DeweyPersonalReflectionPaper

KevinJenson
ColoradoStateUniversity
December16,2014

Everyoneislearning,allthetime.Whetherornotthislearningleadstopositive
resultsdependsuponinternalaswellasexternalfactorsthatvaryforeverystudent.John
DeweysbookExperience&Educationliberatedmyideaofeducationfromitsconfined
locationinaschoolclassroomandbroughttheimportanceoflearningintoeveryareaof
life.AsItrytodevelopauniquemodelofeducation,thisbookshowedmehowan
educationinstitutionorfacilitatorcanplayavaluableroleinthelearningexperience.In
particular,itfascinatedmymindwiththemetanarrativeofthelearningexperiencethat
is,thelearningthattakesplacebecauseofthestructureofthelearningexperience,in
spiteof(orasacomplementto)thebesteffortsoftheteacher.
Practicallyspeaking,everystudentthatentersmyclassroomwillleavelearning
something.Thiscouldbethattheyhateschool,thatIamaterribleteacher,thatthegirlin
thefrontrowiscute,thattextingunseeniseasierwithakeypad,thattheyreallymiss
theirfavorite,music,thatpencilsdonotcomesharpened,or,asDeweywarned,thatthe
gapbetweenthesubjectmattertheyaresupposedtolearnistoowide.Thereisnothing
withintheircurrentrealmofexperienceoflifethatcanhelpthemcrossovertothe
culturalproductofsocietiesthatassumedthefuturewouldbemuchlikethepast
(Dewey,p.19).Reallyanythingcouldbeincludedasthetopicmoststudentslearnexcept
whatDewydefinesasthesubjectmatterofeducation:bodiesofinformationandof
skillsthathavebeenworkedoutinthepast(p.17).Itismyjobasateachertohelp
studentscrossoverthisgapbetweentheknowledgeofthepastandtheirexperienceof
thepresenttodeveloptheirabilitytoshapethefuture.BecauseofmyinterestintheGreat
Booksmethodoflearning(evenmoreancientsubjectmatter)thisconceptwillcontinue

tobeofvitalimportancetomyprocessofcreatingauniquelearningenvironment.Ihope
tobegindevelopingsomemasteryofthisskillasIprogressthroughtheMasterof
EducationprogramatCSU.
Withoutintentionaleffortonthepartoftheteachertoalignthestudentspresent
experiencewiththeintendedoutcomes,itisquitepossiblethatstudentswilllearn
everythingbutwhattheyaresupposedto.Studentsarealwayslearningsomething,butit
isnotalwayswhatIthinkIamteaching.Onceagain,studentsarealwayslearning,andit
ismychallengeasaneducatortohelpthemdirectthisprocessfortheirowngood.One
exampleDeweygivesofthistypeofunintendedlearningwasthemethodofteaching
throughdrillsandrotememory.Whileteachersbelievedtheirstudentsweremastering
content,studentswerelearningsomethingelse:theywerelearningthateducationwas
boring,andthattheyneededtolookoutsideofthemselvesfortherightanswersto
situationstheyencountered(Dewey,p.27).Studentswerelearningnottoappreciate
educationandtoconfinetheirexperienceofthinkingtopredefinedsetsofinformation.
Theywereunfortunatelynotlearninghowtoextendtheireducationbeyondthewallsof
theclassroom.Thismadetheexperienceofsocallededucationseemirrelevantforthese
andmanyotherstudents,includingmyself.
Itisthisparticularkindofexperiencethatmaygivetheeducatedpersona
disadvantageoftheuneducated.Themostimportantattitudethatcanbeformedisthat
ofdesiretogoonlearning"(p.48).Ifthelearningexperiencestiflesthisdesireina
student,theymaybebetteroffexercisingpersonaljudgmentandlearnasmuchas
possiblethroughtheexperiencesoflifethattheyaregiven.Inmyownexperience,much

