John Dewey and the Challenge of Progressive Education: How can we understand new educational trends in relation to the global network context? How may we build upon and direct these new educational trends to realize the contemporary democratic aspirations of a global network society?
During the nineteenth century the social trends of industrial production were everywhere in America’s networks. The Factory system was changing America’s cities, neighbourhoods and homes including every member of the family, even the young children. Schools everywhere made adjustments to their classrooms such as fixed seating and mechanical recitations in order to “provide this basic grounding in real-world experience and social responsibility.”(74). This made it difficult for the teachers to introduce “progressive” education to the classroom. Progressive methods were educated on things that are no longer being engaged in at home.” This is why as Dewey explains why the new tendencies were gaining around classrooms. To build upon and direct these new educational trends was a challenge because schools and social structures were inhospitable to the progressive methods (Leonard J. Waks).
How do we now look at our contemporary education? Knowledge and what needs to be learned is constantly changing as our global networks change, therefore knowledge follows economy. Workers must not just possess knowledge, they must be “bodies of knowledge” so they know how to use it, act on it, and transform. (Leonard J. Waks). As Dewey states we absorb knowledge when we require the knowledge. The new educational trends are attempting to bring learning and the ever changing pattern of life, work, and global network societies parallel to each other. Items such as computers and educational technology are a part of the change, because students now have access to things out of the teachers control and as they become more popular schools and teachers have to start planning and teaching around the new technology. There are three different themes touched on explaining the educational trends in terms of contemporary democratic aspirations of a global network society, Structural Transformation, Nature and Child Instincts, and Embryonic Democracy. In the end, school systems should always be ready and willing to change and adapt. As well, be watching for the changes. Schools should not exclude up and coming social factors such as unemployment, poverty, depression and hopelessness because these are factors that are all making an increase.
There is a lot to think about in this article and definitely worth the read. It is interesting to see how much education trends link to global networks and society. The purpose of schools is to produce what the global networks society is in need of at the time, and everything is constantly evolving and improving meaning that trends are constantly changing.
Very well said Ireland.
I personally read the other article but this one seems very interesting and worth the read. You are right global network society trends are relevant more than ever in schools, and with the direction education takes. I personally began to notice it over my last few years in high school. It is important education adapts over time, considering we live in a period of constant change. As you said ” school systems should always be ready and willing to change and adapt”, which I totally agree with. I do wish there were more legit examples made on how teachers adapt, but other then that great blog.