Week 1: A Pedagogic Creed

 This week, I read “My Pedagogic Creed” by John Dewey and had a number of thoughts and reactions. Though this article was written in 1897, many of Dewey’s claims about education and what it ‘should’ be still resonate. 

Dewey claims that education requires participation from a person. Several of his statements refer to the willingness of the child to enrage in the process, and he refers to the “instincts and powers” of the child. The power of the child is an interesting concept- it is true that a child or any person can be present, and not participatory. As a former classroom teacher (and a mother), I've experienced this frequently. 

Another concept that is especially relevant right now is the role of school. This was a divisive topic early in the Covid 19 pandemic as schools shifted to virtual, and many parents were frustrated with having to supervise and manage their child’s education. Dewey suggests at the time of his article that schools were to be a continuation of home life- to “take up and and continue activities with which the child is already familiar in the home.” I believe that many would disagree with this and claim that the school had a duty to supervise children so parents could work, as the number of homes with two working parents or a single parent that must work is higher than it was in 1897. 

Dewey also is prophetic almost in his claims that teachers should not “impose certain ideas” upon children. This is a large issue right now in the State of a Indiana as there are laws being considered that would give the parents in a district much more say over what is taught (thereby reducing the freedom of the teacher), yet still leave them with no responsibility for the child’s education. 

All of these ideas show that though education and it’s methods have shifted over the years, disagreement on what this looks like continues to be a point of discussion generation after generation, but the need to engage the student fully in the process has remained the same. 


Comments

  1. AnonymousJanuary 16, 2022 at 3:43 PM

    Kate, thanks for sharing your reflection. I really enjoyed your posting.

    You have well explained two important points in education. Participation plays a crucial role in the learning process. It is also used synonymously with engagement, willingness, or motivation and is an important factor as improving the quality of learning. You mentioned the power of children. I am so confused with this concept. Is power the same to active involvement or natural curiosity of children? Can you give more explanation about it?

    You also mentioned the role of schools. You said that schools should support parents by supervising and managing their children’s education at schools. It might one of the primary goals of schools before COVID19. As you pointed out, the COVID19 broke out pushed learning platform to online, schools become to require parents’ active involvement in their children’s education. What do you think schools should do in this pandemic situation? Do we need to re-define the role of schools, teachers, and parents in this COVID situation?

    Lastly, I agree with Dewey that teachers should not force certain ideas on students. I think the traditional teacher role, knowledge source, should be changed. We know that information is available to everyone, so we need to assign the new role to the teachers. Teachers should promote students to actively participate in their learning process as a coach or coordinator. What do you think? Education is the way of transferring knowledge we acquire and construct to the next generation. Even if the methods to deliver knowledge has been changed over time, the core concept is the same, engaging students for effective learning.

    Best,
    Sunmi

    ReplyDelete
  2. KarriJanuary 24, 2022 at 11:03 AM

    Hi, Kate,

    I found your post on Dewey's writings to be really thought-provoking. I was so excited about revisiting Dewey this week that I didn't consider how much the points he made 125 years ago are still being considered and, in some cases, hotly debated today. I especially appreciated your post because it reminded me that pontificating on what education ought to be is really a luxury we don't have because our schools are influenced and pressured not only by our communities but also by our state and federal legislatures. I am a former teacher, but I taught college English, so the unique pressures placed upon our PK-12 teachers are not always recognized as I did/do not live those experiences.

    It will be interesting to see how the parents who do not want their children taught certain topics or concepts as minors respond to their children as young adults who will be expected to have a baseline knowledge of those topics as college students. Thanks for making me think outside of my own firsthand experiences!

    All the best,
    Karri

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Katie DixonApril 8, 2022 at 7:36 PM

      We're experiencing this now, even since this was written. Parents want control without fully understanding the content. I experienced this as a student teacher around the novel "The Giver" by Lois Lowry - a parent read the back and decided it was inappropriate in my classroom. This had been taught for years, but the administration bent to the parent's wishes to my dismay. The parent was not interested in understanding the content and how it was presented as much as drawing attention.

      Delete

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