February 24…Progressive Approaches (note: this date changed from Feb. 17)
From what you can tell (based on your quick read of "My Pedagogic Creed" or "The School and Social Progress," how would Dewey have
reacted to the Brooklyn Free School?
Rachel Bennett: For the blog post, I was assigned to read “My Pedagogic Creed.” I believe Dewey would have somewhat liked the idea of the Brooklyn Free School. In this article he states “I believe that education . . . is a process of living and not a preparation for future living.” I believe the Brooklyn Free School prepares its students for just that. In this school the students are able to study what subjects they want to learn about and they are able to decide when they want to actually study them. Dewey believed education is the process of living and I believe the Brooklyn Free School allows students to live and not worry about the preparation and standardized testing some people believe is the meaning of education. In the article Dewey also stated he believed a lot of education fails “because it neglects this fundamental principle of the school as a form of community life.” I think Dewey would agree with the process of the Brooklyn Free School because students are able to form communities and social groups based on common interests. The students are also able to have experiences that become part of the child’s life. Dewey also states “I believe that the child should be stimulated and controlled in his work through the life of the community.” The Brooklyn Free School’s goal is for students to be stimulated by subjects they want to learn in order for them to fall in love with education. Dewey believed the teacher was not supposed to be a major part of the child’s education process, which coincides with the Brooklyn Free School because a lot of the classes offered there are student-led. Overall, I believe Dewey would have agreed with the Brooklyn Free School’s purpose.
I think Dewey would've believed that the Brooklyn Free School was the kind of place students should get an education. Their mission for education is all about promoting social justice, and that is what Dewey believed was important for students in order to prevent "the individual to a preconceived social and political status." He also says that the only true form of a student becoming educated "comes through the simulation of the child's powers by the demands of the social situations in which he finds himself." This type of learning could be met at the school because they believe in constructivist teaching and student centered learning (such as collaboration and honoring student choice). Another reason Dewy would have approved of this school is because they believe in diversity awareness and community responsibility; Dewey said that school should be a form of community life and its business should be to extend the "sense of values bound up in home life."
There was one particular section of Dewey's “School and Social Justice” that stood out to me after listening to This American Life’s piece about The Brooklyn Free School. In block (24), Dewey discusses the roles of family members within a household, how each must do their part, and how character consequently is built through this real-life training. In many ways, a school community, particularly small ones like that of The Brooklyn Free School, serves many of the same roles as a family for their students. Therefore, I believe that Dewey would agree with how The Brooklyn Free School is organized, empowering students to take on roles of leadership within their “family,” providing “continual training of observation, of ingenuity, constructive imagination, of logical thought, and of the sense of reality acquired through first-hand contact with actualities.” Dewey bemoans the importance of teaching students about the other side of life, the reality that they will face once outside of the realm of education. Though he speaks to vocational trades, I feel his words and sentiments may still be applied to the leadership roles understood by all students at the school, empowering them with a voice for not only their education, but the workings of their community. The results remain the same as Dewey had hoped, that students would be more engaged, interested, active and capable of contributing both to their studies, and life outside of the school.
I read Dewey’s The school and Social Progress. After reading it and listening to the podcast about the Brooklyn Free School, I think Dewey would have liked the idea of the school. Of course I am not an expert on Dewey or the Brooklyn Free School, but Dewey saw school as training for the real world. The Brooklyn Free School does just that. The school is preparing its students to be active even beyond the classroom. Dewey thought that school should engage the students in practically lessons that would help them, and the Brooklyn School uses this idea to empower students to be leaders and work together to solve problems and think about the world in real life situations.
Erin Luhmann I was assigned to read The School and Social Progress.
Until listening to the pod cast regarding the Brooklyn Free School, I had never heard of something such as this type of system before. It was interesting to hear various opinions about the beliefs and customs of this “free” school from both students and adult figures present in the school. You could tell that some individuals did take advantage of this student run school for example during the debate concerning the use of technology. Some students obviously wanted technology for educational purposes while others wanted it just because they could. What was beneficial from this debate was that the students took all views into account and voted to determine a result. This idea of student democracy is something that can have many positive benefits which is why I believe the Brooklyn Free School has numerous pros to it’s establishment.
After listening to this pod cast and reading the excerpt of chapter one, The School and Social Progress from Dewey’s book I believe that Dewey would think that the Brooklyn Free School could provide positive outcomes for students who attend. Dewey made a point in his chapter that educational purposes should be for the goal that individuals gain personal responsibilities. In my opinion the Brooklyn Free School is doing just that. If the students are not in fact taking advantage of the system and are present to truly learn the Brooklyn Free School could definitely teach personal responsibilities to its students. Students determine if they want to be responsible when attending class, completing assignments and taking part in their student democracy to make decisions. Though Dewey could not completely determine if a system like the Brooklyn Free School is a 100% success, I believe that he would be in favor for something similar to such.
I think Dewey would have thought that the Brooklyn Free School was an ideal place for students to get educated. In his article My Pedagogic Creed, Dewey states, “The child's own instincts and powers furnish the material and give the starting point for all education.” At the Brooklyn Free School, the curriculum is driven by the students and their academic interests and passions rather than by academic standards of learning. These students get to choose their education path and that is something that I think Dewey would have liked. Dewey also felt that education should help people in the real world. The Brooklyn Free School does this for their students by providing activities that are aligned with what people do in the real world. Students can practice chess, do yoga, or a number of other things that stimulate them but not in the traditional academic sense. As long as these students are making full use of the structure of the school, I think that Dewey would have found a school like the Brooklyn Free School an ideal place to learn.
