John Dewey on Education Essay

John Dewey, Mortimer Adler and Nel Noddings impacted our system of program line in very profound ways. Dewey believed that there should be communication between the student and the teacher. Adler believed that drills should only teach the traditional courses (English, Math, Science, Social Studies and Foreign Language). Noddings believed that teachers should be more(prenominal) caring towards their students. John Deweys idea of didactics greatly affected our system of education forthwith. John Deweys ideas for education were to concentrate on students psychological and sociological qualities.Dewey believed in promoting an unconscious education where the individual gradu ally comes to sh ar in the intellectual and moral resources which humanity has succeeded in getting together. He becomes an inheritor of the funded capital of civilization (Dewey 261). In other words, he thought this was a good mode for teachers to analyze a students behavior in recite to teach them more effe ctively. This likewise provided an opportunity for the student to learn without even realizing it.Dewey stated that a students psychological needfully were the basis of his method of education. The baby birds accept instinct and powers furnish the material and give the starting-point for all education (Dewey 262). Dewey stressed the idea that, Without insight into the psychological structure and activities of the individual the educative process go outdoor(a)be haphazard and arbitrary (Dewey 262). Dewey was to a fault extremely aro hire in the social aspects of a student. He said that the, k presentlyledge of social conditions, of the present state of civilization, is necessary in order to properly make up the childs powers (Dewey 262). This was a new technique for an educator to see and distinguish the instincts and tendencies in a student.Therefore, in order for an educator to know more about a student he/she must first study the students psychological traits in order to understand the unique characteristics of a childs capacities, interests and habits. Then the teacher must translate their findings into terms of what they believe the child is qualified of in a social setting. In my opinion, Dewey showed a balance between the dialectic of academics and affective goals. This is also known as transaction, which is having both the teacher and the student interact in the classroom.Dewey believed that the academic goals of education should be, a process of living and non a preparation for future living (Dewey 263). He stated that the teachers occupancy is not to influence him but to help guide the student into successfully forming with the friendship by let the student experience some life occurrences. The teacher is not in the school to impose sure ideas or to form certain habits in the child, but is there as a member of the community to select the influences which shall affect the child (Dewey 263 264).Dewey also believed that tests should only b e used to examine a childs social capabilities in the real world. Examinations are of use only so far as they test the childs fitness for social life and reveal the place in which he can be of the most service and where he can receive the most help (Dewey 264). In my opinion, this would be more of a conceptual test where the child can voice his or her own opinions. Deweys main affective goals were to combine the childs meaning of himself and his values. It is the business of the school to deepen and extend his horse sense of the values bound up in his home life (Dewey 263).Dewey believed that it was important for the school to implement lessons that related to what a child would do at home. The school would also be trustworthy for simplifying their social life because existing life is so complex that the child cannot be brought into contact with it without either confusion or distraction (Dewey 263). Therefore, if the child is exposed to too much social stimulation he will become , either unduly specialized or else disintegrated (Dewey 263).I believe that Deweys views show that he is against standardization in schools. He believed that there was a lack of conscious states in schools. He asserts that children are, thrown into a passive, receptive, or absorbing attitude (Dewey 265). Deweys viewpoint is still an active discussion point in todays education system. However, some school districts insist on rote cultivation because their schools receive more funding when there is a elevated percentage of passing students on like tests.According to Linda McNeil, students are taught on how to pass these tests without really acquisition. For example, McNeil states that, students report that in the drills on the TAAS reading section, they oft mark answers without reading the sample text. They merely match key words in an answer prize with key words in the text (McNeil 218). According to Dewey, this is not permitted in fol mooing the law of nature (Dewey 265), r esulting in abrasion and waste (Dewey 265).Dewey believed that proper instruction should be exemplified by, the preparation and presentation of lessons which might be more wisely and profitably expended in training the childs power of imagery and in seeing to it that he was continually forming definite, vivid, and growing images of the various subjects with which he comes in contact in his experience (Dewey 266). Standardization is not they key component of education, even though the state and federal government believe this is an important portion for success.According to Gerald Bracey, when students are applying to college, the SAT exam should be used as a guideline and not the final decision in acceptance. Bracey stated that the, SAT scores had been falling for fourteen years (Bracey 47). He also stated that, While the developers of the SAT still called their test a mere supplement, the globe now saw