What Would Dewey Do?

"We only think when we are confronted with problems."

Sometimes when I am in my classroom - I have to ask myself - What would Dewey do?

John Dewey is an education legend. His constructivist approach to education included a hands-on, real life application problem solving instructional technique that would lead to a stronger more democratic student capable of being part of society. Dewey would argue that the purpose of education was to develop students who could work collaboratively with peers, thus becoming better citizens in the democratic process. Dewey believed that students would be better prepared for the world that they lived in, if they could approach real world problems to solve, and to apply reseach and learning to the problem. Relevant learning process' prepare students for life. Dewey did not see students as empty vessles to be filled but rather active members of the community and able to be full participants in their learning process. Dewy opened the Laboratory School at the University of Chicago. The Laboratory Schools were an experiment, where Dewey was able to explore and collect information on the hands-on education process. 

Peggy Hickman gives an excellent overview of the approach used at the school in her article on John Dewey. She writes:

“… The teachers were to present real life problems to the children and then guide the students to solve the problem by providing them with a hands-on activity to learn the solution …

“The students had to measure things and be able to read to do these things. For an example, if a student was not able to read it was here how they would be taught to achieve the ability to read.”

“The child would experience school as being in a community. This would help the child learn how to share and communicate with others. Problems would be presented to the child and by trial and error the child would be able to solve the problem.

“The teacher’s responsibility was to be aware of where each child was intellectually and provide appropriate problems for the child to solve. Dewey wrote a book about his findings from the Dewey school called The School and Society.”  (http://www.muskingum.edu/~psych/psycweb/history/dewey.htm)

Deweys philosophy of pedagogy is mirrored in what is now commonly called S.T.E.M. instruction. His phiosophy can also be observed in Project Based Learning (PBL) instruction practices. So what would Dewey think about the push in the recent years about S.T.E.M. instruction? 

What Would Dewey Do?

 In the 21st century, the world is available to students via a quick Google search. So what is it that students need in the 21st century classroom, when answers are quickly available? Students require guidance. Students need to learn how to think, and not necessarily what to think. Instructors spend a great deal of time, answering questions with questions and having students research answers questions. Most of the time complex questions produce multiple answers. That's when the learning really begins in the classroom. 

In the classroom, students generally resist the process. We have groomed a generation of parrots. Students have spent formative time, learning how to regurgitate information for the tests that are a burden on the backs of students and teachers. Students have mastered the art of the summary, and as a result few students could tell you at the end of any given school year what they learned. S.T.E.M. pedagogy as modeled by Dewey changes that dynamic. At the beginning of each school year, the first obstacle to STEM instruction, is having students assume the responsibility for their own learning. From September through Thanksgiving, repeating the mantra "You are responsible for your own learning. It is my job to give you the tools with which to learn." It's often a painful process, but ultimately it works. 

Using the 5E Lesson plan is essential to master S.T.E.M. pedagogical process - once mastered,  instructors can move more freely within the 5E framework. 
I have published for your review and implementation a 5E Google slide presentation framework. Use the presentation to think about and consider when creating a lesson. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1f-79BwvXkoG6fAzBIV4Yw1D9sGtwztL0RvUQivBb3lQ/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000
ALWAYS use the standards as your basis for instruction, meet your students where they are. Teachers know their students better than anyone, provide appropriate supports and keep moving forward.
Please feel free to contact me with questions... I am here to help and to Make Dewey Proud!
 

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