Alexandra Hall I believe Dewey would have entertained the idea of the Brooklyn Free School based on its foundation of progression of education. The school puts the authority in the hands of the students, allowing them to make all executive decisions about their own education. My Pedagogic Creed states “Through education society can formulate its own purpose, can organize its own means and resources, and thus shape itself with definiteness and economy in the direction in which it wishes to move.” The Brooklyn Free School gives the students the opportunity to create their own path and purpose in society. As noted in the article, interests motivate action, and at this school students are able to study their interests and passions without restraint thus beginning their educational “process” and contribution to society.
From what I've read, I believe that Dewey would have supported the establishment of the Brooklyn Free School. The curriculum is completely run by the students; this is where I believe Dewey would have shown the most appreciation. The Brooklyn Free School also provides students with opportunities to align their academics with real world scenarios. Dewey felt very strongly about the link between education and the real world. The Brooklyn Free School is the starting point for the beliefs that Dewey had about education. I believe that he would fully support this establishment and contribute to the success of the students.
Based on what I have read about Dewey's Pedagogic Creed, I believe that he would have liked the idea of the Brooklyn Free School. Dewey explains that he believes education "comes through the stimulation of the child's powers by the demands of the social situations" that students find themselves in. In the Brooklyn Free School, students are able to bring issues and events to the attention of their peers, and vote on various movements that may or may not be created as a result of these meetings. The podcast explained that students often feel as if they have to handle a rule responsibly (even if it is a rule granting them more freedom), because they are taking ownership of the rules and the process surrounding creating rules.
Dewey also explains that he believes a school must represent a child's life, as closely and accurately as possible. In the Brooklyn Free School, students are able to call meetings between groups of students (or the entire school if they wish) to discuss topics or incidences that are currently relevant to their lives. I felt that the Brooklyn Free School closely resembles a child's life outside of the classroom, where they are more free to pursue specific interests and have more authority over themselves and what they are able to do.
I think that the structure of education that Dewey described in his article on his Pedagogic Creed would have been exhibited in the structure of the Brooklyn Free School. In the podcast, we heard about the students acting as a whole unit to establish procedures and deal with situations as they came up. I also got the sense that the students were encouraged to be an active participant in their educational process by implementing practices that they had an invested interest in, which Dewey also shared in his article when he talks about the children using their own powers for social ends. I also found the statement in the podcast about the students and how seriously they took their school and the system they were implementing. This sounds like something Dewey would have supported based on his belief that school should reflect real life and be of importance to the children. Dewey’s view of the role teachers play in the school was a perfect reflection of the Brooklyn Free School, we heard the teacher supporting the girl in finding the process to deal with the situation she was facing with the two boys. Seeing the teacher as more of a facilitator and as part of the group, not above it or in an authoritative position, was exactly what Dewey was referring to in his article. Overall, I think Dewey would have been in support of the Brooklyn Free School.
Shane Perry: School and Social Change Based upon the ideas expressed in the reading by Dewey, I would say that there is a strong possibility that the Brooklyn Free School would have won the endorsement of Dewey, albeit with reservations. The essence of Dewey's ideas in this piece is that, at the time of publication, schooling was disconnected from the way people learned, whereas in the days preceding industrialization, people learned, with a true and unselfish meaning to their learning, through socialization and tutoring by family members. More clearly, they learned their trades/skills through doing them; apprenticeships, learning to tend fields through parents, etc. were the main ways that people learned to give back to the group. Dewey's views reflect the idea that the world and education system had lost the familial, collectivist patterns of acculturation that had long been the paradigms for 'education,' and that the world (especially the education system) had become individualistic and detached from the salt of the earth, insofar as there were not much practical “doing” when students were learning.
He said that a focus on a narrow band of curriculum was taking away from the human desires to do, create, and make, and that in order to create a more equitable society in which people live according to their skills and interests while taking part in the 'whole,' pedagogical change that values self-direction, choices, and specialization would be necessitated. This is close to what is seen in the Brooklyn Free School, with its radical student-led rules, specialization, idiosyncrasy of study, etc. Dewey's last paragraph in the piece nearly summarizes the school. However, I think that he would take some issue with the school's nearly-unstructured nature; Dewey's emphasis, by my reading, is that the school should reflect the social landscape with specializations (opportunities to practice and learn through occupational skills) more as a pedagogical tool (so that the landscape can then be changed with more knowledge) but also partially as the structure of school. By my assessment, he would like the freedom, democracy, and opportunities for authenticity offered by the school, but would object to the lack of practicality; the school's emphasis on occupations are up to the whims of the students (which also means the occupations as the students see them to be, not as they are 'in reality'), not built-in. Also, he would probably object to this school being a wacky, novelty, independent school, likely for more affluent students; he would see it (or a similar beast) being what everyone should attend.
I was assigned to read “My Pedagogic Creed” By Dewey. From what I got from this article, I think that Dewey would have liked the idea of the Brooklyn Free School. The Brooklyn Free School operates from the standpoint that students should have control over the school day, and the school takes on a certain democratic approach through meetings and voting on various issues. There are many instances throughout the article where Dewey’s ideas seem to reflect those of the Brooklyn Free School. One example is when he states “that the discipline of the school should proceed from the life of the school as a whole and not directly from the teacher.” This is evident in the school rules being dictated and constantly changed and/or added by the students themselves, not just by the teachers. Dewey also believes that “the only way to make the child conscious of his social heritage is to enable him to perform those fundamental types of activity which makes civilization what it is.” I believe this refers to the democratic nature of the school, where students can learn more about society through voting on issues they bring to the table, and deciding what is socially acceptable or not. Dewey seems to place a heavy emphasis on the social aspect of education, which is also accentuated in the Brooklyn Free School. Brooklyn Free School is a community made up of parents, teachers, and students, which gives students freedom to control their education as they see fit according to their own lives. Dewey says that school must represent present life according to the child “as that which he carries on in the home, in the neighborhood, or on the playground;” this idea carried on in the free school gives children the freedom to decide how education is relevant to them based on their lives at the present time.
