View the video bar on the left. There are three short clips about John Dewey. Use what you learn from the video clips along with any other prior knowledge that you may have about his learning theory to answer One of the questions below.
- Compare and contrast the Rote Method of learning with John Dewey's philsophy of learning.
- What are the pros and cons of applying John Dewey's philosophy of learning in the classroom?
- How can I apply John Dewey's theories in the classroom?
The Rote method of learning is basically about memorizing. It is argued that this method of learning is absolutely essential for young children as they are still developing neural pathways in their brains. Research supports that young children who have spent time learning by rote are initially ahead of peers who have just learned on their own. The rote method introduces a discipline to the process of learning, but if used as the only method will eventually cancel out it’s own benefits. It has been noted that Asian countries have used this method exclusively and have produced excellent test scores, but students are unable to use information in real world applications. This is Dewey’s complaint. In his philosophy of learning, he poses that one needs a real word experience on which to apply and experiment with academic concepts. His theory postulates that experience arises from the interaction of the principle of “continuity” and the principal of “interaction.” “Continuity” is that every experience that a person has affects his experiences in the future. “Interaction” means that there is an interaction between past and current experiences. Dewey argues that it is the educator’s responsibility to progressively organize subject matter in a way that takes into account student’s past experience and then to provide present experiences that open the student up to the idea of new experiences in the future.
ReplyDeleteAwesome explanation Steve. I have a few things to add.
ReplyDeleteRote learning is a learning technique that focuses on memorization, as Steve mentioned above. There is a place for rote learning in education, such as multiplication tables, chemistry tables, and phonics. It lacks understanding of the subject matter that is being learned.
Dewey's philosophy of education, instrumentalism, focused on learning-by-doing rather than rote learning and direct instruction. He wanted children to explore their world, to think critically and to imagine rather than just be taught facts.
Excellent commentary!
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, Dewey's objective is to approach subject areas that traditionally focus and center on the individual by creating an environment that considers the social-oriented models of instruction. When approaching a traditional subject such as mathematics with Dewey's concept, sythesis occurs on a greater level as the student experiences social acceptance, group dynamics, group process, diversity, and structured inquiry.
Essentially, the student is placed within a cooperative-peer-learning enviroment, which enhances learning and ultimately increases maturity.
The teacher must facilitate and guide the group process thus creating a cooperative social climate. Students must take the responsibility of implementing steps of the problem-solving model. However, if the content is not organized to produce a stimulus or if the stimulus is not explored properly, students will leave without having learned a thing.
I have enjoyed reading your commentaries - you all have great insight!
ReplyDeleteWith regard to the pros and cons of applying Dewey's philosophy in the classroom, it is my impression that most teachers would rather apply his standard in the classroom. It provides context and allows the child to determine the meaning of events and products for themselves and within the framework of thier environemnt and experiences. While such learning can be highly individualistic it serves to assit in the development of critical thinking skills. It also facilitates the development of regard for learning, rather than as simply a requirement for childhood. From this perspective, learning is thus multiculturally sensitive and accomodating for all individuals and abilities. That has a lot of saliency in education where these concepts are expected to be incorporated into curriculum under increasingly demanding situations. The cons of course come with the above mentioned necessity to utilize rote methods for memorization. More importantly education is increasingly data-driven. Dewey's method does not ensure that students learn what they need to know in terms of outcome measures and progress monitoring. A blend of both models can provide enrichment for all students, and also prepare students to perform well on standardized tests.
As far as implementing Dewey's theories in the classroom, the Project Based Learning(PBL) model seems like a good way to incorporate most of Dewey's ideas on education. When using the PBL model, students get into groups to act as researchers in applying technology to try to figure out a problem of their chosing that has real world connections to their lives.
ReplyDeleteThis constructivist approach has been criticized because it is often expermented with in impoverished school systems where extended time away from conventional learning can really hurt the students. The model seems like it has great potential to keeps students interested in researching topics they care about. However as Sam pointed out, there is the threat of a poorly guided project where the kids do not learn much from the experience. This is where the teacher should step in as a good facilitator to make sure that the groups are staying productive & on task.
Dewey believed that the role of the teacher is to provide the student with experience. From his point of view, students can learn more when they are involved than just by the mere routine of lecture, memorization or developing the habit of doing something (a math question, for example). The idea is to provide a stimulus that involves sensory and motor abilities within the context of the topic. And, not to conform to gaining knowledge about the topic but to be engaged so that you are experiencing the topic and the knowledge that comes from your personal experience/interaction with the topic. Actually Dewey’s theory is already a part of the teaching components. Special assignments – like this blog, for example – that present opportunities to experience what has been taught or studied and express what has been learned are given by teachers to help the teacher assess the student’s level of comprehension. The student gets to test that comprehension through the experience. The rote method of teaching (repetition and memorization) doesn’t provide enough stimulation because the student doesn’t really have to focus as a participant – only to absorb, and try not to forget. For example, learning to recite excerpts from “Macbeth” or “The Gettysburg Address” will not necessarily require full attention to the context of the experience that the Shakespearean character experiences or, the context that Lincoln was expressing. The student will just be able to recite verbatim and not understand a word. In Dewey’s opinion, students who learn by experience have the advantage or added bonus of discovery, experiment and creativity. It should be noted that the rote method does have a place in the learning process. There are some topics, like formulas (for math or science) that require repetition and memorization. Therefore, an effective teaching method would have to be balanced based on the material that the student is meant to learn by inquiry and exploration vs. the material that is meant to be remembered to get it right for future use (an exam, for example).
ReplyDeletePosted for Suzette Porter she is having technical difficulties posting herself
ReplyDeleteThe Rote Method of learning is built on the premise of memorization as Steve point out so clearly! It I agree with Gloria that this repetition of learning does have it’s place and is practical in the right educational setting. Through this method of teaching, the student is learning the key or presented information/facts as opposed to Dewey’s philosophy where the student in learning by experience where they will gain skill that will help them with problem solving on a wider scale.
Dewey was a reformist and leader of pragmatism, who believed is the straightforward practical way of thinking about things or dealing with problems. He was concerned with the end result rather than the theories and principles.. He felt that a student’s learning style was one that would allow for the student to utilize what they knew, believed and obtained from real-life experiences, challenges and activities, as opposed to what they were told to believe. He felt that if students were learning when actively engaged in activities; more of a hands-on approach to learning.
Now the challenge with this is to find educators who get it! Can you imagine, “the stag on the stage” or the task master who just talks at the students, not challenging, inspiring, incorporating nor guiding any prior life experiences or knowledge to move the lessons or development their learning?