Dewey opens his article What Education Is by arguing that we begin learning almost unconsciously at birth. Dewey theorizes that education is fundamentally “the stimulation of the child’s powers by the demands of the social situations in which he finds himself” (93).  As a student in the 17th year of my education (not including K4 Preschool) I have often wondered what  education really is or what my education will amount to in my life. According to my dad, it was what was going to get me out of suburban life in Wisconsin. Getting a good education has always been a goal and an important part of my life as I have sought to work hard in school, but what is it that makes a good education? More importantly, what is education? Dewey seeks to address these inquires on a fundamental level in this article.

My approach to school has evolved throughout my years of learning. Looking back at the dozens of classes I have taken, my attitude towards learning in each class has been the key to how much I learned. I believe this is what Dewey is referring to when he states that the educational process has two sides; one psychological and the other sociological (93). The psychological side is what I would consider a student’s attitude towards learning. Dewey uses another word for it, “powers”.  Dewey says that the psychological side of education is the basis of the educational process. However, Dewey acknowledges that as humans we operate on a social level and that though we are usually  taught as individuals, society is made up of the union of individuals (94). Thus, the social aspect of education is just as important as the approach each student takes to their own education.

Nearly everyone has gone through a phase in their student career where school was a laboriously boring task. Perhaps, the issue was not the subject of study, but the mindset of the student and the approach taken towards learning. Learning inherently requires someone to discover new things that were unknown to them previously. Kurt Hahn calls learning” an expedition into the unknown”(EL Core Practices). This is an imaginative way to think about learning because it makes learning sound like an adventure.

The EL principle of the primacy of self-discovery intrigued me because it makes me think about an assignment I had in my ethics class that took a lot of self-reflection to complete. I read over David Hume’s Of Suicide where he attempts to justify the act of suicide, and I had to agree or disagree with his assertions. I have always held that suicide is wrong no matter what, but Hume’s arguments were completely logical, which made the assignment difficult for me. This forced me to do research on suicide as told from both points of view, and I dug into my bible to find what the Christian faith said about it. “Learning happens best with emotion, challenge, and the requisite support.” Defending my assertions for why suicide is wrong was certainly a challenge because I had never considered the arguments that Hume made, but this definitely inspired me to learn. I learned a lot during the course of this assignment, but what I truly remember was being intrigued by all the different ideas presented, and how logical some of the arguments that justified suicide were.

I believe that I have a lot of potential for fieldwork in community schools. Passing on my knowledge to others for their benefit is something I have done in different ways, and I truly enjoy it. Seeing others benefit from what I teach them is a really rewarding feeling, and since I have this desire to pass on my knowledge in the academic community, I think I have great potential. I have a good amount of experience working with the youth in community schools, especially elementary schools. When I was a senior in high school, I, along with two of my friends, were given the opportunity to volunteer in the P.E. department at our local elementary school. Most of our volunteer work consisted of playing games with the children during their P.E. classes, but we were also granted the opportunity to come into some of the classrooms and read to them and do other activities. Going into the classrooms and actually help teach the kids was something I enjoyed more than simply playing games with them, because I could see that some of the content they were learning sparked interest in them. Reading books to them was also enjoyable, as I would look out at them all sitting down staring at me either laughing at the book I was reading or simply lost in the story.

John Dewey says that “education, therefore, is a process of living and not a preparation for future living” (Dewey, 94). In order to be an effective teacher, it is certainly necessary for kids to understand and feel like their education experience is not simply an item on checklist to prepare them for their future. Rather they should understand that education is an experience that they should thrive in and get the most out of. When I was volunteering in the elementary school, My friends and I tried our hardest to make our time with the kids stimulating and enjoyable so that coming to school was something for them to look forward to.

In one journal response this week I spoke about the “primacy of self discovery” (an EL Education design principle), as well as the “having of wonderful ideas” (EL). I reflected on how these two principles were present in my own education and how they had influenced me from the beginning. In the class-reading authored by John Dewey, I delved deeper into the role of education in society as a whole: Dewey is very much concerned with the role of education as the “fundamental method of social progress and reform” (Dewey 99). Despite Dewey’s long-windedness and rather roundabout manner, I found a great deal of insight in his text concerning the real importance of education and the process of learning. Something that I found particularly interesting was the way in which Dewey saw social life as the “basis of concentration” in a child’s development, and that education must be shaped accordingly.

It seems to me that the nature of education today seems to (at times) disregard this essential realization of Dewey’s regarding the social life of the child. Especially in curricula that stress the importance of STEM, or analytical thinking, the importance of social life is lost. This is why the study and production of literature is so essential to the formation of any child: “literature is the reflex expression and interpretation of social experience” (Dewey 96).

The unification of experience that literature provides the developing child with has been one of the most important aspects of my own educational experience. Literature was for me the most essential part of my education, being my hobby and favorite subject. Realizing the importance of literature to the development of a child is not surprising to me in the slightest, as I saw the production and study of literature as the most important academic venture that could be undertaken. This is part of why I am thinking about making an expeditionary program geared toward literature and poetry.

