Clear, Concise, and Confident: Educational Reformer John Dewey

John Dewey's My Pedagogic Creed presents a simple, straightforward picture of his ideal education system. Beginning with a section on What Education Is Dewey writes, "He [the student] becomes an inheritor of the funded capital of civilization." John Dewey believed in students and their potential, their worth as the main arbiters of the next generation. This quote highlights the importance of education for all students. I really love this quote in part because it stresses the importance of education. If we don't pass our knowledge on to children, how will civilization continue? How will we progress? By giving them an education we don't just give them a future career or a well-paying job, we give them a chance to interact with and explore and, in some sense, own the world around them. As Dewey wrote, "education is a process of living and not a preparation for future living." Education should be about fostering curiosity, initiative, and dedication. It should be about critical thinking and new perspectives. Education should open up the world for students. Unfortunately, students all too often do not see knowledge as worthy in and of itself. They want to pass the class, graduate, and get a good job. Some don't even want that much. They are bombarded everyday with the message that kids who do well in school are "geeks" or "nerds". It is time to make Dewey's message a priority and to share it with students. They are the "inheritor[s]... of civilization". 

 

As evidenced by the section on What School Is, Dewey's pedagogic creed is based largely on the influence and importance of society in one's education. But with society delivering such a negative message concerning education can we hope that Dewey's dream of "the school as a form of community life" will ever come true? Throughout my short time as a University of Michigan intern, I have seen that his dream is attainable. Building community in schools is difficult, but not impossible. Through activities like the Circle of Power and Respect and teaching strategies that include Social-Emotional Learning it is possible to develop a curriculum that teaches not only content, but also community. Development of community is key because it helps students to form support networks and apply knowledge to relevant, real-life situations. 

I also found Dewey's section titled The Nature of Method to be particularly interesting. Throughout this section he addresses the ways in which children are taught and how these methods can be improved. He advocates for the demise of the "passive, receptive, or absorbing attitude" that is common in many classrooms. He proposes, and I agree, that learning is active. It requires thought (yay for metacognition!) and effort. Furthermore, it requires that teachers take notice of the interests of their students. I have learned in my short time working with students that they are all experts in something whether it be skateboarding, dancing, hunting, the cello, or football. They may know a lot about cars or animals or cooking. There is a wealth of untapped resources in these interests. In getting to know their students teachers not only build community, but also open the door to projects or papers that can incorporate the expertise of the student, enticing them to actively partake in their education. 

Dewey uses powerful "I believe" statements to put forth his views on education, stating simply and in no uncertain terms that he is confident in his ideas and their efficacy. These ideas have been incredibly influential and continue to be today for education reformers and for students like myself as we grow as future teachers and leaders in our communities.