Erika Morck I think that the Brooklyn Free School very much embodies what Dewey had envisioned as a productive and progressive education system. The Brooklyn Free School is a system that is organized to allow students to be in control of their educational environment. The school system becomes a community in which each student is an equal member and has an equal role in deciding how their education will continue. Dewey believed that society should “… make each one of our schools an embryonic community life, active with types of occupations that reflect the life of the larger society, and permeated throughout with the spirit of art, history, and science. Then the school introduces and trains each child of society into membership within such a little community, saturating him with the spirit of service, and providing him with the instruments of effective self-direction, we shall have the deepest and best guarantee of a larger society which is worthy, lovely, and harmonious.” I think this goes back to the original question of what the purpose of education is. If the purpose of education is to prepare children for the social roles and responsibilities of life in adulthood, then the Brooklyn Free School might be on the right track. However, if the purpose of education is for students to prepare students for the academia, then it might not be the most effective form of education.
After listening to the Podcast about Brooklyn Free School (BFS) I think there are many correlations between Dewey and the ideals of BFS. The students at the BFS are allocated all of the power to make decisions and this freedom to discuss situations and vote to make change seems (to me) to be an amazing way to prepare students for the future and empower them. In Article Two, What the School is, Dewey says that it is important to not neglect school as a form of community life. It is apparent the the BFS is the essence of community and in accordance with Dewy these students are “part of a life experience”.
Madison here, and I was assigned to read The School and Social Progress. It seems to me that Dewey would have reacted positively to a school like The Brooklyn Free School. With a mission based on community involvement, social justice, and real world preparedness, I feel much of Dewey’s ideas would be assimilated and reflected within this school community. One line in particular solidified my belief that Dewey’s ideas would come to fruition, and do, within a school like The Brooklyn Free School. On page 13, it is said that “the school introduces and trains each child of society into membership within such a little community, saturating him with the spirit of service, and providing him with the instruments of effective self-direction.” This, to me, is the ideology behind the Brooklyn Free School. The arts, community service, along with individual inquiry and exploration are all central to the schools mission and I think resonate with much of Dewey’s feelings. I think it’s important to note that the School and Social progress article explicitly states that vast changes to school design, purpose, and approaches cannot happen overnight. I think this is demonstrated in the fact that schools like the Brooklyn Free School have not popped up in vast amounts all over our country, yet. But it seems that schools like this may be the response to a society that has grown and changed in many ways throughout our history. I think it’s fair to say that often education responds to the community that it works within. And I think Dewey, along with leaders within the Brooklyn Free School would agree, that in order to develop students whom are prepared for an ever changing society, we must accept the fact that transformations cannot appear suddenly and be executed in one day, but that rather they are gradual changes in direction, purpose, and approach that come in due time.
After reading the Dewey article and listing to the Brooklyn Free School podcast, I would agree with all those above, it would have been the way that Dewey would have wanted to educate all. It believes in education that benefits the students and is organized as such. It believes in equal education and I think Dewey would agree based on my understanding that Dewey would want an education for the real world, which I believe the Brooklyn Free School is trying to achieve.
Based on Dewey’s Pedagogic Creed, I think he would have liked the idea of the Brooklyn Free School. This school gives the opportunity for students to control the school day, essentially giving them the executive decision about what they want to do and learn throughout the day. The curriculum is made to fit the student’s academic interests and talents and that is something that Dewey would have wanted students to have in school. It allows students to create a curriculum that makes a path in society that they want to pursue. Dewey also thought a purpose of education was to prepare for the real world, which is something else that the Brooklyn Free School did. Not only did it have academic curriculum but the students were able to do a number of other activities that would not necessarily help them academically, but it would stimulate their minds. Dewey said the interests motivate passion and I think the Brooklyn Free School does a great job of that, which is why Dewey would have enjoyed it so much. He would enjoyed the freedom the students have to choose what they want to do that fulfill their interests and passions, therefore motivating them to push harder for their future and make a contribution society.
After reading Dewey’s Pedagogic Creed, I think it is clear that his beliefs about education for the most part align nicely with the mission of the Brooklyn Free School. Dewey believed that a school should be a social institution that that educated children through interacting with one another in a manner that mimics real life. The Brooklyn Free School has formed a community in itself that’s function depends on the socialization and interaction with one another. Since the student’s must come together in a democratic way to make decisions and achieve anything the social aspect of this school is essential. Furthermore, Dewey states that a school should “exemplify existing social life” in a basic form, which is what the Brooklyn Free School aims to do. The goal of the BFS is to provide students with the freedom and responsibility of choice that they are often denied in traditional schools but will frequently be presented with in life outside of a classroom. Therefore, it only makes sense for students to have educational experiences in which they put into practice those freedoms they will receive as citizens of the community before fully entering into it. Additionally, in his pedagogic creed Dewey states that in order to prepare student’s for future life schools should “give [the child] command of himself”. At the Brooklyn Free School, the students are in charge of every aspect of their education ranging from the curriculum they choose to pursue to coming together to enforce rules and decide punishment. The adults that are present in this school are not called teachers but rather advisors further signifying that the ultimate decisions lie with the students. In the creed Dewey says that by allowing students to control themselves instead of having their education dictated by an adult will lead to them fully understanding their abilities and skills and will help prepare them to utilize these abilities to their full capacities once they are full functioning members of society outside of schools. I think that the students at The Brooklyn Free School once immersed into life outside of school will be better prepared to make difficult choices about life and will function more confidently as citizens because they have been acting as so for years already.