In 8th grade my American History teacher, Mr. Sheridan, was discussing the civil war. He challenged us to think like a confederate soldier. To think as if our whole way of life is about to be lost. This experience made me think about looking at the different view points which many people possess. A couple examples of this are the Scottish’s view of the English; the Joker’s view of Batman; etc. But it is due to this experience in Mr. Sheridan’s class that I enjoy looking, and writing, from a view that isn’t always that of the hero. I find it wholesome to approach a subject from a totally different point of view in order to really come full circle with a story. Not everyone supports this type of thinking and that is ok. My prior education, for the most part, did not like this sort thinking. I think that by not exposing another side to  a story, people are missing out on big chunks of detail. I believe I can work well and teach in a school environment. My potential lies within making a story out of abstract ideas. Children like stories because their minds are engaged and stories pass the time. A few concerns I have about this approach of teaching is; can I get to engaged myself and forget about the subject I’m supposed to be teaching? Then if a story isn’t keeping their minds engaged, how do you engage the students more? I suppose the only way to truly find this out is to have a trial by fire. Also, in Expeditionary Learning Core Practices, the author states that schools support a college bound culture. He says that schools starting as young as the 6th grade should be providing visits to college campuses and having college symbols up all throughout the school. I do not agree with this. Perhaps students should start looking towards colleges in their sophomore year of high school but not sooner. It is in my beliefs that starting them on the hunt for colleges to soon will allow the school to push students to choose an in state school rather than broadening their horizons. That being said, my last concern is how can I promote preparing a student for college before they have ever given college a thought?

I have come to realize within my educational career, the most memorable times were when interacting with others in groups. From projects to simple collaborations, it allowed me to understand the thought processes of others and improved my teamwork skills. These two factors within a person is something John Dewey finds important during the advancement in the educational system. John Dewey states that the main two sides of a person’s educational process consists of psychological and sociological. These factors are dependent on each other and “neither can be subordinated to the other, or neglected”(93). This essentially means that it is a teachers duty to discover ways to enhance a students social skills and mental knowledge. Schools within the United States are set up in a way that both of these sides of learning are readily addressed. Dewey explains that schools are “primarily a social institution” which is influenced by the vast amount of different backgrounds that build up the community(94). Students are able to take their social identity at home and apply it to those they experience within the school life. Being able to leave your home allows for psychological growth because students are exposed to new ideas. Furthermore, the true role of a teacher is not to program “certain ideas and habits in the child” instead they are there as a guide and allow assistance for interpretation(95). When both psychological and sociological aspects are satisfied, students within those communities can go out and initiate positive movement or reform. Dewey’s ideology relates in some ways to the EL Core Practice point of promoting social, emotional, and physical wellness. Through healthy relationships and intellectual courage, a student can grow in a complete manner. Intellectual growth can be fostered by teachers crafting “wellness learning targets and assessments that create opportunities for students to track their progress toward increased teamwork, self-management, and perseverance”(10). On the social side, teachers should “ create a climate of social and emotional safety for students”(9). By allowing students to have interactions with each other, they are bound to spread influences and create interpersonal skills.

Throughout my time in school, I always believed that most of the work I did was busywork. Work should not be this way as a whole and it should not be boring to the students that are trying their hardest to find interest in the things being taught in public schools. The work itself should be interesting, hands-on, meaningful, and essential to life skills to what the student wants to make of themselves after graduation so that learning is no longer a chore and speed bump in life, but an essential and meaningful thing that guides them on the path that they most want to pursue. This was covered in EL Education’s video as shown with the students of multiple public schools coming together and creating works of literature that affected not only themselves but the societies and culture that was important to their communities.

Ultimately, education has fallen to the wayside of many things, to include budgets, quality, and essentialness to the life of the individual, and for many people is seen as nothing more than a burden keeping them from starting their life and making their own way in the world. Schools, teachers, and the student’s work should not enforce this wholesale like much does today, but instead try to push the students onwards and raise them up to see that education is essential to their success in whatever career path they choose. With the implementation of hands-on, life-essential skills students will be more engaged and more apt to pursue further education in many college and university level institutions after they finish their required high school education.

Dewey argues that there are two sides to education, psychological and social. Both are needed and neither are above each other. It is believed that psychological is the basis for the educational journey. The child has a basic desire to explore and consequentially learn. The social side is what continues the educational experience. The child needs someone to help guide their educational journey and natural inquiries. The social side of education is important because “the child has his own instincts and tendencies, but we do not know what these mean until we can translate them in their social equivalent.” The quote shows that Dewey emphasizes that both sides of education, psychological and social go hand in hand for the child’s education to be successful. The psychological side is formal and natural process while the social side of education is “a forced and external process.”

