Democracy+and+Education+Chapter+5


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//Democracy and Education Chapter 5//

Summary: //1. Education as Preparation:// This section is about the educative process and how growth is continuous. This thought is opposite several ideas such as the idea that education is a process of preparation, and children are candidates for the future and adult life is on hold for another life. There are negative consequences from this thinking. For example, the loss of stimulus. Having children think in the present should not be escaped,but should be mastered. A child's nature is to think in the present times, so it is important to focus on that and if the environment at their school and home is appropriate for their development, their future is set. One must not focus on the future for the child, but instead focus on the present.** It is important the immature take the present as important and not just the future.
 * When the future is detached from the possibilities from the present and lacks a stimulus, something must be attached to make it work such as promises of threat or reward. The stimulus is in the situation, but if the child does not pay attention to the situation, he or she must be told something bad could happen if not attentive; however,** Dewey says that if the present is genuine, that is a reward itself.

//**2.Education as Unfolding:**// There have been two philosophic attempts to provide practical representatives for the absolute goal. Froebel and Hegelwere two philosophers that tried to measure development of a person cababilites on the way to a goal. They both however, have different views about the route that is take to acheive the outcome. Froebel believed that the driving force is a presentation of symbols, largely mathematical, corresponding the essential traits of the goal. For example, the group circle in kindergarten classes is not used for convenience as a way of working with children. Froebel believes that the circle is the symbol of the collective life of mankind in general. Froebel was more interested in the final product than in the development and growth itself in the individual. Hegel used the institutions of humanity as a substitute for the ideal goal. His philosophy was the summation of a group of German writers; Lessing, Herder, Kant, Schiller and Goethe. To Hegel, the mind was not the posession of an individual. He believed that the institutions of language, government, art, and religion influences the formation of individual minds. Personal development consists of the assimilation of these institutions. The problem of this to Dewey, is that, against these institutions, individuals have no spiritual freedom.**
 * According to Dewey, there is a theory of education that is based upon on the idea of development. Development is explained as the unfolding or growing in stages toward an absolute goal, which is perfection. Every person has internal capabilities that do not develop all at once, they must unfold from within. They are developed at certain stages of life. For example, a baby learns to crawl before it learns to walk. The idea of education is to bring out a persons internal capabilites so that the goal can be acheived. Since the goal of perfection as a standard for development is unnattainable, some representative standard must be established as a substitute for the ideal end. This way it is possible for a teacher to judge whether a student is developing, or unfolding, properly.

According to the followers of Hegel an individual in society is limited to his or her role in society. Individuals are grouped according to how society sees them, for example a states man are a scholar. Everyone had a role or part in society. There is no individual grouped according to this theory. Individuals are stuck in whatever place society sees them. Another theory of education, formal discipline involves the training of the mind to learn. This theory suggest that every individual has within themselves untrained skills waiting to come out. Through the right instructions and a throughly thought out plan of repetition these skills will be sharpen. The bringing out and sharpening of these powers is not directly a result of individual growth but of constant training like a pool player does to sharpen his or her skill. This theory suggest that through repetition such skills are bought out. However the task that is being repeated is made more difficult which involves a complete well thought out instructional plan. Locke had a different theory. His had to do with the outside world presenting materials for knowledge received passively by an individual with no extra effort needed, as well as certain powers the mind already holds such as attention, observation, etc. Knowledge can take place if the mind can determine and combine different things as they are either together or divided in nature. Locke also thought that thinking was supposed to be a trained habit by repeating exercises in making simple distinctions. Dewey had many different ways of refuting Locke's theory. One is that specific coordination is equally important to the factors of response that take place. There has to be a connection between different factors of response in order to have coordination. Also, the more specific the adjustment of response and stimulus to each other, the more rigid and less available training is for it. The more specialized the reaction, the less skill is required to do it and perfect it. For example, a student studying spelling learns how to spell certain words but also increases his observation and attention capabilities. In concentrating on only how certain words are spelled, he only increases his ability to detect verbal visual forms. In doing this, he can only use his ability to observe and recall things related to verbal stimuli and nothing else. If the ability is applied to a wide variation of things, it is more likely to be able to apply to more actions than just one specific one. Another point that goes against Locke’s theory is that it separates activities and capacities from subject matter. A person cannot see or remember something vague, there has to be a specific thing they are remembering. Someone can exercise to develop vivacity but only if it is being used for a specific use will it accomplish anything. For example, the difference between using weights in the gym and exercising by playing a sport is that the former is rigid and has a structure to it whereas the latter is varied and spontaneous. Playing a sport covers a much more general ground; it exercises all of your muscles instead of just specific ones at a time in the gym. This can also be said about special versus general education, where the former trains a specific ability and the latter covers all of the bases of learning. Another argument is that powers such as observation, recollection, judgment, etc, represent organized outcomes of the occupation of innate active tendencies with certain subject matters. A man cannot just will to observe, he has to have something to do that requires the observation abilities. The distinction between special and general education has absolutely nothing to do with the function of power or its transferability. Some activities are broad, requiring many coordination’s of factors. The focus of the activity is constantly being redistributed is a result of general activity. A person can become specialized in one field like psychology or mathematics but their expertise doesn’t stretch beyond that. But if they are connected with social matters and human activities instead on just the subject, their expertise stretches and their active range of responses is greater.
 * //3. Education as Training of Faculties//