Dewey discusses how students’ most important role is often as a leader in the household. He believes that success for students can be found in student empowerment in their community, and this can be seen in communities that encourage their own to excel and leave the community; many of those same communities need the educated members of their neighborhoods to return to bring positive change to the rest of the community. The Brooklyn Free School encourages this idea – teaching students to work together to improve their situation and solve critical problems. The school prepares and encourages students to be engaged inside and outside of their classroom, which is what Dewey had placed importance on. I think that Dewey would be satisfied to see a school like this serving the community.
After reading “The School and Social Progress” and listening to the podcast, I believe that John Dewey would have liked the idea of the Brooklyn Free School, however, I do not believe that he would agree with their ideals completely. John Dewey believed that, in order for education to change, society has to change. While the Brooklyn Free School is located in a fairly diverse, liberal part of the country, our society as a whole is not necessarily that way. I think that John Dewey would have agreed with the ideals of the Brooklyn Free School, however, he would not suggest that every school in the nation should be like this. There has to be a level of discipline established by the community in order for this type of school to work effectively in this day and age. I think that John Dewey would have ultimately agreed that there is also a reciprocal relationship between the school and the community and, while the community as a whole might not change immediately, having schools such as the Brooklyn Free school can bring our communities and later society as a whole to a greater understanding of what it means to be educated.
I believe that Dewey would have been in favor of the philosophy behind the Brooklyn Free School, or indeed any number of radical changes to our schooling systems designed to enhance democracy and/or accommodate our society's rapid changes towards urbanization and the interconnectedness of its people. In "The School and Social Progress," he quotes Horace Mann as saying that "one former is worth a thousand re-formers" and attempts to make the case for a new movement in education designed to benefit society at large. He believes that it is more important to teach students the "big picture" about advancements in technology and the how we as people have manipulated the earth to better suit our needs than it is to focus education on teaching specific employable skills. Looking back at Labaree, I would say that Dewey is firmly committed to the idea of education as a public good and that it should be geared toward the goal of democratic equality. He would have been in favor of the Brooklyn Free School because it teaches students that every voice matters and should be heard, but that those voices can and should be used to promote the good of all.
I may not be an expert on Dewey, but I think he would have approved of The Brooklyn Free School. I read "The School and Social Progress" and in it Dewey talks about the important of experiences and how "the place where children are sent for discipline is the one place in the world where it is most difficult to get experience". The Brooklyn Free School encourages personal responsibility and to some extent it allows the students to discipline one another and come up with their own consequences and solutions to issues. I really liked the part of the podcast where they mentioned the girl who had a trial for herself regarding many absences--the idea that it was organized and run by students sounds like exactly the type of learning experiences Dewey was talking about. The students are taking part in situations that mirror real life situations of law and government, giving them the experiences that are outside of the normal curriculum in school, which exactly what Dewey was encouraging. I also think Dewey would like the school because of how engaged the students are. Just from hearing the podcast and hearing the arguments and thoughts of the kids (who despite their ages had very profound things to say) about their school, environment, and classmates, you can tell that some of them truly cared about change and progress in their schools. They sounded way more engaged that anyone I encountered in my own schools. There was a definite sense of social responsibility and community within the school.
LeeAnna Fisher: From what I have read in my article, this is the school for Dewey. From what I understand, students are supported through what they choose to learn. Where they naturally gravitate to is where lessons will be most "fruitful" as Dewey put it. He saw education as both a psychological effect as well as a social endeavor. He believed that energy is wasted when students are forced to absorb information. They would be better served by allowing their lessons to be directed by their social situations. For example, history must be in reference to life as it presents itself rather than an exhibition of past events and science should not be objective but experiential. He believes that as students exhibit specific activities and reproduce them they will gradually learn the meaning and assimilate it in relation to their selves. He also says that teachers should not impose ideas or form habits. They should select influences that help the student to properly respond which is what the Free School does. It would be impossible to describe all of the ways I feel that the free school aligns with many of the ideals of Dewey. I do want to make a point in saying that I don't think that these are established in accordance to Dewey for the purpose of doing so but rather are the result of establishing a school where student choice is valued over a specific curriculum. The new school is founded on the idea of democracy and empowers the students to make decisions about their education, but the result is that the students view learning in a social construct that allows them to focus on material that interests them. Because of this, it creates a time when that lesson would be most appropriate on their continuum of learning. Each student progresses as a highly individualized rate. Despite the fact that I am intrigued about the outcomes of this type of school, I recognize factors that contradict the goal of learning such as lack of motivation in the face so much freedom. I would be interested in learning of outcomes of the Free School compared to the more traditional form of education.
I read John Dewey's " My Pedagogic Creed". Based on what I have read, I believe that Dewey would have liked the Brooklyn Free School. In this article, Dewey discusses things such as what education is, what schooling is, the school and social progress, and a few other things. His ideas of education show that Dewey would have approved of the Brooklyn Free School. I especially liked the quote "I believe that education, therefore, is a process of living and not a preparation of future living". The Brooklyn Free School supports many of Dewey's ideas on education.