I can draw from Dewey’s argument on the two sides of education when I reflect on how I learned when I was younger and how I continue to thrive while learning. While reflecting on my childhood, Dewey’s two sides to education makes sense. As kids, we all have a knack for exploring and letting our curiosity get us in trouble. But as our psychological side of education showed, parents as well as teachers stepped in to guide our curiosity to better fit the formal education of society and better prepare us for society. If as children we never experienced the social side of education then the chances of being educated ready for a college degree would be low. Viewing Dewey’s definition of the two sides of education gives insight to how poorer populations are educated. Often the poorer children are unable to remain in school because of pressures at home where they might be needed to stay home. These children are still learning because of the psychological side but do not have the guidance from the social aspect. It does not make these children uneducated but examples on why children need both sides of education to truly be successful learners.

Both John Dewey and the Expeditionary Learning program place an important emphasis on stimulating students intellectually in order to develop them into contributing and useful members of society. As someone who grew up experiencing both a standardized-testing classroom environment, where memorizing answers was stressed over understanding principles, and an environment in which creative learning and doing what interested me, I strongly agree with the principles put forth by John Dewey and Expeditionary Learning which stress creative learning in topics that interest the student. John Dewey especially stresses this in his work “My Pedagogic Creed” where he writes that “the stimulation of the child’s powers [is a product of] the social institutions in which he finds himself” (93). This is important to note, as Dewey demonstrates that a child’s intellectual growth is directly related to the way and environment in which they learn. From personal experience, I can attest to the fact that it is not only more fun to learn when an environment of discovery and creativity is fostered in the classroom, very similar to that promoted by Expeditionary Learning. Ron Berger from Expeditionary Learning notes that work from students should be “meaningful, valuable, and beautiful”. This emphasis on the quality of work, and how it is completed is a refreshing change from the culture of standardized testing fostered in many traditional classrooms today. Not only does an emphasis on quality and stimulation help students learn and remain interested in their work, it also benefits society as a whole. Ron Berger notes this when he describes some of the projects that students have done, such as compiling the stories of World War Two veterans for publication. John Dewey also notes the benefits of intellectual stimulation to both students and society when he writes that “education is the fundamental method of social progress and reform” (99), demonstrating to his audience the effects of education on both individuals and society. From personal experience, the writings of John Dewey, and Expeditionary Learning, intellectual challenges and stimulation within the classroom not only create brighter students, but a brighter future as well. It is because of this that we must institute more engaging lesson plans for students, breaking away from the culture of memorization and standardized testing.

I am a big proponent of self-learning and I am certain that it is a crucial part of the learning process. Learning about different topics of interest is an uniquely human endeavor. We all in our own ways become experts in our areas of interest or hobbies.

In a traditional learning environment, self-learning is fostered through broad individual assignments that may be based on a set criteria. A traditional example of this would be a research paper. It is up to the self-learner to find sources, evaluate them, and develop their own thoughts on the topic. Most of the “learning” being done is up to the student. The course that they are writing it for has progressed far enough that the teacher views them as capable enough to write their paper.

Research papers are not the end all of self-learning. Self-learning was a big part of what John Dewey thought in regards to education. Schools were set up that allowed students to teach themselves (Reed 91). Ideas about self-learning have not faded into obscurity 70 years after Dewey died. Students developing their own curricula may not be mainstream, but that is not to say that it does not happen. Not only are traditional examples available, but there programs like EL Education. One of EL Education’s 10 design principles is solitude and reflection. EL goes on to state that “students and teachers need time alone to explore their own thoughts.” Many of the other design principles within EL  emphasize this form form of education and provide a foundation for a unique learning environment.

I have never thought of myself as a teacher. I have never been good with my peers in helping them understand a topic or subject. I have only understood ideas in my own way. If I even try to teach someone something, I will end up taking over and showing them how to do it or even just filling it out myself. I knew one day I would never teach anyone but my life has taken a one eighty on me and now I have been given the chance to explore the idea of teaching. With this field work class, I will be able to fully understand the elements involved with the profession. There are principles that I have covered in a packet that I was given that allowed me to begin my journey. I hope to conquer them and with confidence in myself, my peers and my instructor I will hope have the tool necessary to gather learners together and give them great knowledge I have acquired through my life experience.

EL Education has laid out some principles for new beginners and even for some experts in the field of teaching. These principles showed me areas in myself that I will definitely need to work on if I expect to teach students. For example, one of the design principles is empathy and caring. The description states that there must be mutual respect between the student and the instructor and that every student must fell physically and emotionally safe. This a huge area I need to improve on, although it is not mentioned in the description it allowed me to think about having empathy for a student and give deep concern and care for those who are struggling. I have a tendency to leave those who don’t understand behind because I believe that I need to keep moving get the job done.

John Dewy wrote many statements that I as a student agree with. For example, the biggest statement made that I sole agree on is “the only true education comes through the stimulation of the child’s powers by the demands of the social situation in which he finds himself” (Dewey 93). This I believe is the truest statement made throughout the entire packet due to my own personal experience. I have learned more through being thrown into a social atmosphere that I don’t fully understand than being in a room getting taught on a white board.

-Matthew Jingle

HR: Readings