John Dewey: Comment on Freedom in Education

Running Head: John Dewey: Comment on Freedom in Education
John Dewey: Comment on Freedom in Education
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John Dewey: Comment on Freedom in Education
Born on 20 October 1859, John Dewey was an American educationist, philosopher and a psychologist. He has contributed immensely to the social reforms as well as the development of the education sector. It is of paramount importance to note that despite the fact that Dewey is best known for his works related to education, he on the other hand wrote extensively on other aspects that include nature, experience, logic, art, democracy, inquiry, and ethics. Dewey supported democracy and showed that it could only be achieved through education and civil society. He noted that it would be almost impossible to have a democratic society if the people were not actively involved in ensuring that the government was responsible and accountable for all its deeds. He notes that freedom in education should not be mistaken as the freedom to do whatever a person wants.
John Dewey started to explore the concept of progressive education in 1896 after he established The Laboratory School at the University of Chicago. According to him, he had witnessed several attempts of failed attempts of creating an educational system since most of the educational systems that were being developed were not successful. Dewey decided to take an active role in ensuring that education was helpful to the learner (Dewey, 1930). The traditional methods of education were the ones responsible for the failing students and Dewey chose to develop an education policy that was to be positive and constructive. Dewey did not want people to focus on the materials used in learning, but emphasized on determining whether students were receiving a good education (Warde, 1960).
According to Dewey, progressive education is the best type of learning that can be offered to any student. He observes that education is not more than a discovery or transfer of knowledge to a student. The things that student learn are recorded meaning that they are things that have happened in the past. However, if a student is not able to know these things then, learning will not have taken place. Dewey shows that it is important to ensure that students are in a position to gain this knowledge irrespective of the ways used. This can only be achieved if the educator creates an environment that is capable of offering the student the best learning experiences (Warde, 1960).
In order to ensure that the student is able to learn an educator should ask him/her this question. "How shall the young become acquainted with the past in such a way that the acquaintance is a potent agent in appreciation of the living present?" (Dewey, 1930, p. 23). This ensures that the educator does not pass knowledge to the student through books only, but should help the student in connecting the past to the present. This will go a long way in ensuring that the student has a reason to learn the past. Otherwise, the student will not have an interest in the past if s/he feels that it will not help him/her in the future. Providing materials of history to the student may not help the student if the student does not see the importance of learning that history. Educator should always try to ensure that the student has a reason of learning all the things that are taught to him or her. This is achievable if the educator shows the students, practical examples of how the knowledge gained can be applied (Warde, 1960).
Students should be given the freedom to choose what to learn. It has to be applicable in their present state of affairs (Dewey, 1930). Providing knowledge of things that happened in the past will be useless, if the knowledge cannot be applied on the current situations of the learners. Students will not be interested in leaning things that can never help them in their lives. Because of lack of interest for such knowledge, students will not be able to pass the examinations that may be offer to them. It is of paramount importance to note that this cannot be classified as failure on the students` part but the blame should be heaped on the educator. This can be attributed to the fact that the educators need to realize that offering knowledge to uninterested...