Blogging and Theory

Blogging and Theory

            Earlier in the blog I cited John Dewey, a theorist, psychologist, and educational reformer whose work on educational progressivism (amongst its various titles) at the beginning of the twentieth century still rings true today. Beginning with Dewey’s laboratory schools in Chicago in 1896 and continuing with his work at Columbia University, Dewey focused on the individual’s place within the larger social community. More important than that was the individual’s social interaction with the community. Some of the constructs and facets of educational progressivism that Dewey shared with other professionals in his field were;

Group work and development of social skills

Experiential learning(Link)

Understanding and action as the goals of learning as opposed to rote knowledge

Education for social responsibility and democracy

Emphasis on life-long learning and social skills

Dewey, John. Dewey on Education, edited by Martin Dworkin. New York: Teachers college Press, 1959

 

            The use of our classroom blog fosters the student’s role as a citizen in our community of learners. The student becomes an active learner with a voice, and as a learner allows them to appreciate and draw upon others’ thoughts. Learning in this way the student sees the process as dynamic and evolutionary.