//Summary:// This section sums up everything that has been said in the entire chapter. The thought that the result of education is capacity for more education is contrasted with some other ideas that have greatly influenced practice. The first thought contrasting this point is that or preparing for a future privilege. This attracts attention away from taking advantage of the present. The thought that education unfolds from within is more like the conception of growth that has been set. But the theories of Froebel and Hegel involve ignoring the present interactions with the present environment. Growth is not an end in itself but it just makes explicit what is already implicit. According to Froebel the symbolic value of certain objects stands for the Absolute Whole which is in the process of unfolding. But according to Hegel, existing institutions are its effective actual representatives. Emphasis on these diverts perception from the growth of experience in learning. Another theory is that the mind has certain mental powers at birth such as perceiving, willing, judgment, etc. These powers have to be trained through repeated exercise to be properly educated. The result of this theory was that it emphasized more the specialized training of the mind, where there is training in different parts separately, and it deemphasized general training of just covering broad topics and not going into great detail. But Dewey says you also need to have a broad interaction with certain activities for the specialized training to work, not just specialized interactions.

//Key Passages:// "Children proverbially live in the present; that is not only a fact not to be evaded, but it is an excellence."(page 55) "The future prepared for is a long way off; plenty of time will intervene before it becomes a present. Why be in a hurry about getting ready for it? The temptation to postpone is much increased because the present offers so many wonderful opportunities and proffers such invitations to adventure."(page 55)

"The future having no stimulating and directing power when severed from the possibilities of the present, something must be hitched on to it to make it work. Promises of reward and threat of pain are employed. Healthy work, done for present reasons and as a factor in living, is largely unconscious. The stimulus resides in the situation with which one is actually confronted. But when this situation is ignored, pupils have to be told that if they do not follow the prescribed course penalties will accrue; while if they do, they may expect some time in the future, rewards for their present sacrifices.(pages 55 and 56)

"Unless we set up some definite criterion representing the ideal end by which to judge whether a given attitude or act is apporximating or moving away, our sole alternative is to withdraw all influences of the environment lest they interfere with proper development." (page 57)

"By 'suggestive questioning' or some other pedagogical device, the teacher preoceeds to 'draw out' from the pupil what is desired. If what is desired is obtained, that is evidence that the child is unfolding properly. But as the pupil generally has no initiative of his own in this direction, the result is a random groping after what is wanted, and the formation of habits of dependence uopn the cues furnished by others. Just because such methods simulate a true principle and claim to have its sanction they may do more harm than would outright 'telling,' where at least, it remains with the child how much will stick." (page 57)

"To regard things known as symbols, according as symbols of the latter. To regard known things as symbols, according to some arbitrary a priori formula-and every a priori conception must be arbitrary-is is an invitation to romantic fancy to seize upon any analogies which appeal to it and treat them as laws." (page 58-59)

"It indictaed a genuine advance beyond Rousseau, who had marred his assertion that eductaion must be a natural development and not something forced or grafted upon individuals from without, by the notion that social conditions are not natural." (page 60)

"Some of Hegal's followers sought to reconcile the claims of teh Whole and of individuality by the conception of society as an organic whole, or organism." (page 60)

"A trained person is one who can do the cheif things which it is important for him to do better than he could without training: "better" signifying greater case, efficiency, economy, promptness, etc." (page 61)

"There are implusive tendencies of the eyes to follow and fixate light; of the neck muscles to turn toward the light and sound; of the hands to reach and grasp; and turn and twist and thump; of the vocal appartus to make sounds; of the mouth to spew out unpleasant substances; to gag and curl the lip, and so on in almost indefinite number." (page 63)

“According to the orthodox theory of formal discipline, a pupil in studying his spelling lesson acquires, besides ability to spell those particular words, an increase of power of observation, attention, and recollection which may be employed whenever these powers are needed. As matter of fact, the more he confines himself to noticing and fixating the forms of words, irrespective of connection with other things (such as the meaning of words, the context in which they are habitually used, the derivation and classification of the verbal form, etc.) the less likely is he to acquire an ability which can be used for anything //except// the mere noting of verbal visual forms.” (Page 64-65)

