy of teaching and learning, I knew I had made a positive impact on literacy in America.

Yes, another question?Who should participate in education, and did I feel a particular call to educate anyone in particular?Everyone should be able to participate in education, and that was another societal problem of my time.Thousands of immigrants were pouring into America, and they were not being educated.No education = no job skills, no job, no better life.I felt a particular calling to improve their lives.I came in contact with Jane Addam’s Hull House, a liberal settlement house that was a part of the budding progressive education movement.I considered settlement houses my home away from home.Settlement houses are…“a place where ideas and beliefs may be exchanged, not merely in the arena of formal instruction…but in ways where ideas are incarnated in human form and clothed with the winning grace of personal life.Classes for study may be numerous, but all are regarded as modes of bringing people together, of doing away with barriers of caste, or class, or race, of type of experience that keep people away from real communion with each other.”(Dearborn, 1988, p. 64).My Laboratory School and the settlement houses had the same mission – to educate people to better their daily lives, personally and professionally.I was a strong advocate of vocational education to help immigrants put food on the table and be productive citizens, and so I was a powerful force in the industrial education movement.Education needs to be available and relevant to every member of society, rich or poor.

I have already touched briefly on what I consider a positive learning environment and the role of an educator.My Dewey School was not a quiet place.There were no rows of desks, and no teacher droning.Students learned by doing.Laboratory experiments took place.Groups of students huddled around a particular project, and the teacher guided the learning process.The teacher wanted to understand the lives of his/her students, cared about them, and related the curriculum to their needs.The teacher asked the students what they wanted to learn, developed the tools so they could learn it, and then facilitated versus led the learning process.Curriculum dealt with the whole person:intellectually, morally, personally, and professionally.

I also want to add my gratitude and appreciation to a few women who helped shaped my life and my philosophies.I want to thank my wife, Alice, for guiding me along the path of social concerns.I want to thank Anzia Yezierska who opened my heart to passionate love, and also showed me the plight of immigrants.I’m sorry, Anzia, for the callous way I left you.Heavy sigh. Remember that I said, “You are fire and sunshine and desire.You make life changeable and beautiful and full of daily wonder.” (Dearborn, 1988, p. 109.) I also want to thank Jane Addams for her inspirational settlement houses that provided education and culture to all people regardless of class or race.As I stated before, her settlement houses were second homes to me, and Jane and I shared the same educational philosophy.And for all of the women in America, I want you to know that I strongly supported the Women’s Suffrage Movement, and brought courage, conviction and high seriousness to the cause.

Thank you very much for inviting me to speak; it has been an honor.I am tired and need to drift off…I hope that you will continue to improve education by applying curriculum to real life and to the whole person.Thank you.

Back To Profile Links