Sunday, May 31, 2009

A Quote that Expresses It All

“John Dewey is to be classed among those who have made philosophic thought relevant to the needs of their own day [emphasis added by blogger].” -Alfred North Whitehead

A perfect introduction to my study of educational philosophy, these words placed as a preface to Dewey’s writings align with the hunger I've recently discovered within myself to become more well-versed in foundational principles of various areas of study. By this, I mean to suggest that there is something to be said for turning back to philosophy and applying these thoughts to modern-day circumstances. Yet, I wonder how can we make the knowledge of the past relevant to the reality of today? A loaded question to say the least and one museum professionals have continually dealt with.

Preface

As in other areas of social interest, Dewey suggests that education functions within an arena of struggles. Despite this environment of conflicting ideals, Dewey finds a solution to this problematic atmosphere by claiming that rather than taking sides in this argument one must proceed to a deeper level of understanding and inclusion that presents itself in the form of an intelligent theory(or philosophy) of education (5). Without such theory, principles of change seem to form only as reactions to the disapproval of the existing mechanism of education; they never truly meet the "actual needs, problems, and possibilities" of the individuals being educated (6).

This concept of a foundational theory that grounds education through the ebbs and flows of curriculum reconstructing, social change, etc. makes sense in a world where change is constant. I'm interested in discovering how Dewey applies this one theory across a broad range of educational concerns. However, what truly resonated with me was Dewey's acknowledgement that a simple reactionary change from one extreme to another does not necessarily constitute appropriate change that affects in a positive fashion the integrity of one's education. How he elaborates on that assertion...we shall see.

Friday, May 29, 2009

My Introductory Thoughts to Dewey


Ever since I began my studies at IUPUI, the references both my classmates and professors gave to John Dewey fostered an urgency within me to tackle some of his most prized writings. To begin this independent study, which for those reading happens to be a melting pot of different materials relating to education, I am delving into Dewey's 1938 publication Experience and Education. A little guy at first glance, Experience and Education contains Dewey's well-articulated impressions of education, specifically his call for a thoughtfully developed philosophy of education. We will look at that in full-detail in posts to come.

In regard of things to come, each post will discuss a specific chapter of the above-mentioned text, with commentary focusing on my thoughts on educational philosophy and how that ultimately relates to informal learning experiences within cultural institutions such as museums. From time to time, you may notice my default to art museums when referencing educational concerns within these types of non-profit environments; however, I believe most of my thoughts will apply to museums of varying content expertise.

Please feel free to comment on my blog as you feel so inclined. This is meant to be a laboratory of ideas, an incubator of thought so to speak.