Research Paper On John Dewey

John Dewey was an American educational psychologist, philosopher, political activist, and social reformer. He was born on October 20th, 1859 in Burlington, Vermont (John Dewey). At the young age of 15, Dewey graduated from a public high school and enrolled at the University of Vermont where his teacher, H. A. P. Torrey presented him with the work of different philosophers ("Https://john Dewey"). Dewey graduated second in his class and he received his PhD from John Hopkins University in 1884. Dewey began teaching at the University of Michigan from 1884 to 1894 ("Psychology History"). In 1899, he was elected president of the American Psychological Association and later became the president of the American Philosophical Association in 1905. He taught at Columbus University from 1905 until he retired in 1929. Dewey was also active in politics and supported many political issues, like women’s suffrage. He died on June 1st, 1952 in New York City ("Psychology History"). Dewey significantly influenced American
education throughout his career. He believed that education should engage and expand a learner’s experience. He thought of education as a social process and viewed schools as communities that represented a “larger picture” ("PBS Online: Only A Teacher: Schoolhouse Pioneers"). In 1896, John Dewey started, what educators called, the Dewey School. He founded the school based on the belief that students learn best from hands-on experience. To achieve this, he had his teachers place real life problems in front of their students and then direct the students on how to solve the problems using hands-on activities ("Psychology History"). The school was designed as a way of balancing philosophy and natural science. This approach is referred to today as pragmatism. Dewey “theorized that this type of learning truly prepared students to function well in society” (John Dewey). In the early 1900’s, Dewey was a part of a movement called progressive education.
This movement focused on teaching children physically, socially, and mentally, instead of just making them memorize information and facts (John Dewey). Progressive education, unlike authoritarianism and rote learning, stresses that students should be invested in what they are learning ("PBS Online: Only A Teacher: Schoolhouse Pioneers"). Dewey wanted schools to use progressive education but he also wanted them to teach things that are very relevant to the students’ lives. Back in the 1800’s, most children had to know how to sew, cook, clean, and build. Dewey thought it would be perfect if children could learn those kinds of things at school. Some educators think that students would fail to grasp basic academic knowledge and skills under Dewey’s system; others think that order and authority in a classroom would disappear ("PBS Online: Only A Teacher: Schoolhouse
Pioneers").