John Dewey "The Father of American Education" was a philosopher and psychologist who believed that American children attend school to learn to live in and contribute to a community. He believed that education was too harsh and there were simpler ways to teach children seemingly difficult concepts. Dewey believed that math could be taught through cooking or distance and history could be taught through culture, plants or geography. These ideals were part of a movement known as Progressive Education which Dewey was a major representative of. Progressive Education focused on critical thinking, cooperative learning projects and personal responsibility. Dewey believed it was important to prepare students for the future. Experimental education also came out of Dewey's Progressive Education movement which emphasized experimentation and hands on learning in the classroom. Dewey has also been called the creator of "reflection" because of his emphasis on the importance of reflecting on thoughts. It has been hypothesized that Dewey's ideas would not have been as well received if it hadn't been for Darwin and his theories of evolution. I agree with John Dewey's concept of "functionalism" and see many similarities between today's American school system and Dewey's ideas.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
John Dewey's Educational Philosophy of Functionalism
John Dewey "The Father of American Education" was a philosopher and psychologist who believed that American children attend school to learn to live in and contribute to a community. He believed that education was too harsh and there were simpler ways to teach children seemingly difficult concepts. Dewey believed that math could be taught through cooking or distance and history could be taught through culture, plants or geography. These ideals were part of a movement known as Progressive Education which Dewey was a major representative of. Progressive Education focused on critical thinking, cooperative learning projects and personal responsibility. Dewey believed it was important to prepare students for the future. Experimental education also came out of Dewey's Progressive Education movement which emphasized experimentation and hands on learning in the classroom. Dewey has also been called the creator of "reflection" because of his emphasis on the importance of reflecting on thoughts. It has been hypothesized that Dewey's ideas would not have been as well received if it hadn't been for Darwin and his theories of evolution. I agree with John Dewey's concept of "functionalism" and see many similarities between today's American school system and Dewey's ideas.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Teaching the Holidays
Growing up on the south shore of Massachusetts, my town's school system did a lot with Native Americans and Thanksgiving. We often took field trips to Plymouth Plantation as well as Plymouth Rock and read many books about the day in the life of a pilgrim and the first Thanksgiving. It was emphasized over and over again that Columbus did NOT reach India and the proper terminology for the people he came in contact with was "Native Americans". We made turkeys by tracing our hands and one year we even made 3D "stuffed" turkeys. In physical education the whole month of November was "Native American Games".
Many teachers and curriculum's do not want to teach the hostility toward the Native Americans and would rather teach Thanksgiving as a big pow wow between the Native Americans and settlers. Some teachers will also refer to the people Christopher Columbus came in contact with as "Indians" which is completely wrong and politically incorrect. "A is for apple, B is for ball..I is for Indian" explains "What Not to Teach About Indians", an article about where stereotypes about "Indians originate. The full story should be taught as is-it doesn't have to be the college course American history version. But tone down the hostility and explain the mistakes of Columbus and where he really was. I think the curriculum just thinks that kids won't understand the reality of Columbus and Thanksgiving and decide to treat the two as a "fairy tale". There is a huge difference between the Natives who's land was stolen by European settlers and Indians native to India and it SHOULD be taught this way.
Many teachers and curriculum's do not want to teach the hostility toward the Native Americans and would rather teach Thanksgiving as a big pow wow between the Native Americans and settlers. Some teachers will also refer to the people Christopher Columbus came in contact with as "Indians" which is completely wrong and politically incorrect. "A is for apple, B is for ball..I is for Indian" explains "What Not to Teach About Indians", an article about where stereotypes about "Indians originate. The full story should be taught as is-it doesn't have to be the college course American history version. But tone down the hostility and explain the mistakes of Columbus and where he really was. I think the curriculum just thinks that kids won't understand the reality of Columbus and Thanksgiving and decide to treat the two as a "fairy tale". There is a huge difference between the Natives who's land was stolen by European settlers and Indians native to India and it SHOULD be taught this way. Monday, November 12, 2012
Joy in the Classroom
Think back to your first grade classroom. What was it like? Was it colorful, playful, joyful? Did you feel safe enough to share your thoughts? Personally, I have fond memories of first grade and recall the classroom being bright and cheery with a supportive teacher always there for the students. Imagine a classroom where this wasn't the case.