Rachel Bennett:
ReplyDeleteFor the blog post, I was assigned to read “My Pedagogic Creed.” I believe Dewey would have somewhat liked the idea of the Brooklyn Free School. In this article he states “I believe that education . . . is a process of living and not a preparation for future living.” I believe the Brooklyn Free School prepares its students for just that. In this school the students are able to study what subjects they want to learn about and they are able to decide when they want to actually study them. Dewey believed education is the process of living and I believe the Brooklyn Free School allows students to live and not worry about the preparation and standardized testing some people believe is the meaning of education. In the article Dewey also stated he believed a lot of education fails “because it neglects this fundamental principle of the school as a form of community life.” I think Dewey would agree with the process of the Brooklyn Free School because students are able to form communities and social groups based on common interests. The students are also able to have experiences that become part of the child’s life. Dewey also states “I believe that the child should be stimulated and controlled in his work through the life of the community.” The Brooklyn Free School’s goal is for students to be stimulated by subjects they want to learn in order for them to fall in love with education. Dewey believed the teacher was not supposed to be a major part of the child’s education process, which coincides with the Brooklyn Free School because a lot of the classes offered there are student-led. Overall, I believe Dewey would have agreed with the Brooklyn Free School’s purpose.
Kasey McDonald:
ReplyDeleteI think Dewey would've believed that the Brooklyn Free School was the kind of place students should get an education. Their mission for education is all about promoting social justice, and that is what Dewey believed was important for students in order to prevent "the individual to a preconceived social and political status." He also says that the only true form of a student becoming educated "comes through the simulation of the child's powers by the demands of the social situations in which he finds himself." This type of learning could be met at the school because they believe in constructivist teaching and student centered learning (such as collaboration and honoring student choice). Another reason Dewy would have approved of this school is because they believe in diversity awareness and community responsibility; Dewey said that school should be a form of community life and its business should be to extend the "sense of values bound up in home life."
Sarah Lisk
ReplyDeleteThere was one particular section of Dewey's “School and Social Justice” that stood out to me after listening to This American Life’s piece about The Brooklyn Free School. In block (24), Dewey discusses the roles of family members within a household, how each must do their part, and how character consequently is built through this real-life training. In many ways, a school community, particularly small ones like that of The Brooklyn Free School, serves many of the same roles as a family for their students. Therefore, I believe that Dewey would agree with how The Brooklyn Free School is organized, empowering students to take on roles of leadership within their “family,” providing “continual training of observation, of ingenuity, constructive imagination, of logical thought, and of the sense of reality acquired through first-hand contact with actualities.” Dewey bemoans the importance of teaching students about the other side of life, the reality that they will face once outside of the realm of education. Though he speaks to vocational trades, I feel his words and sentiments may still be applied to the leadership roles understood by all students at the school, empowering them with a voice for not only their education, but the workings of their community. The results remain the same as Dewey had hoped, that students would be more engaged, interested, active and capable of contributing both to their studies, and life outside of the school.
I read Dewey’s The school and Social Progress. After reading it and listening to the podcast about the Brooklyn Free School, I think Dewey would have liked the idea of the school. Of course I am not an expert on Dewey or the Brooklyn Free School, but Dewey saw school as training for the real world. The Brooklyn Free School does just that. The school is preparing its students to be active even beyond the classroom. Dewey thought that school should engage the students in practically lessons that would help them, and the Brooklyn School uses this idea to empower students to be leaders and work together to solve problems and think about the world in real life situations.
ReplyDeleteErin Luhmann
ReplyDeleteI was assigned to read The School and Social Progress.
Until listening to the pod cast regarding the Brooklyn Free School, I had never heard of something such as this type of system before. It was interesting to hear various opinions about the beliefs and customs of this “free” school from both students and adult figures present in the school. You could tell that some individuals did take advantage of this student run school for example during the debate concerning the use of technology. Some students obviously wanted technology for educational purposes while others wanted it just because they could. What was beneficial from this debate was that the students took all views into account and voted to determine a result. This idea of student democracy is something that can have many positive benefits which is why I believe the Brooklyn Free School has numerous pros to it’s establishment.
After listening to this pod cast and reading the excerpt of chapter one, The School and Social Progress from Dewey’s book I believe that Dewey would think that the Brooklyn Free School could provide positive outcomes for students who attend. Dewey made a point in his chapter that educational purposes should be for the goal that individuals gain personal responsibilities. In my opinion the Brooklyn Free School is doing just that. If the students are not in fact taking advantage of the system and are present to truly learn the Brooklyn Free School could definitely teach personal responsibilities to its students. Students determine if they want to be responsible when attending class, completing assignments and taking part in their student democracy to make decisions. Though Dewey could not completely determine if a system like the Brooklyn Free School is a 100% success, I believe that he would be in favor for something similar to such.
Leily Geng
ReplyDeleteI think Dewey would have thought that the Brooklyn Free School was an ideal place for students to get educated. In his article My Pedagogic Creed, Dewey states, “The child's own instincts and powers furnish the material and give the starting point for all education.” At the Brooklyn Free School, the curriculum is driven by the students and their academic interests and passions rather than by academic standards of learning. These students get to choose their education path and that is something that I think Dewey would have liked. Dewey also felt that education should help people in the real world. The Brooklyn Free School does this for their students by providing activities that are aligned with what people do in the real world. Students can practice chess, do yoga, or a number of other things that stimulate them but not in the traditional academic sense. As long as these students are making full use of the structure of the school, I think that Dewey would have found a school like the Brooklyn Free School an ideal place to learn.
Alexandra Hall
ReplyDeleteI believe Dewey would have entertained the idea of the Brooklyn Free School based on its foundation of progression of education. The school puts the authority in the hands of the students, allowing them to make all executive decisions about their own education. My Pedagogic Creed states “Through education society can formulate its own purpose, can organize its own means and resources, and thus shape itself with definiteness and economy in the direction in which it wishes to move.” The Brooklyn Free School gives the students the opportunity to create their own path and purpose in society. As noted in the article, interests motivate action, and at this school students are able to study their interests and passions without restraint thus beginning their educational “process” and contribution to society.