“Going to the root of the matter, the fundamental fallacy of the theory is its dualism; that is to say, its separation of activities and capacities from subject matter. There is no such thing as an ability to see or hear or remember in general; there is only the ability to see or hear or remember //something//. To talk about training a power, mental or physical, in general, apart from the subject matter involved in its exercise, is nonsense.” (Page 65)

“It is consequently futile to set up even the ulterior development of faculties of observation, memory, etc., unless we have first determined what sort of subject matter we wish the pupil to become expert in observing and recalling and for what purpose. And it is only repeating in another form what has already been said, to declare that the criterion here must be social. We want the person to note and recall and judge those things which make him an effective competent member of the group in which he is associated with others. Otherwise we might as well set the pupil to observing carefully cracks on the wall and set him to memorizing meaningless lists of words in an unknown tongue—which is about what we do in fact when we give way to the doctrine of formal discipline.” (Page 66)

//Important Terminology:// Impetus:** impetus is a stimulus that is needed involving the present conditions.

happen and here Dewey talks about how education happens as an outcome because energy and attention go to the present meaning children naturally live in the present. is getting ready for something such as the future and he or she does not know why, it is losing the power that exists and gaining it in an unclear chance. suggestive questioning: when a teacher tries to get a certain answer from a student by giving them hints to the answer they want to hear, according to Dewey, this does not always work because a child has no initiative of their own a priori: before the fact, a goal that is set up ahead of time, everything leading up to the goal is a stage toward achieving the goal, this is important because a child can take steps towards achieving a set goal rather than just random groping at something that is unattainible Coordination: the bringing together of different factors of response is very important in order to train impulsive activities. This is very important for specialized training, or just training in general. Without this you couldn't train any part of your mind. Dualism: the separation of the actual activities from the subject matter it pertains to is a big fault in Locke’s theory. General Education: this describes a broad, overview of topics instead of specifically honing in on certain aspects of the mind. This is the part of education that Dewey disagrees with, favoring specialized education instead. Conformity: Dewey uses this word to describe the essence of education, instead of transformation. This is important to understanding education Utilization: The responses being used in reaction to stimuli. Dewey states that this can be the general reactions of the body, instinctively or specially adapted, and this helps training occur. Organism: Dewey uses an organism to state the coming together of all different organs that makes up a human being. He also says that because each human is different, they are made mentally for different things, such as statesmen, doctors, scholars and so on. Repeated acts: practicing the same skills constantly. This makes people able to learn quicker because they repeat the same things over and over again, as well as increase the difficulty if it becomes too easy to learn better Formal discipline: Dewey refers to this as the result of formally trained power and how the training was taught through constantly repeated exercises. This puts more emphasis on the specialized education he advocates
 * Accrue-** Education happens naturally as an outcome. Accrue means to
 * Proverbially-**Proverbially means naturally, in reference to Dewey
 * Leverage-**leverage in this case means power. Dewey puts it as if one
 * unfolding: growth or development of a person which is a process towards a set goal. a child needs to learn and develop before they can achieve a goal. every person is born with capabilities so, it is a process of unfolding from within.

//Discussion Guiding Questions://** The environment will shape a child's present and future. If they are stimulated and it is a thriving environment then their future is taken care of; but if it not there there could be trouble in the future such as looking at ways that are not stimulating. A genuine present will be a reward in itself for the future.**If the situation lacks a stimulus what is needed to make it work?** Education is a process and is getting ready for the future. Froebel, was more interested in the final result rather than the development and growth itself .While** **Hegel believed that the individual does not own their own minds. How do their views differ from Dewey's? According to Dewey, a pupil generally has no initiative of his own, so why is suggestive questioning worse than just telling the child the answer? Since Dewey favored specialized education and didn't approve of a general training of the mind, it is unclear what would happen if a child never learned any specific skills. If a child only received a general education and did not specialize in anything, would he/she be suited to work in the real world? Dewey deemphasizes general eduaction and puts much more emphasis on specialized education. There are many differences noted in the text with many examples such as training in a gym or playing a sport. What are the specific differences between general education and specialized education? Dewey makes it clear that people are mentally capable of doing different things, such as being a scholar or a statesmen. According to theory of formal discipline, can an individual be trained to become a statesman or a scholar? Whereas the theory of formal discipline deals with mental capabilities we are born with, the Hegelian theory deals with an Absolute. How does theory of formal discipline contradict the Hegelian theory?**
 * Why is the environment important to a child's future?**
 * What is one contrasting idea to education as preparation?