Dewey Personal Reflection Paper

I began reading Experience and Education hoping to squeeze every possible drop of information

out of it. As I dove in, I found that the language was dated and dry, leading me to boredom. This was

nothing compared to deciphering Shakespeare in high school, however I often found myself wandering.

Why does Dewey repeat the same idea over and over? And then over and over again? My frustration

was blocking access to the basic ideas of Deweys theories. Is it dated? Yes, of course; it was written

seventy-seven years ago. The age of the writing doesnt have the authority to determine whether or not

the content is worthy. I knew I had to change my mindset in order to allow myself to appreciate the

purpose of the writing. My attitude was keeping me from learning, so I flipped the switch and tried to

appreciate the content over the style.

Deweys world was black or white. Either this, or that. Education was either traditional or

progressive (Dewey, J. (1938). Experience & Education. New York, New York: Touchstone).

Traditionalists supported textbooks and obedience. Learn how, and what, your parents and grandparents

were taught before you. Thank goodness society has moved beyond this one size fits all mentality. I

would lack interest in the field of education if my sole choice was the traditional mode. The progressive

mind set emphasizes the need for learners to have freedom. Dewey wrote education is not preparation

for life, but life itself (www.goodreads.com). I am forty-eight years old, divorced, and starting my life

over. This live in the moment attitude is what I need. CSU courses are one area where I find meaning

in my present experience. I am reinventing myself and know that experience is a moving force that I must

learn from. I am able to recognize what decisions lead to continued growth and use these decisions to

strengthen my attitude; much like I changed my attitude in reference to the boredom factor I originally

took from John Deweys writing style.

 Unlike Deweys description of traditional education, where students learn through rote

memorization and theories rooted in the past, our adult class readings have introduced us to a diverse

world where there are no typical learners. We are reminded that our ideas, passions, and goals direct our

learning. In reviewing our historical topic discussions, I see this clearly. New ideas and thoughts--

centered around womens rights, as well as political and social change--were at the root of the Chattaqua,

Junto, and Highlander movements. The Boston Conversations tossed traditional schooling aside as they

focused on learner facilitated education beyond formal schooling (ADEA620 class discussion, October

2015). In our chapter discussions, we learned that Booker T. Washington and the Cooper Union

personified true individual freedoms and willingness to learn (ADEA620 class discussion November

2015). Are ideas, passions and goals evident in my own education? Am I freely pursuing education on

my own terms? Thankfully, yes. My passions for language and culture cultivated the idea of a M.Ed. in

Adult Education focusing on Adult Basic Education and English as a Second Language. It has been my

goal for several years, despite a long holding pattern. The vision of myself as a housewife breaking loose

and setting my own rules rolls right into the hope of changing the social and political marginalization of

speakers of other languages. How? I want others to know that, like me, they can get out of a rut, seek

further education, and change their lives for the better.

Keep learning, grow as a person. This is what Dewey wanted, and also what is outlined in our

text. Experiential learning is an expansion of knowledge that allows us to return over and over to our past

and present experiences. (Handbook of Adult and Continuing Education. 2010. (C.Kasworm; A. Rose,

J.M.Ross Gordon). Experiences continue to teach us after they have passed. (Dewey, J. (1938).

Experience & Education. New York, New York: Touchstone). I am reminded of this concept through our

agency visit assignment. Challenges came up and were dealt with. I wrote and submitted my paper. I

received a strong grade. So what do I constantly refer back to and learn from? Mary Babcocks agency
paper. Her experience was separate from mine, yet I find myself juxtaposing thoughts regarding my visit

alongside her written thoughts. It still gives me chills to know that she was affected by the Umpqua

Community College shootings. Her paper shifted my outlook completely and has led me to revisit my

experience over and over. I drove in a storm. Her community was torn apart. Perspective wake-up call!

So, in addition to learning about ESL curriculum and strategies, I became more aware of a very public

issue calling for change. The issue of gun violence, particularly in schools, is out of control. I attended

an open concept high school - imagine a large Costco warehouse with moveable walls that could be

repositioned to facilitate classroom needs. Over Thanksgiving dinner, my childhood friend and I were

discussing the Umpqua Community College incident when another guest said wow, you could never

have a school like that now because of school shootings. Without Marys paper, Im not sure I would

have had such a strong reaction to this comment. Have we become so numb to school shootings that we

randomly reference them in casual conversation? This terrifying experience provides the perfect

opportunity to connect learning to global issues, and also takes into consideration the roles that social and

political policy play alongside of adult education. It makes me think of my future classroom. Will I have

to arrange it so that no student sits with his/her back to the door? Safety will always be a factor, however,

Id prefer the focus of class arrangement to be on engaged learning through social interaction, not gun

violence.

At the core, progressive education holds the following themes: learn by doing, integrated

curriculum, entrepreneurship into education, emphasis on problem solving and critical thinking, group

work, social skills development, understanding and action as goals, cooperative learning, and social

responsibility (www.wikipedia.com). I sometimes found Experience and Education to be unengaging.

These concepts, however, take engagement to a different level. Although written long ago, these are the

traits I will instill in my future classroom. We cant make any of these concepts come alive by being
stuck in the past and turning our backs on change. Change is hard, but it is necessary for growth and

learning.

According to Dewey, people once assumed the future would be like the past. The truth is, change

is the rule (Dewey, J. (1938). Experience & Education. New York, New York: Touchstone). In our fast

paced, globalized society it is important for all of us, particularly educators, to recognize what qualities

lead to growth and which experiences are advantageous (Dewey, J. (1938). Experience & Education. New

York, New York: Touchstone). Lifelong learners have motivation to better themselves and the world in

which we live. Adult learners, as well as adult educators, engage in pragmatic learning activities that

support a change in thinking or behavior (www.wikipedia.com). This is evident through our CSU

experiences as well as through an increased awareness of learning throughout everyday interactions. I am

confident my future in the world of adult education will fall in line with what John Dewey hoped for--an

education based on ideas that come from within each student and include interactions with the world

around us.

RESOURCES:

Dewey, J. (1938). Experience & Education. New York, New York: Touchstone

www.goodreads.com

ADEA620 class discussions, October 2015 and November 2015

Handbook of Adult and Continuing Education. 2010. (C.Kasworm; A. Rose, J.M.Ross Gordon)

www.wikipedia.com