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John Dewey
He was born on October 20, 1859 in Vermont. He was 1 of 4 boys they had. His father shared his love of British literature with him. Growing up, he attended public schools, but when he was 15 he enrolled at the University of Vermont. He graduated second in his class four years later. -
Leibniz’s New Essays Concerning the Human Understanding (1888)
MLA: Dewey, John. Leibniz’s New Essays Concerning the Human Understanding: A Critical Exposition. Project Gutenberg. Print. -
Major Works
Two of his major works are Psychology (1887) and Leibniz’s New Essays Concerning the Human Understanding (1888), but published many, many more works. He focused on psychology, philosophy, educational theory, culture, religion and politics. He was regarded as one of the top social commenters of his day.
For Psychology MLA: Dewey, John. Psychology. No place, unknown, or undetermined: American book company [c1891], 1891. Print. -
1894 Experimental School Started
John Dewey originated the experimentalism philosophy. He was an academic philosopher and proponent of social and education change/reform. In 1894, he started an experimental primary school and then later in 1919, he co-founded The New School for Social Research. His studies and lectures influenced how the education system was reformed throughout the years. -
Reforming education
He viewed ideas as being tools for experimenting to improve the human experience. His claims were that men behaved out of habit and change could lead to unexpected results. For him, a universal education was the key to teaching others how to break from habits, think creatively, and be able to connect with the world around them even in shifting environments. He pushed for educational reform, and the education should be based on learning through doing. -
Leading to education reform
He was a teacher but studied philosophy and psychology at Johns Hopkins. He then became a professor of philosophy and taught at the Universities of Minnesota, Michigan, and Chicago where he served as the director of its School of Education before moving to Columbia University. His philosophy focused on experimentalism (instrumentalism), which centered on human experience. -
Establishing a new school
In 1894 he and his wife started an experimental school where he tested educational theories. In 1919, with some of his colleagues, they founded the new school for social research. It emphasizes free exchange of intellectual ideas in the arts and social scientist, and it was a progressive school. He then studied other parts of the world and their school systems/theories. He would share what he studied. -
1920's and school theories
He learned and felt that education should focus mainly on students’ interactions with the present. Dewey did not, however, dismiss the value of also learning about the past. In the 1930s, he retired from teaching and became an active member of numerous educational organizations, including the New York Teachers Guild and the International League for Academic Freedom. He published over 1,000 works during his time. -
Video Link for Dewey's work
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Thoughts on education
