MrL8Nite goes back to school
"I don't mind change, I just don't want to be there when it happens." --Adrian Monk
Learning and Design: II
From the Syllabus...
This course is part 2 of Learning and Design. The professor relied on the prior syllabus with the additional guidance:
- Vygotsky and Dewey - read, review and report on these key authors/books
- Oral Midterms - a 30-60 minute (open book) skype conversation with the prof
- Wiki Activity - expanding the edethive wiki based on guidance given during the course
- AERA Conference - in conjunction with Developing Scholars, attend sessions and write them up
- Book Review - selected book written up in the wiki (small group activity)
- Blackboard and TappedIn - participation expected
Experience and Education
Well, my last (little) book showed up in the mail a week into the semester. I laughed when I opened the 9x12x3 inch box from Amazon to find a tiny "booklet" that, if printed on 8.5x11 inch paper, would probably take no more than 30 pages. Dewey, a prolific author, presses the point in this book that neither the traditional nor the progressive schools of his time were effective in addressing the education needs of society. In a nutshell, this book is about incorporating experience and engagement in education -- an experienced-based educational model -- and not just mindlessly and incompletely adopting new methodologies or strategies.Chapter 1 has Dewey bemoaning the traditional-v-progressive education methods. I especially like his remark about progressive ("based on the idea of freedom") education can become "un-free". He states, "For any [educational] theory and set of practices that is dogmatic which is not based upon critical examination of its own underlying principles" (p. 22). (touche!) I would just add one word to his statement: "...CONTINUOUS critical examination...", because when we fail to keep examining, to keep refining, to keep up with change, we become complacent and eventually close-minded to improvements.
Traditional education is modeled on a "top down" teaching style, requiring students to be "adult-like" in their learning environment...docile and obedient. Dewey recognizes that this has its problems and looks at progressive education as a remedy. While he likes that general principles of progressive education, offering a relationship between education and experience...the devil is in the details. This chapter sets up the rest of the book pointing out that progressive training is not working and needs to be fixed, but you can't just go back to traditional training methods.
Chapter 2 has a slight tone of frustration, "...departure from the old solves no problems" (p. 25), stressing that fact the recent foray into progressive training was a good thing, but that merely abandoning the old teaching methods with out careful deployment of the new method is not the right way. To paraphrase his discussion on page 30, even with a better plan it's easier to follow old ways. He stresses the need to incorporate experience with education, but warns that all experience is not education.
Even with the failures evident with the new education models, it seems he still prefers it over traditional methods when he states that the older methods give students experience, but it's "largely of a wrong kind." He is afraid that students might become lost or disenchanted with education if they continue using the traditional methods. So he doesn't want them to go back, but the direction they are headed is not any better (maybe worse).
Chapter 3 brings a question to mind when he mentions the "...the harshness...of the traditional school." Not being a education historian, I am a bit confused by this statement. Sounds a bit like the old British boarding school method of training -- someones insight here would be helpful. Yet, it's clear that he's heading towards "situated learning" with statements such as "The conceptions of situation and of interaction are inseparable from each other" (p. 43).
So, what's his point (so far)? You can't sit still and rely on old teaching method, yet an unmonitored, unstructured departure isn't a good idea - consider continuity and interaction in a situated environment to provide a richer (though more complex) training model. He was a political figure in his day and this comes through in his writing -- because of the "democratic" ideals present in progressive training promote a better quality of human experience.
Chapter 4 points out that society relies on rules and controls to effectively function without chaos. Rules allow for guiding action (play, work, government, etc.) while providing only limited violation of freedoms. Education in schools has been built on these norms of rules and controls so, while recognizing exceptions, the structure supports the norms. But these norms are guided guided by both society as well as the established environment, therefore schools may not always fully reflect society's norms.
He is not pushing an autocratic model of rules and controls, but he is insistent that teachers maintain control and provide for social norms in the class setting. But he also admonishes the teachers to be a member of the groups...a knowledgeable peer/leader that can guide training. (Almost a Vygotsky ZPD concept here.)
Chapter 5 builds on chapter 4 with Dewey wandering into the murky concepts of "freedom". To fully appreciate this chapter one needs to understand the rigidity and overly-structured learning methods that were in use in these earlier "traditional" schools. Only then can one appreciate his statements about "straight jackets and chain-gang" (p. 67) teaching styles in these schools and his insistence for pressing for an increase in outward expression of the students.
The gist of this chapter is that an appropriate amount of structure is required, but must be tempered with not permitting extensive external freedom becoming and end in itself. The freedoms should be of the type that allow students to control their impulses...education that leads to intelligent self-control.
He changes gears in this chapter and also talks about the relationship between of action, observation and learning -- his example of "stop & think" points out that thinking is a postponement of action, thus allowing for observation & memory to lead to reflection & learning.
These two chapters (essentially one continuous thought) has the combination of rules and governance balancing with freedom to explore and observe, thus leading to genuine learning situations.
Chapter 6 has Dewey detailing purposeful learning as a key to improved education; the "end-view" directions the educational constructs. He point out a 3-step process:
- observation of objective environments and impulse
- understanding (knowledge of) the significance (the consequences) of observation and action
- judging the significance of these observations and events
He almost chastises the progressive education model when he states "Overemphasis upon activity [from impulse and desire] as an end, instead of upon intelligent activity...do[es] not provide the model for education", rather "intellectual anticipation...must blend with desires and impulses" (p. 69) to be effective learning. He goes on to point out that traditional education model ignores the desires and impulsiveness needed for engaging learning and Progressive education models ignore the consequences and significance resulting in a distorted reward mentality. Students should be free enough to identify desires and goals and the teachers should provide students with the opportunity to develop a learning plan and to reach those goals.
Dewey ends the chapter with a great line: "The essential point is that the purpose grow[s] and take[s] shape through the process of social intelligence" (p. 72)
Chapter 7 once again has Dewey faulting both progressive and traditional educational models. He finds the traditional model doesn't allow students to learn how to reason things out; doesn't engage them in critical discrimination. But progressive training was ignoring the past and focusing just on the experience. He chastised the educational community to balance the model: "...objectives of learning are in the future and its immediate materials are in the present experience experience can be carried into effect only in the degree that present experience is stretched...backwards. It can expand into the future only as it is also enlarged to take in the past" (p.77).
He later admonishes the progressive teacher to make sure that the learning objectives and problems are drawn from the present and that it is within the proper skill range (no too easy or too hard), such that it arouses the learning into an active quest for information and knowledge. A tall order given over 60 years ago that has still not been adapted!
Chapter 8 has closing remarks, emphasizing that he's not supporting or denouncing "old " or "new" or "traditional" or "progressive" labels of education. Rather he's encouraging the careful study in educational methods -- because neither extreme, the rote or impromptu, are fully effective. He does encourage continued movement toward the progressive model, but it can only succeed when experience is fully incorporated, balanced with the use of sound standards and methods,
His final remark sounds a bit Lave-and-Wenger-ish: "What we want and need is education pure and simple, and...for this reason alone I have emphasized the need for a sound philosophy of experience" (p. 90-91).
(Cross-posted in edethive.wikispaces.com as part of that semester's assignment. --cj)