I am not sure that the “Core Practices” approach to improving the school districts and curriculum, works. It very well may not be the best option for ensuring that children from a young age are taught properly. However, I do believe it is a step in a positive direction, and some of the aspects of the curriculum is in line with Dewey’s unique approach to learning. Dewey was not considered as the brightest scholar by his peers. Notwithstanding, his ideas and fundamental values about the role education plays in this idea of “social progress,” are fundamental and I believe they represent the key purpose of receiving an “education.” The most glaring thing to me, was his definition of education itself, “a continual process of reconstruction of experience” (Dewey 90). This stood out to me because for him, the end result of education, or becoming more educated, is a “sense-maker” who can take the daily experiences from one’s day and make sense of them and their place in the world around them.

I believe Dewey’s notion of education falls directly in line with the Core Practices section on the enhancement of education using “supplementary materials.” Although I do obviously not know if this is successful once implemented, but the goal is very much in line with my values of education. One of the ways to improve education is to implement texts that may be challenging, or connecting the reading to a current event or local text. Another point in this section, is an instruction to teachers to incorporate games or manipulatives that create opportunities for students to engage and explore curriculum. This approach to learning goes in line with my thinking of how the curriculum for schools should be outlined. I believe it is much more about hands on learning, and using the knowledge taught in classrooms, to make sense of the world around you, and how it operates. For me, learning has never been about making grades, or doing this assignment because I am just being told to do it. Instead, it has been about making sure I am learning something that can help me understand what’s going on around me. Obviously my standpoint may be slightly tainted since I am an International Studies and Political Science who wants to have a career in public service, but I believe the point still remains.

H/R: readings