Lindsy Wyatt
ReplyDeleteFrom what I've read, I believe that Dewey would have supported the establishment of the Brooklyn Free School. The curriculum is completely run by the students; this is where I believe Dewey would have shown the most appreciation. The Brooklyn Free School also provides students with opportunities to align their academics with real world scenarios. Dewey felt very strongly about the link between education and the real world. The Brooklyn Free School is the starting point for the beliefs that Dewey had about education. I believe that he would fully support this establishment and contribute to the success of the students.
Based on what I have read about Dewey's Pedagogic Creed, I believe that he would have liked the idea of the Brooklyn Free School. Dewey explains that he believes education "comes through the stimulation of the child's powers by the demands of the social situations" that students find themselves in. In the Brooklyn Free School, students are able to bring issues and events to the attention of their peers, and vote on various movements that may or may not be created as a result of these meetings. The podcast explained that students often feel as if they have to handle a rule responsibly (even if it is a rule granting them more freedom), because they are taking ownership of the rules and the process surrounding creating rules.
ReplyDeleteDewey also explains that he believes a school must represent a child's life, as closely and accurately as possible. In the Brooklyn Free School, students are able to call meetings between groups of students (or the entire school if they wish) to discuss topics or incidences that are currently relevant to their lives. I felt that the Brooklyn Free School closely resembles a child's life outside of the classroom, where they are more free to pursue specific interests and have more authority over themselves and what they are able to do.
Catherine Condrey
Erin Casey
ReplyDeleteI think that the structure of education that Dewey described in his article on his Pedagogic Creed would have been exhibited in the structure of the Brooklyn Free School. In the podcast, we heard about the students acting as a whole unit to establish procedures and deal with situations as they came up. I also got the sense that the students were encouraged to be an active participant in their educational process by implementing practices that they had an invested interest in, which Dewey also shared in his article when he talks about the children using their own powers for social ends. I also found the statement in the podcast about the students and how seriously they took their school and the system they were implementing. This sounds like something Dewey would have supported based on his belief that school should reflect real life and be of importance to the children. Dewey’s view of the role teachers play in the school was a perfect reflection of the Brooklyn Free School, we heard the teacher supporting the girl in finding the process to deal with the situation she was facing with the two boys. Seeing the teacher as more of a facilitator and as part of the group, not above it or in an authoritative position, was exactly what Dewey was referring to in his article. Overall, I think Dewey would have been in support of the Brooklyn Free School.
Shane Perry: School and Social Change
ReplyDeleteBased upon the ideas expressed in the reading by Dewey, I would say that there is a strong possibility that the Brooklyn Free School would have won the endorsement of Dewey, albeit with reservations. The essence of Dewey's ideas in this piece is that, at the time of publication, schooling was disconnected from the way people learned, whereas in the days preceding industrialization, people learned, with a true and unselfish meaning to their learning, through socialization and tutoring by family members. More clearly, they learned their trades/skills through doing them; apprenticeships, learning to tend fields through parents, etc. were the main ways that people learned to give back to the group. Dewey's views reflect the idea that the world and education system had lost the familial, collectivist patterns of acculturation that had long been the paradigms for 'education,' and that the world (especially the education system) had become individualistic and detached from the salt of the earth, insofar as there were not much practical “doing” when students were learning.
He said that a focus on a narrow band of curriculum was taking away from the human desires to do, create, and make, and that in order to create a more equitable society in which people live according to their skills and interests while taking part in the 'whole,' pedagogical change that values self-direction, choices, and specialization would be necessitated. This is close to what is seen in the Brooklyn Free School, with its radical student-led rules, specialization, idiosyncrasy of study, etc. Dewey's last paragraph in the piece nearly summarizes the school. However, I think that he would take some issue with the school's nearly-unstructured nature; Dewey's emphasis, by my reading, is that the school should reflect the social landscape with specializations (opportunities to practice and learn through occupational skills) more as a pedagogical tool (so that the landscape can then be changed with more knowledge) but also partially as the structure of school. By my assessment, he would like the freedom, democracy, and opportunities for authenticity offered by the school, but would object to the lack of practicality; the school's emphasis on occupations are up to the whims of the students (which also means the occupations as the students see them to be, not as they are 'in reality'), not built-in. Also, he would probably object to this school being a wacky, novelty, independent school, likely for more affluent students; he would see it (or a similar beast) being what everyone should attend.
I was assigned to read “My Pedagogic Creed” By Dewey. From what I got from this article, I think that Dewey would have liked the idea of the Brooklyn Free School. The Brooklyn Free School operates from the standpoint that students should have control over the school day, and the school takes on a certain democratic approach through meetings and voting on various issues. There are many instances throughout the article where Dewey’s ideas seem to reflect those of the Brooklyn Free School. One example is when he states “that the discipline of the school should proceed from the life of the school as a whole and not directly from the teacher.” This is evident in the school rules being dictated and constantly changed and/or added by the students themselves, not just by the teachers. Dewey also believes that “the only way to make the child conscious of his social heritage is to enable him to perform those fundamental types of activity which makes civilization what it is.” I believe this refers to the democratic nature of the school, where students can learn more about society through voting on issues they bring to the table, and deciding what is socially acceptable or not. Dewey seems to place a heavy emphasis on the social aspect of education, which is also accentuated in the Brooklyn Free School. Brooklyn Free School is a community made up of parents, teachers, and students, which gives students freedom to control their education as they see fit according to their own lives. Dewey says that school must represent present life according to the child “as that which he carries on in the home, in the neighborhood, or on the playground;” this idea carried on in the free school gives children the freedom to decide how education is relevant to them based on their lives at the present time.