ofthelearningthattookplaceinthecollegeclassroomhasvanishedleavingonlytraces
ofanexperiencethatIdidnotenjoy.Ontheotherhand,thelessonsIlearnedoutsidethe
classroom(whileavoidinghomework)throughtryingtostartbusinessesand
organizations,aswellasthelessonsIlearnedthroughindulgingmypersonalcuriosity
continuetoshapemylifetothisday.UnfortunatelythismeantthatasmyGPAbeganto
suffer,myexperienceoflearningactuallyimproved!Fortunately,thisalsogavemea
passionforcreatingalearningexperiencethatdoesnotforcethistypeofcontradiction.
Deweyhelpedmetounderstandthatthevalueofaneducationprogramisinits
abilitytopurposefullycreateavaluableexperienceoflearning.Theexperienceof
educationexistsinalllearningenvironmentsandeveryaspectoflifecanbealearning
environment.Whetherthisexperienceempowersstudentstobecomelearnersorwhether
itproducesdependent,whodonotknowhowtoacquireanswersforthemselvesisoften
overlooked.Deweyusedhisbookasacritiqueagainsttwoopposingtypesoflearning
environmentsthatbothprovedtobedisempoweringtothelearningpotentialofstudents.
Hesays,[theeducators]abilitytoinfluencedirectlytheexperienceofothersand
therebytheeducationtheyobtainplacesuponhimthedutyofdeterminegthat
environmentwhichwillinteractwiththeexistingcapacitiesandneedsofthosetaughtto
createaworthwhileexperience(p.45).Muchofthebookisspentcritiquingboth
traditionalandprogressiveschoolsfortheirfailuretocreateworthwhilelearning
experiences.Thefirst,hesaidstifledlearningthroughtoomuchorganizationandthe
secondthroughatotallackoforganization.
WhenIfirstreadthroughthebookatthebeginningofthesemester,Irecognized

somethingoftheimportanceoffindingthisbalance.However,itwasnotuntilItriedto
redesignatheoreticalversionofacollegethatofferedthistypeofabalancedexperience
thatIrealizedthedifficultyandcomplexityofDeweysideas.Thisexperiencetaughtme
thesignificanceofwhatDeweyhadtosayaboutfindingthebalancebetweenfreedom
andstructure.Asasolutiontothisproblem,Deweyoutlinedacriterionforaworthwhile
learningexperienceasthatwhichhelpsastudenttogrowcontinuallyinaparticular
direction.FindingthisbalancehasbeenbothachallengeandarewardasIseektodesign
astructurethatmaximizesthecuriosityandcreativeabilityofstudentsbyproviding
somekindofstablecontextinwhichtheycanpursuelearning.
MyexperiencewithDeweysideasofsocialcontrolhavealsoproveddifficultto
understandandevenmorechallengingtoimplement.Itiseasytodesignastructure
aroundtheadviceandtheoriesofafewexperts,butitisverydifficulttodesignasystem
thatchangestoreflectthemovingspiritofthewholegroup(p.54).Evennowlooking
atthisidea,Ifinditdifficulttoimaginethosewhocontrolaninstitutionrelinquishing
theirpowertothebroadergroupofacademicsthatcompriseitsexistence.Itwillstill
probablybesometimebeforeIcandevelopaplanthatisflexibleenoughtopermitfree
playofindividualityofexperienceandyetfirmenoughtogivedirectiontoward
continuousdevelopmentofpower(p.58).Intheclassroom,Ithinkthatsocialand
constructivemethodsoflearningwelookedatinmy620classliketheSocraticmethod,
casestudies,andotherformsofgroupdialogueallowthegreatestfreedomforindividual
expressioninasharedexperienceoflearning.
ThisbringsupanotherkeypointItookfromthebook:theexperienceoflearning

isinherentlysocial(p.58).Becauseofthisfact,individualsmustgiveupsomeaspectsof
freeexpressionforthebenefitofparticipatinginthelearningexperienceasawhole.This
alsomeansthatsomepeoplewillfindtheprocessofeducationmoreaccessiblebecause
oftheirsocialconditioning.Partofmyconsiderationofsocialjusticemustbehowto
makelearningaccessibleforthosethathavenotreceivedtheadvantageofpropersocial
conditioningtolearn.Oneexampleofsocialconditioningmaybethatmyparticipationin
thediscussionboardsismoderatedbycivilityandsimplicity.Asthebehaviorofothersis
moderatedsimilarly,ahealthycultureofdiscussionandexplorationdevelopsandasa
groupweexploreideasfrommanydifferentanglesthatwouldhavebeenunavailableto
usasisolatedlearners.Inthisway,IthinkthatmanyofthebestideasIwilltakeaway
fromthiscoursegrewoutofthediscussionboards.
ItmaybesomethingofastretchtosaythatIhavelearnedthroughsocializing
withJohnDewey,butashisideasarepresentinthebook,ourinteractionshavecometo
influencemytheoriesofeducationinwaysthatIdidnotrecognizeatfirst.Ireadthe
bookExperience&Educationearlyinthesemester.Comingbackagainattheendtothe
ideasthatIhadhighlightedandnoted,InoticedthatInowhadterminologylike"learning
contractstodescribeDeweysideaofhavingstudentsparticipateindevelopingtheplan
fortheirstudiesinsteadofsimplydoingwhattheprofessorhaddecided.Ialsohada
muchbroaderbackgroundonthehistoryofeducationandthesocioculturalimplications
ofvariousmodelsthathavebeentriedintheUnitedStates.Althoughmyunderstanding
ofthefieldhasmatured,thishasonlyservedtodeepenthevalueofwhatwaswrittenin
thebooksomanyyearsago.Thecontextofthecontenthasincreasethevalueofthe

