Aaron Kempf
Response 2
John Dewey

John Dewey – Genius or Madman?

Born 1859 in Vermont, John Dewey led a life in which social justice was nothing short of a priority. With many pieces of writings detailing his life and aspirations “much of it treats him either as a saint or a villain.” Dewey addresses schools as a social institution that is set in place to serve as a community for its students. Education was viewed by Dewey as a “process of living and not a preparation for future living. In relation to my personal experience, this has not remotely been the case. Mr. Dewey would roll over in his grave if he were to glance at the highschool environment I was raised within, as during my time in school, the lone intention of the school administration was to get us out of school and onto future milestones. There was no time to enjoy the process of living and developing as Dewey speaks of in part 2, as bringing in and pushing out students became more of a chore than a job for educators. Thus, when dewey asserts that “much of present education fails because it neglects this fundamental principle of the school as a form of community life”, based on my life experiences, I have no choice but to wholeheartedly agree. Out of the many remarks Dewey makes regarding the subject matter of education, his assertion that “we violate the child’s nature and render difficult the best ethical results by introducing the child too abruptly to a number of special studies”, stands out, as it brings back vivid memories of my own personal learning past. A large part of Dewey’s argument revolves around the idea that learning needs to be centered around a students life experiences. Within my time of preparing for highschool education this wasn’t a focus at all, as students were selected by teachers which classes they were to take, and there was little to no wiggle room once a decision had been made. Rich, poor, educated, or disinterested, the life experiences of students played no role in which category we were bunched into. Thus, Dewey would be furious to learn that educationally interested students are today held back by class clowns, and students with lower learning ceilings are limited by being overshadowed by future valedictorians.