Reflections from Dewey-- Chapter 6

In chapter 6, Dewey argues that in order for an experience to be educative, it must have a purpose.  Forming a purpose involves an observation, knowledge of what has happened in similar situations in the past, and then a judgment which puts together what is observed and what is recalled.  Dewey cautioned that progressive education has a tendency to overemphasize activity as an end, "instead of upon intelligent activity" because there is a "confusion of impulse with purpose."  Dewey points out that traditional education, though, tends to overlook the importance of personal motivation or impulse in the learning process.  Again, Dewey is using the best of traditional and progressive education in order to tease out a philosophy for true learning.


"There is, I think, no point in the philosophy of progressive education which is sounder than its emphasis upon the importance of the participation of the learner in the formation of the purposes which direct his activities in the learning process, just as there is no defect in traditional education greater than its failure to secure the active cooperation of the pupil in construction of the purposes involved in his studying."

As I start to flesh out the projects for my PBL class this year, I'm finding this chapter helpful.  I so want my PBL units to spark interest and the desire to learn in my students.  But, I also want the units to be rich with learning and, of course, I want them to learn the content areas.  I think one of my fears with student-directed learning is that they will skimp on the "real" learning.  I mean, I see that all the time in my classroom-- students wanting to do the minimum, asking "will this be on the test?", not really learning, just faking it so that I'll leave them alone.  I think that what I've got so far does give students the purpose for learning and "secures the active cooperation of the pupil in the construction of the purposes involved in his studying," but I worry about the amount of "intelligent activity" in my PBL classroom.


"A genuine purpose always starts off with an impulse... but observation is not enough.  We have to understand the significance of what we see, hear, and touch."

This quote reminds me of Boss and Krauss's discussions about driving questions in their PBL books.  It is so essential to drum up an impulse in students (and turning things in for a grade isn't the kind of impulse Dewey is talking about).  I have to find ways of framing our units that will get my kids excited about their research and projects.  I know in the ninth grade CDAT class that access to so many new and very cool technologies served as an impulse, but I also want there to be an impulse to read and write as well.

"The plan [for teacher-student interaction] is a co-operative enterprise, not a dictation... the essential point is that the purpose grow and take shape through social intelligence."

Teacher dictation doesn't serve as a good enough impulse; the students have to be invested in their learning and it's the teachers job to find ways to bring them into the learning.  Throughout this PBL journey, I've read that students and teachers are learning together and I believe more and more that the days to teacher dictation are over.