content.
Insomewaysmyexperiencewiththebookhasalsodeepeneditsmysteryandmy
curiositytoexplorefurtherwhatDeweymeantwhenhesaidthingslike,Failuretogive
constantattentiontodevelopmentoftheintellectualcontentofexperiencesmayinthe
endmerelystrengthenthetendencytowardareactionaryreturntointellectualandmoral
authoritarianism(p.86).Fornow,thisideaonceagaindrivesmebacktotheprimary
challengethatIhaveasaneducatortotakethecurrentexperiencelevelofmystudents
anddesignlearningexperiencearoundthemthatprovidesthestructureanddirectionthey
needtodeveloptheirintellectualunderstandingoftheexperience.Asstudentsprogress
throughtheircourseofeducation,itisimportantthattheseexperiencesnotonlyleadto
intellectualdevelopment,butthattheybuilduponeachother.Connectednessin
growth(p.75),Deweysays,isanimportantfactorfortheteachertoconsider.Itwill
beinterestingtoseehowmyunderstandingofthisbookbuildsuponitselfasIcontinueto
analyzemyexperiencewithdifferenteducationalenvironments.
Althoughmuchofmyexperiencewithstructurededucationenvironmentshasnot
beenveryempowering,Ididhaveoneteacherwhowasabletousetheexperienceof
learningtoenhancetheintellectualprocessinaconnectedwaythatbothchallengedand
empoweredhisstudents.OneofthelastcoursesItookinmyundergraduateprogramwas
designedbytheinstructortoplacestudentsinteamsthatwouldfunctionasrealworld
teamswouldrelativetothesubjectmatter.Hemadethechallengeaccessiblethroughthe
orderofpresentingcontentandtasks.Deweymighthavehadsomeonelikehiminmind
whenhesaid,Itistheeducatorsresponsibilitytoseeequallytotwothings:first,that

theproblemgrowsoutoftheconditionsoftheexperiencebeinghadinthepresent,and
thatitiswithintherangeofthecapacityofstudents;an,secondly,thatitissuchthatit
arousesinthelearneranactivequestforinformationandforproductionofnewideas"(p.
79).Inadditiontomakingtheproblemaccessible,thisteacheralsochallengedhis
studentstopushtheboundariesoftheirassignmentstoperformtotheirmaximumability
asifthesimulatedexperiencecarriedtheweightofarealworldexperience.The
simulatedenvironmentprovidedthesafetynetneededtostruggle,butalsothefreedomto
creativelysucceed.
Becausethisteacherunderstoodtheintersectionofeducationandexperience,I
remembermuchofwhatIlearnedfromhisverydifficultandenjoyableclass.AsI
continuetodevelopmyskillsasaneducatorIhopethatIcanbegindesigning
experiencesofeducationthatareequallyeffectiveforhelpingmystudentsencounterand
engagewiththeknowledgeandskillstheywanttoacquire.
AsIturntotheMasterofEducationprogramtohelpmeacquirethisskill,I
recognizetherolethatJohnDeweyhasalreadybeguntoplayinmypresentexperienceof
education.Havingbeenoneoftheopeningvoicestomyencounterwiththeknowledge
andskillsofteaching,hehashadaratherheavyinfluenceonmydevelopingtheoriesand
opinions.Ifitwerenotformypaststruggleswithpoorlydesignedexperiencesof
education,Imaynotfindhisworktobesoaccessible.However,becauseIhavelearned
somuchthroughexperience,Ifindthatthisbookhasmostlybeenusefulinhelpingmeto
criticallyanalyzeandorganizewhatIinherentlyknew.Inmanyways,ithasalsopushed
myideasbeyondwhatIhaveexperiencedandevenbeguntohelpmedevelopsolutions

toproblemsIdidnotfullycomprehendbeforereadingthebook.
Experience&Educationhassuccessfullystokedmycuriosityandinterestin
developingmyskillatdesigningmoreintentionallearningexperiencesformystudents.
Perhaps,asDeweywouldsuggest,Iwilllearnthismosteffectivelythroughexperience
eitherpositiveornegative.Aprogrammayprovidethisexperience,orImayhavetofind
itformyself.Ironically,asIhavebeguntotrythisbyseriouslyanalyzingJohnDeweys
ideas,myownexperiencewithlearningmayhavealreadybeguntoprovehispoint.

Reference

Dewey,J.(1997).Experience&Education.NewYork:Simon&Schuster.