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Birth and Early Life
John Dewey was born in Burlington, Vermont on October 20, 1859. His father, Archibald Dewey, shared his fervor for British literature with his children and was enlisted in the Civil War. John did outstanding in public school and applied to the University of Vermont at 15. He graduated with a degree in philosophy at the age of 19 ("John Dewey"). -
Continued Learning
After teaching for a few years, John became interested in continuing his education at John Hopkins under the supervision of George Sylvester Morris and G. Stanley Hall. Hall, an influential american psychologist lead Dewey to understand the scientific process while Morris taught John models of German idealism. He was highly influenced by both and graduated in 1884 with a doctorate (Field). -
Elementary Education
John and wife Harriet decided after Dewey had taught at various different colleges, they would start a University Elementary School at the University of Chicago. It was an experimental school meant to allow Dewey a platform to test his educational theories. He thought that man did best when confronted with problems that required creative solutions. They closed shortly when Harriet was fired, but the information lead to his first large work in 1899 called "The School and Society" ("John Dewey"). -
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Leading Edge of Education Reform
In 1904, Dewey worked at Columbia University where he remained for his career. He wrote numerous papers about philosophy and metaphysics. During this time he published works like "The Influence of Darwin on Philosophy and Other Essays in Contemporary Thought" (1910), "Essays in Experimental Logic" (1916), and "Democracy and Education" (1916) which may have had the greatest impact. In 1919 he helped form the New School for Social Research. He traveled to lecture and continued publishing (Field). -
Basic Theory of Education
Dewey believed that children learn through experience and experimentation, like a scientist would. A child learns when put to a test, or that they need to solve a problem without directly knowing the answer. They process information, analyze it, and share it with others, thus encouraging the learning of all students (Steel). -
End of an Era
John Dewey retired from the University of Columbia with fame and accomplishments. He became a part of many educational groups like the International League for Academic Freedom and New York Teachers Guild. He remarried in 1946 and later died in 1952 in New York City of pneumonia. He is remembered for his work in reforming the American educational system and his political work to promote democracy for all ("John Dewey").
