Carmelo Bono
EDUC 3230
Dr. Kerr
Deweyan Critique of Falkenberg’s Article, by Fred Harris
Dewey is a
philosopher of education who believes that the learning is not done strictly by
the teacher but that there is transference of knowledge between the teacher and
students. Falkenberg’s article is discussing the ability of people to
experience something and subject it to the world around us accordingly can be
used to teach a meditation form that can essentially better then learning
ability of students. It seems as though Falkenberg is discussing the practice
of inner thinking and critical observation for one’s own understanding of what
the teacher is putting in front of the student. Dewey is a philosopher that
believes experiences cannot be had without them being physically done by
individuals. The reason he believes this is because without actually completing
an action beforehand you cannot know for sure what the real possibilities are
that would outcome from it. Dewey continues to explain that internal
experiences are completely dependent on our real life experiences therefore to
meditate a sense of thinking before acting is impossible without at first
knowing a certain outcome since the internal world knows no efficacy.
Falkenberg
is pinned against Dewey Fred Harris in this article because Harris observes
that Falkenberg is an idealist where Dewey is also and idealist but also a
realist. Harris realizes that by Falkenberg’s intentions he hopes to better the
education system through the introduction of in depth critical thinking within
oneself but then recognizes that Dewey believes the experiences need to be had
before the student experience internal reflection of actions before acting. Harris
notes in agreement with Dewey’s belief that the life process is the very fact
of the external world experiences. Falkenberg refers to the life process when
speaking about reflecting on the internal world which is problematic when
looking at Locke’s theory of the “blank slate”. An individual can not just simply
know if I complete task “A”, then it will result with result “A”.
The practice
of what Falkenberg believes is basically the act of self-reflection. We see
more and more reflecting being done in the education system as time presses on.
I know in this professional year of our education, so much of what we do is
reflection pieces. However he believes that this reflection of the disciplines
is what is necessary to move the education system forward. The part of what
Falkenberg believes that falls short perfect is the part that the reflecting is
not a true reflection on the external world. Harris is saying that Falkenberg
is unable justify why the common sense inquiry is inadequate and why we need
the disciplines. Harris (as Dewey) declares that people are not concerned with
the means to the end; just the means and that’s wrong, people need to be
concerned with the means. The means however though are important because as
human beings we need to take into account the things to be done to get where we
want to be; for example, we do not want to make one student a target as a
walking example of bad school work in order to scare the students into being
examples of good work. Falkenberg is thinking that the ends are more important
than the means when it comes to education because he is more than likely
thinking in terms of lower intellectual beings; he may be thinking of capitol
punishment or even standardized testing for that matter. In some ways I think
today we forget to look at the means because we have the ends so important to
us.
Overall
Harris believes the curriculum is broken right now in the sense that it is
forcing students to partake in an education that may not be necessary to them.
Students may not be engaged and thinking about the means to the end because
they essentially don’t care; they have been striped of the directed passion
they had for learning when you give a science major who likes to read and write
about facts; that grade 12 writer’s craft course. Terrible example because
writer’s craft is elective but the idea still remains there. Better example.
Math student who doesn’t speak any French is put into a French class; they have
just had their passion for learning tarnished because they are being forced to
learn. The idea of learning is like any other activity in the world; if you
have good experiences, you will enjoy it and do it more. Likewise though, if
you do not enjoy it and you despise it, you will not continue doing it, in fact
you may even grow an anxiety for it.
I remember
once reading about an experience a tutor had with a student who had a natural
ability for math. At an early age this student was mocked in class by the
teacher about a math problem and form then on the student suffered horrible
anxiety after a certain level of complexity in math. The tutor heard about this
student while working with another client and spoke to the parents asking if he
could try something to bring the student’s confidence back. The student was
producing work 2 levels below their level and after six months, was already
three quarters of the way back to the level they should have been producing
work at.
Dewey`s
curriculum of education, as Harris describes, is directed towards occupational
necessities depending on the students in the system. Harris believes we need to
go back to this idea because students who just need to learn things they want
to and learn things they need to but will never use; creates stagnation in
their passion for learning. The students are no longer concerning themselves
with the means of passing classes and learning things but focusing on the ends.
The ends being the passing grade and the means being effort, commitment or even
cheating.
I think it
is important to recognize a student’s strength’s and work their course goals,
not only into those strengths but their desired future as well. When looking at
the education system we do see wiggle room of courses for students after grade
10 however the courses/electives available to students is little to nothing
that sincerely stands out. The introduction to psychology, anthropology, and
sociology course is a course that looks at three courses that are similar yes,
but certainly does not reach the level of engagement as it should when trying
to encourage student’s learning in those fields.
Works Cited
Harris,
F. (2013). A Deweyan critique of Thomas Falkenberg’s article “Teaching as
Contemplative Professional Practice”. Paideusis, 21(1), 51-53.
Retrieved fromhttp://journals.sfu.ca/paideusis/index.php/paideusis/article/view/348/194
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