Arguably the single most influential philosopher of his era, John Dewey (1859-1952), transformed the traditional academic curriculum through his revolutionary ideas. In his writing, Democracy and Education (1916), John Dewey analyzes the interaction of democracy and education, where democracy has become dependent on an education “conceived by the masses” (Dewey). Through the eyes of Dewey, democracy is not exclusively depicted as a form of government but as an ideal form of our social life. The failure to reach his vision—an ideal democratic society—suggests the development of a “defective” curriculum “based upon ignorance” (Dewey). This ignorance clouds democracy’s judgement of “the essentials needed for realization of democratic ideals” (Dewey)
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From our first encounters to our last, we use the outcome of our past experiences, as educational tools, to help us advance as members of society. This technique promotes critical thinking and problem-solving which will become beneficial for the future. In Democracy and Education (1916), Dewey provides an example of a boy who reaches for an open flame and gets burned. Through the technique of problem-solving, “he knows that a certain act of touching in connection with a certain act of vision (and vice-versa) means heat and pain; or, a certain light means a source of heat” (Dewey). This concept of experiential learning pushes the idea that education is what makes experiences meaningful which can be effectively used in the high school education. Dewey defines education as “that reconstruction or reorganization of experience which adds to the meaning of experience, and which increases ability to direct the course of subsequent experience” (Dewey). Despite the attention Dewey calls to experience, the education practiced in high school denies our roots of learning by experience. The strict structure of high school education stresses the importance of text on the pages of a textbook; however, this does not ensure that students will comprehend its value or find it useful in the future. This discouragement of critical thinking leaves some individuals to be “less comfortable with the gray areas than with sharply delineated black and white, he or she can work in groups and operate by consensus” (Prose). Overall, an education derived from experiential learning would encourage a curriculum inspired by critical thinking and problem-solving, useful in both a classroom and the
From our first encounters to our last, we use the outcome of our past experiences, as educational tools, to help us advance as members of society. This technique promotes critical thinking and problem-solving which will become beneficial for the future. In Democracy and Education (1916), Dewey provides an example of a boy who reaches for an open flame and gets burned. Through the technique of problem-solving, “he knows that a certain act of touching in connection with a certain act of vision (and vice-versa) means heat and pain; or, a certain light means a source of heat” (Dewey). This concept of experiential learning pushes the idea that education is what makes experiences meaningful which can be effectively used in the high school education. Dewey defines education as “that reconstruction or reorganization of experience which adds to the meaning of experience, and which increases ability to direct the course of subsequent experience” (Dewey). Despite the attention Dewey calls to experience, the education practiced in high school denies our roots of learning by experience. The strict structure of high school education stresses the importance of text on the pages of a textbook; however, this does not ensure that students will comprehend its value or find it useful in the future. This discouragement of critical thinking leaves some individuals to be “less comfortable with the gray areas than with sharply delineated black and white, he or she can work in groups and operate by consensus” (Prose). Overall, an education derived from experiential learning would encourage a curriculum inspired by critical thinking and problem-solving, useful in both a classroom and the