ReplyDeleteErika Morck
ReplyDeleteI think that the Brooklyn Free School very much embodies what Dewey had envisioned as a productive and progressive education system. The Brooklyn Free School is a system that is organized to allow students to be in control of their educational environment. The school system becomes a community in which each student is an equal member and has an equal role in deciding how their education will continue. Dewey believed that society should “… make each one of our schools an embryonic community life, active with types of occupations that reflect the life of the larger society, and permeated throughout with the spirit of art, history, and science. Then the school introduces and trains each child of society into membership within such a little community, saturating him with the spirit of service, and providing him with the instruments of effective self-direction, we shall have the deepest and best guarantee of a larger society which is worthy, lovely, and harmonious.” I think this goes back to the original question of what the purpose of education is. If the purpose of education is to prepare children for the social roles and responsibilities of life in adulthood, then the Brooklyn Free School might be on the right track. However, if the purpose of education is for students to prepare students for the academia, then it might not be the most effective form of education.
Marci Bennett
ReplyDeleteAfter listening to the Podcast about Brooklyn Free School (BFS) I think there are many correlations between Dewey and the ideals of BFS. The students at the BFS are allocated all of the power to make decisions and this freedom to discuss situations and vote to make change seems (to me) to be an amazing way to prepare students for the future and empower them. In Article Two, What the School is, Dewey says that it is important to not neglect school as a form of community life. It is apparent the the BFS is the essence of community and in accordance with Dewy these students are “part of a life experience”.
Madison here,
ReplyDeleteand I was assigned to read The School and Social Progress.
It seems to me that Dewey would have reacted positively to a school like The Brooklyn Free School. With a mission based on community involvement, social justice, and real world preparedness, I feel much of Dewey’s ideas would be assimilated and reflected within this school community. One line in particular solidified my belief that Dewey’s ideas would come to fruition, and do, within a school like The Brooklyn Free School. On page 13, it is said that “the school introduces and trains each child of society into membership within such a little community, saturating him with the spirit of service, and providing him with the instruments of effective self-direction.” This, to me, is the ideology behind the Brooklyn Free School. The arts, community service, along with individual inquiry and exploration are all central to the schools mission and I think resonate with much of Dewey’s feelings.
I think it’s important to note that the School and Social progress article explicitly states that vast changes to school design, purpose, and approaches cannot happen overnight. I think this is demonstrated in the fact that schools like the Brooklyn Free School have not popped up in vast amounts all over our country, yet. But it seems that schools like this may be the response to a society that has grown and changed in many ways throughout our history. I think it’s fair to say that often education responds to the community that it works within. And I think Dewey, along with leaders within the Brooklyn Free School would agree, that in order to develop students whom are prepared for an ever changing society, we must accept the fact that transformations cannot appear suddenly and be executed in one day, but that rather they are gradual changes in direction, purpose, and approach that come in due time.
Lindsay Meredith
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the Dewey article and listing to the Brooklyn Free School podcast, I would agree with all those above, it would have been the way that Dewey would have wanted to educate all. It believes in education that benefits the students and is organized as such. It believes in equal education and I think Dewey would agree based on my understanding that Dewey would want an education for the real world, which I believe the Brooklyn Free School is trying to achieve.
Charissa Friske
ReplyDeleteBased on Dewey’s Pedagogic Creed, I think he would have liked the idea of the Brooklyn Free School. This school gives the opportunity for students to control the school day, essentially giving them the executive decision about what they want to do and learn throughout the day. The curriculum is made to fit the student’s academic interests and talents and that is something that Dewey would have wanted students to have in school. It allows students to create a curriculum that makes a path in society that they want to pursue. Dewey also thought a purpose of education was to prepare for the real world, which is something else that the Brooklyn Free School did. Not only did it have academic curriculum but the students were able to do a number of other activities that would not necessarily help them academically, but it would stimulate their minds. Dewey said the interests motivate passion and I think the Brooklyn Free School does a great job of that, which is why Dewey would have enjoyed it so much. He would enjoyed the freedom the students have to choose what they want to do that fulfill their interests and passions, therefore motivating them to push harder for their future and make a contribution society.
Olivia Horne
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Dewey’s Pedagogic Creed, I think it is clear that his beliefs about education for the most part align nicely with the mission of the Brooklyn Free School. Dewey believed that a school should be a social institution that that educated children through interacting with one another in a manner that mimics real life. The Brooklyn Free School has formed a community in itself that’s function depends on the socialization and interaction with one another. Since the student’s must come together in a democratic way to make decisions and achieve anything the social aspect of this school is essential. Furthermore, Dewey states that a school should “exemplify existing social life” in a basic form, which is what the Brooklyn Free School aims to do. The goal of the BFS is to provide students with the freedom and responsibility of choice that they are often denied in traditional schools but will frequently be presented with in life outside of a classroom. Therefore, it only makes sense for students to have educational experiences in which they put into practice those freedoms they will receive as citizens of the community before fully entering into it.
Additionally, in his pedagogic creed Dewey states that in order to prepare student’s for future life schools should “give [the child] command of himself”. At the Brooklyn Free School, the students are in charge of every aspect of their education ranging from the curriculum they choose to pursue to coming together to enforce rules and decide punishment. The adults that are present in this school are not called teachers but rather advisors further signifying that the ultimate decisions lie with the students. In the creed Dewey says that by allowing students to control themselves instead of having their education dictated by an adult will lead to them fully understanding their abilities and skills and will help prepare them to utilize these abilities to their full capacities once they are full functioning members of society outside of schools. I think that the students at The Brooklyn Free School once immersed into life outside of school will be better prepared to make difficult choices about life and will function more confidently as citizens because they have been acting as so for years already.
