I want to start by saying that I thoroughly enjoyed reading Dewey and I hope that we have the opportunity to read some more. I found so much of what he spoke of quite refreshing. One point Dewey made early on that really spoke to me was that if we use the “ideal home” as a successful example of a learning environment, we can learn much. Dewey says, “There are certain points of interest and value to him in the conversation carried on: statements are made, inquiries arise, topics are discussed, and the child continually learns…Participation in these household tasks becomes an opportunity for gaining knowledge…The life of the child would extend out of doors to the garden, surrounding fields, and forests” (35). He goes on to suggest that if we organize and generalize this situation, we would have the “ideal school.” As a mother, I find this interesting and fairly accurate. I do not talk to my son, as he sits in front of me, about the things I wish him to learn, while he intently hangs on every word. Instead, we have conversations; he asks me about something he is interested in- I speak with him about it and we gather information if I do not have the answer. I allow him to explore things of interest to him and point out those that I deem important along the way. I allow him freedom to try new things and to learn from them. We read books about subjects that interest him and that can be relevant for other, more purposeful, reasons that I have generated. It is a little like guided meditation- I assist and provide guidance, but in the end he goes where he wants and takes what he can and wishes to. To quote Dewey, “The child is already intensely active, and the question of education is the question of taking hold of his activities, of giving them direction” (36).
Another portion of this reading that struck me was the section on cooking eggs. I think the way a teacher would approach this activity would speak to their philosophy and effectiveness as an educator. It is not just about telling a student that you need to complete steps A-D to cook said egg, it is about the child realizing why the steps are necessary and important, and what happens when you don’t follow those steps and why. There are so many questions and conditions to consider, so simply telling the child to drop the egg in water and let it sit for three minutes does nothing for them educationally- it provides about as much real education as having a student memorize facts for a test, rather than learning those facts and why they are important. One remains for a fleeting moment, the other adds to one’s body of knowledge.
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okay, so, I just mentioned something about listening, on my previous comment, on Mackenzie's post.
ReplyDeleteI want to now come back to that, again.
And, yes, I have to agree with Heather, just personally, about how much some of this education stuff changes for me, now that I am a parent.
And, how easy it is to visualize and imagine all that Dewey talks about because I can locate it in the Milo context.
(Lora: Milo is three. my other kid is 9, so, one in preschool, one in 3rd grade... just for background/context)
Recent question from Milo are these "what would happen if...?" questions.
What would happen if I didn't go to bed?
What would happen if I didn't go to school?
there are so many ways I could answer these (and I do try different ways), and, back to the listening thing, when he asks these questions, I also wonder, what is he wanting to know about? what is he "really" asking? what EXACTLY is he curious about?
I try sometimes to find out, and am more or less successful. But, I guess one of the things I want to note is just how many questions kids have at this age, and how you really can do so much - of a "learning" nature - by unpacking and following the questions.
okay, I feel a bit like I am rambling and off topic.
I guess what makes me sad is that there is this pretty decent learning environment, the ideal home, and look how far schools have strayed from that, how much what we do in schools really is in opposition to the ways kids learn in "natural settings"
I know you guys may not remember the Langer and Applebee scaffolding article, from Content Lit, but, they talk about language learning, and how it happens - successfully - in natural settings (home, talk, parents talking with kids), in part through the scaffolds that the "expert others" create. And, one of their points is that we need to recreate, in the school, whole group, classroom, academic task, context, some of those features that allow children to be successful learners in out of school natural settings.
I had not really seen the connection between Dewey and the scaffolding stuff before. But, now, reading this comment and writing my thoughts out, the connection between them suddenly seems pretty clear!
Who knows whether it will make sense for all of you... oh well.
"I guess what makes me sad is that there is this pretty decent learning environment, the ideal home, and look how far schools have strayed from that, how much what we do in schools really is in opposition to the ways kids learn in "natural settings""
ReplyDeleteI agree Clarissa. I see so many school/educational situations as being "unnatural" and not condusive to real, meaningful learning. So often students are not allowed or encouraged to ask the "What would happen" questions that Milo does. Students are stiffled, and fed someone else's agenda- the "important" stuff, the stuff that is "necessary." Isn't it necessary that our students enjoy learning and constantly ask questions? So many students feel uncomfortable in the classroom, it is a necessary evil- not the nurturing environment that it should be.