The recent ongoings of this class have left me with several interesting journal entries. The most fascinating of these I certainly considered to be John Dewey. I have read in the past about John Dewey’s theories of democracy, and I did some preliminary research on a paper about Dewey’s influence from Plato. Though that paper has not yet come to fruition, that research introduced me to John Dewey’s admittedly cumbersome writing style.
I enjoy thinking about these philosophies of learning as an extension of Dewey’s democratic philosophy. Naturally, rhetorical discourse is the core of democracy; and as rhetoric needs, so do the schools educate. Therefore, Dewey’s learning philosophies are connected closely to what he thinks democracy requires. Specifically, Dewey wants to build civically involved and rhetorically educated and engaged citizens.
This reminds me, of course of the 5 Cs published by the Virginia Department of Education:
- Critical Thinking Skills
- Collaboration Skills
- Communication Skills
- Creative Thinking Skills
- Citizenship Skill
These 5 objectives of the VDOE must be designed to create that democratic citizen that Dewey believes will be able to contribute to the rhetoric of democracy. But what does rhetorical tradition teach us about what is required of a rhetorician? Perhaps it would be beneficial to turn to another, older set of 5. Cicero’s 5 Canons of Rhetoric:
- Invention
- Arrangement
- Style
- Memory
- Delivery
I think there is a connection here that is very interesting. Of course, the 5 Cs of the VDOE are designed for inter-disciplinary learning. But it seems that there are very real parallels between the 5 Cs and the ancient 5 Canons of Rhetoric. Invention>Creative Thinking, Delivery>Communication Skills, Arrangement>Collaboration, the list goes on. Perhaps some of these parallels seem tenuous, but I think that this comparison is very important in helping understand the nature of Dewey’s learning philosophies (which I believe are heavily influencing the world of education today).
Although these are largely philosophical reflections, they do reflect my own expectations for this period of instruction. I hope to employ a large breadth of the rhetorical education I have received at VMI. However, while Dewey and Cicero are great to think about, ultimately it will come down to whether or not I am able to connect and communicate with the students.
Joe,
Since Dewey saw education as a “moving force”, I am so glad that his stolid yet powerful thinking moved you to make connections to other thinkers, and perhaps you’ll find yourself presenting some great thinkers to 5th graders–perhaps other cultures have their great thinkers that align with our democratic principles and make immigrants seek America as both a place and an ideal? Perhaps looking at some of our national songs, or songs from other national anthems might be an interesting way to engage creative thinking on the part of students in Ms. Cosgriff’s classroom. In addition, how might you connect this same discussion of Dewey and Cicero to the “Build a Culture” chapter and instituting classroom norms?
Food for thought.
MAJ Hodde