Dewey discusses how students’ most important role is often as a leader in the household. He believes that success for students can be found in student empowerment in their community, and this can be seen in communities that encourage their own to excel and leave the community; many of those same communities need the educated members of their neighborhoods to return to bring positive change to the rest of the community. The Brooklyn Free School encourages this idea – teaching students to work together to improve their situation and solve critical problems. The school prepares and encourages students to be engaged inside and outside of their classroom, which is what Dewey had placed importance on. I think that Dewey would be satisfied to see a school like this serving the community.
ReplyDeleteElise Matsuura
ReplyDeleteAfter reading “The School and Social Progress” and listening to the podcast, I believe that John Dewey would have liked the idea of the Brooklyn Free School, however, I do not believe that he would agree with their ideals completely. John Dewey believed that, in order for education to change, society has to change. While the Brooklyn Free School is located in a fairly diverse, liberal part of the country, our society as a whole is not necessarily that way. I think that John Dewey would have agreed with the ideals of the Brooklyn Free School, however, he would not suggest that every school in the nation should be like this. There has to be a level of discipline established by the community in order for this type of school to work effectively in this day and age. I think that John Dewey would have ultimately agreed that there is also a reciprocal relationship between the school and the community and, while the community as a whole might not change immediately, having schools such as the Brooklyn Free school can bring our communities and later society as a whole to a greater understanding of what it means to be educated.
David Reams
ReplyDeleteI believe that Dewey would have been in favor of the philosophy behind the Brooklyn Free School, or indeed any number of radical changes to our schooling systems designed to enhance democracy and/or accommodate our society's rapid changes towards urbanization and the interconnectedness of its people. In "The School and Social Progress," he quotes Horace Mann as saying that "one former is worth a thousand re-formers" and attempts to make the case for a new movement in education designed to benefit society at large. He believes that it is more important to teach students the "big picture" about advancements in technology and the how we as people have manipulated the earth to better suit our needs than it is to focus education on teaching specific employable skills. Looking back at Labaree, I would say that Dewey is firmly committed to the idea of education as a public good and that it should be geared toward the goal of democratic equality. He would have been in favor of the Brooklyn Free School because it teaches students that every voice matters and should be heard, but that those voices can and should be used to promote the good of all.
Julianna Lopez
ReplyDeleteI may not be an expert on Dewey, but I think he would have approved of The Brooklyn Free School. I read "The School and Social Progress" and in it Dewey talks about the important of experiences and how "the place where children are sent for discipline is the one place in the world where it is most difficult to get experience". The Brooklyn Free School encourages personal responsibility and to some extent it allows the students to discipline one another and come up with their own consequences and solutions to issues. I really liked the part of the podcast where they mentioned the girl who had a trial for herself regarding many absences--the idea that it was organized and run by students sounds like exactly the type of learning experiences Dewey was talking about. The students are taking part in situations that mirror real life situations of law and government, giving them the experiences that are outside of the normal curriculum in school, which exactly what Dewey was encouraging. I also think Dewey would like the school because of how engaged the students are. Just from hearing the podcast and hearing the arguments and thoughts of the kids (who despite their ages had very profound things to say) about their school, environment, and classmates, you can tell that some of them truly cared about change and progress in their schools. They sounded way more engaged that anyone I encountered in my own schools. There was a definite sense of social responsibility and community within the school.
LeeAnna Fisher:
ReplyDeleteFrom what I have read in my article, this is the school for Dewey. From what I understand, students are supported through what they choose to learn. Where they naturally gravitate to is where lessons will be most "fruitful" as Dewey put it. He saw education as both a psychological effect as well as a social endeavor. He believed that energy is wasted when students are forced to absorb information. They would be better served by allowing their lessons to be directed by their social situations. For example, history must be in reference to life as it presents itself rather than an exhibition of past events and science should not be objective but experiential. He believes that as students exhibit specific activities and reproduce them they will gradually learn the meaning and assimilate it in relation to their selves. He also says that teachers should not impose ideas or form habits. They should select influences that help the student to properly respond which is what the Free School does. It would be impossible to describe all of the ways I feel that the free school aligns with many of the ideals of Dewey. I do want to make a point in saying that I don't think that these are established in accordance to Dewey for the purpose of doing so but rather are the result of establishing a school where student choice is valued over a specific curriculum. The new school is founded on the idea of democracy and empowers the students to make decisions about their education, but the result is that the students view learning in a social construct that allows them to focus on material that interests them. Because of this, it creates a time when that lesson would be most appropriate on their continuum of learning. Each student progresses as a highly individualized rate. Despite the fact that I am intrigued about the outcomes of this type of school, I recognize factors that contradict the goal of learning such as lack of motivation in the face so much freedom. I would be interested in learning of outcomes of the Free School compared to the more traditional form of education.
Worod Hamill
ReplyDeleteI read John Dewey's " My Pedagogic Creed". Based on what I have read, I believe that Dewey would have liked the Brooklyn Free School. In this article, Dewey discusses things such as what education is, what schooling is, the school and social progress, and a few other things. His ideas of education show that Dewey would have approved of the Brooklyn Free School. I especially liked the quote "I believe that education, therefore, is a process of living and not a preparation of future living". The Brooklyn Free School supports many of Dewey's ideas on education.