Dewey's Pedagogic Creed

John Dewey was a very important man when it came to the development of schools and education. Through his Laboratory school he was able to not only experimant...but develop a new idea of education that was experimental, child-centered, and directed toward the reformation of society. He has some fascinating points...some in which I agree...some in which I don't. Then there are some ideas that I can see have changed dramatically over time...that they almost don't apply to the education of today. However...I would like to express a quote that hit me pretty hard when I read it...

"I believe that education, therfore, is a process of living and not a preparation for future living." p.22

The reason why I enjoyed this quote so much is because I can really relate to it. I sometimes would mistake education for a plan to get me other places. Such as taking a class that would look good to get into college, or a class to prepare me for the next class, or a class I didn't even want to do but felt it would prepare me for living in the future...yada yada yada. I too...took for granted education and never experienced living through learning. I basically did everything for "future living" as opposed to living. Who cares what you learn...just get the grade. This is what was taught at my highschool. There was not a hunger for knowledge, but a thirst for "doing this because it will look good later". Sometimes I feel students are so caught up in the grade that they recieve...they forget to learn. I am not saying that we can throw away a grading system, but it just seems like students nowadays concentrate more on the grade than the actual learning and living. This is why I enjoyed this quote so much. I feel that students should concentrate more on the life of education....the joy of learning...the satisfaction of liking your own work.

However, this quote also has some setbacks. Many educators believe that education in certain places IS to prepare you for the future. I, too, can see and understand this reasoning. It kind of reminds me of that saying about learning the rules first...then you can break them later. One sometimes has to learn the nitty-gritty stuff in the underclass schools before you can take your understandings to a higher level and challenge your education. However...I don't believe that one should sacrifice what you want to learn...for something that might look better for the future. The future happens...and no one ever knows what will happen...