It is said in the "Rethinking our Classrooms" article that students need to have a classroom organized in a way that makes the students feel cared about by the teacher and by others. Imagine a classroom in which the teacher had NOTHING on the walls, not even the students work. That is not a welcoming environment. Students would feel like the teacher didn't even care about the classroom. Going beyond what is physically seen in the classroom, students should be involved in some sort of democracy in the classroom. If we want students to participate and learn about our democratic society, we should teach it in the classroom. I really liked this idea.
Simple ways to bring joy in the classroom include showing off student work, giving student's choice and finding pleasure in learning. These ways can promote how actual society works and promote a healthy and joyful classroom which is so so important. A classroom NEEDS to be happy, any other atmosphere is just social injustice.
It is said in the "Rethinking our Classrooms" article that students need to have a classroom organized in a way that makes the students feel cared about by the teacher and by others. Imagine a classroom in which the teacher had NOTHING on the walls, not even the students work. That is not a welcoming environment. Students would feel like the teacher didn't even care about the classroom. Going beyond what is physically seen in the classroom, students should be involved in some sort of democracy in the classroom. If we want students to participate and learn about our democratic society, we should teach it in the classroom. I really liked this idea.
Simple ways to bring joy in the classroom include showing off student work, giving student's choice and finding pleasure in learning. These ways can promote how actual society works and promote a healthy and joyful classroom which is so so important. A classroom NEEDS to be happy, any other atmosphere is just social injustice.
Monday, November 5, 2012
The Election and Education
We've all seen that commercial where Governor Romney is emphasizing how important a college education is, yet he says "borrow money from your parents if you have to". This is just unrealistic. The expenses of college is skyrocketing and the dorms at state schools are filling up because they seem to have the only realistic costs. Obama promises to reduce student loans and even proposed a plan that could have students stop paying their student loans after ten years. Is this just a campaign strategy? Who is really for education?
Mitt Romney established the Abigail Adam's scholarship which gives Massachusetts students who receive "proficient" or above in all categories of the MCAS free tuition at a state school. So we can't entirely say that Romney is against helping college students out. We must be careful not to listen to everything we hear on campaign commercials, although Obama's plan for students and financial aid sounds much more appealing.
Scott Brown, running for the senator, is for improving the educational system and increasing funding for the schools. Elizabeth Warren also believes in the investment of education claiming it will lead to a better workforce and a better country.
It is also a known fact that schools lose a lot due to budget cuts. I can remember a year in my elementary school where we only had physical education because music and art were cut. It is so important that congress makes sure elementary schools do not lose these critical extracurricular activities. It is also important that more teachers are hired. Schools should NOT suffer but unfortunately they suffer the most.
None of the candidates involves in tomorrow's election are actually against education. They all want our state and country's educational system to improve, its just the way they go about it and the money they are willing to spend that differs.
Mitt Romney established the Abigail Adam's scholarship which gives Massachusetts students who receive "proficient" or above in all categories of the MCAS free tuition at a state school. So we can't entirely say that Romney is against helping college students out. We must be careful not to listen to everything we hear on campaign commercials, although Obama's plan for students and financial aid sounds much more appealing.
Scott Brown, running for the senator, is for improving the educational system and increasing funding for the schools. Elizabeth Warren also believes in the investment of education claiming it will lead to a better workforce and a better country.
It is also a known fact that schools lose a lot due to budget cuts. I can remember a year in my elementary school where we only had physical education because music and art were cut. It is so important that congress makes sure elementary schools do not lose these critical extracurricular activities. It is also important that more teachers are hired. Schools should NOT suffer but unfortunately they suffer the most.
None of the candidates involves in tomorrow's election are actually against education. They all want our state and country's educational system to improve, its just the way they go about it and the money they are willing to spend that differs.
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