Reflections from Dewey-- Chapter 7

Here Dewey tackles the issue of how to organize content in a classroom.  The traditional model is to box up concepts into subject areas or concrete units, and the progressive education seeks to combine subject areas in order to allow for connections and for learning to follow the students' natural curiosity.  Dewey finds fault and possibility in both ways at looking at subject matter, which makes sense because this is, again, a situation in which a rejectionist philosophy doesn't work.  It is important to consider your learning objectives when planning on how to chunk information.

"It is also essential that the new objects and event be related intellectually to those of earlier experiences, an this means that there be some advance made in conscious articulation of facts and ideas.  It thus becomes the office of the educator to select those things within the range of existing experience that have the promise and potentiality of present new problem which by stimulating new ways of observation and judgment will expand the area of further experience."


"It is a ground for legitimate criticism, however, when the ongoing movement of progressive education fails to recognize that the problem of selection and organization of subject matter for study and learning is fundamental."

I'm going to reflect on the two quotes above together because I think they really sum up Dewey's perspective on organizing subject matter.  On one hand, concepts have to have a relevant context and connect to previous experiences.  Anything that's taught in a vacuum won't be learned.   On the other hand, disciplines/movements/units exist for a reason-- they help us to intellectually organize ideas and concepts.  So both ways of looking at concepts are important and it's up to the teacher to make critical decisions about how to organize lessons, instruction, and experiences.  
 
"It is a sound educational principle that students should be introduced to scientific subject matter and be initiated into its facts and laws through acquaintance with everyday social applications."

I don't think this quote is as important as the previous, but I think it does a good job of illustrating Dewey's point.  A science teacher would deny her students important learning opportunities if she didn't allow for her students to make connections to the social applications.  But at the same time, students also need to understand how concepts are organized within their discipline. For example, when studying the classification of organisms, it seems like a natural connection to explore humans relationship with infectious viruses.  If students didn't have the traditional science instruction, then the social connections might not make sense (I'm thinking of the impact of viruses and how antibiotics don't effect them... and then the social/political implications of that on the HIV/AIDS epidemic).  The organization of traditional subject matter is important but equally so are the connections outside of the scientific discipline.  (I actually think the word "connections" isn't strong enough... it makes it seem like an afterthought.)