it as the platinum rod for measuring school performance. And that performance was getting worse (Bracey 47). in some manner over time, a students SAT score developed into an extremely significant crook which seemed to become the overall determination of a students intelligent.It seems harsh and unbalanced to put so much emphasis on one test. Of course, applicants are told that in combination with their SAT scores their grades and exterior activities are taken into consideration for college admittance. But the truth is these SAT scores still remain a huge factor for college applicants. Studies have shown that a high SAT score does not guarantee high grades in college however the politics behind these tests are heavyer than the publics opinion in order to get these tests repealed. Standardized tests do not lead the student to come into contact with the subject at hand or the experience related to it.They also do not show the overall belief of an individual or what he or she can contribute while attending college. Scott Thompson is against the test-based r eform of todays society. Thompson claims that, The human hearts and minds of others, I believe, are simply too complex and too un-come-at-able to read as a book (Thompson 160). Thompson argues that the differences between test-based reform and standards-based reform. He concluded that standards-based reform involves more cooperation from parents, teachers and the students.It also gives the students a high-quality method of learning and not simply learning techniques for test taking. We should be interested in students who can produce high quality work rather than students who have mastered the readiness to take standardized tests (Thompson 159). Thompson would love to see that the idea of standardized tests be abandoned in the future.Thompson argues that by giving these students standardized tests that they are reducing their potential of demonstrating their intellect, social and personal sides to the community. Test-based reform, through its focus on high-stakes test, narrows the curriculum to what is included on the tests and reduces instructional practice to test preparation (Thompson 159). In contrast, standards-based reforminvolves a complete abandonment of the bureaucratic, seat time approach to education and replaces it with a system of learning communities use to helping all students reach their intellectual, social, and personal potential (Thompson 159).To summarize, without requiring students to take standardized tests they will greatly outgrowth their academic potential and affective abilities. Bill Bigelow also stresses his concern of standardization. He believes that, social studies knowledge is brusk more than acquiring piles of disconnected facts about the world (Bigelow 231) and that the world cant be chopped into multiple choice questions, in that you cant bubble in the truth with a number-two pencil (Bigelow 239). Bigelow would be ecstatic to see the state do away with standardized tests.He demonstrates some strong educational goals that the state should follow that show a balance between academic and affective goals for education. He claims that teachers should, construct rigorous performance standards for students that promote deep thinking about the nature of our society. These efforts should acknowledge the authenticity of a multicultural curriculum of critical questions, complexity, multiple perspective, and social imagination. They should recognize that wisdom is more than instruction (Bigelow 239). I declare with his statement.When considering the famous quote, knowledge is power have we gained knowledge when we have learned the way of life by which to pass a standardized test? Or has knowledge been gained when a student has the sense of understanding conceptual ideas about society and civilization as a whole? I incur that standardized testing is something elected state officials want because these tests provide numbers and numbers are swooning to put into a spreadsheets and show which schools are getti ng high scores and which schools are getting low scores. It is an easy format to determine budgets one test is suitable for all students.It is harder to define guidelines on how or what teachers should teach conceptually because that leads to a broader spectrum of learning. In conclusion, I believe that standardized tests are the dumbing down of the States. These tests inhibit our abilities to question and reflect. The state and federal governments do not really want the American public to get smarter. They want a simple way to control what students learn and how they learn it. While many another(prenominal) people agree that standardization is not improving learning, we are still unable to do away with these tests due to all of the politics involved.I would love for high schools to be more like colleges in that, teachers can use whatever methods of teaching they like right as professors do. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Obviously, there are essential fundamental topics tha t much be taught that are necessary in order to have the fundamental foundation on which to grow intellectually. I feel that once a student has mastered the basics, it is polar to ones development to discuss controversial issues and to intelligently question the ways of the world.I agree with Bill Bigelow I do not believe that one test is a thorough determinative of a students ability and mastery of various concepts. A famous quote by George Santayana states, Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. With all the controversial issues and problems in the world, shouldnt learning how to use ones mind and think outside the box be considered an integral part of learning? Isnt it important and valuable to society to be able to intelligently discuss solutions rather than just be considered smart because you aced the SAT?