We do not learn from experience… we learn from reflecting on experience. JOHN DEWEY

What is the difference between thought and belief ?

Thought Something that pops into your head is not the type of “thought” we should aim at. Reflective thought results in belief that has importance attached to it and then leads to reflective thinking: “the ground or basis for a belief is deliberately sought and its adequacy to support belief is examined” (p. 1). Belief Something you’re taught, and it’s built upon as you grow up. You accept it and believe it. It commits us to a certain way of thinking. Our beliefs have consequences if we don’t questions them; they can hold us back for change and growth.

What does Dewey say the purpose of education should be?

A Deweyan Purpose of Education is… The purpose should be to destroy prejudice and erroneous habits of thinking. Educators must ignore prejudices of long ages and teach with open-minded perspectives. Dewey is asking us to teach our children how to be critical thinkers, how to ask questions, and find their own answers/conclusions to their problems. (p. 27)

What are some habits of a thoughtful mind? (See Chapter 3) These are the capacities of thought that Dewey says everyone naturally has and which can be shaped into habits of critical examination and inquiry. (p. 29). They include curiosity, suggestion, and depth.

Thinking & Our Natural Resources Curiosity Physical : think of a baby tasting and touching everything Social : a kindergartner’s million questions that they don’t really want an answer to Intellectual : an interest in problems that are evoked by other material; i.e. an interest in problem solving, and perhaps a question of HOW?

Thinking & Our Natural Resources Suggestion: ideas and thoughts come to us naturally because they are triggered by our interaction with some other person or thing - “it is not we who think…thinking is rather something that happens in us” (p. 34) Ease: the ease with which ideas and suggestions come to us is related to our experiences. Range: the variety of ideas that are triggered and often related to past experiences (i.e. knowing about erosion because of experience with the beach and waves) Depth: move from superficial understanding to deeper questioning of those things we haven’t thought about before Teacher’s aim: to seek a balance

Thinking & Our Natural Resources Orderliness or Intellectual Organization Continuity: flexibility in thought and materials that can be channeled in a single direction (i.e. we have a question, we have materials, so now we can seek an answer) Concentration: the act of channeling the question, ideas, and energy “into a single steady trend moving toward a unified conclusion” (p. 40). The teachers task? Selecting truly educative activities (p. 43)

How do we train people to think? Dewey believes that everybody is already thinking. So, we do not have to teach children to think, but we can train them to use their natural tendencies of curiosity, suggestion, and intellectual organization to think critically and reflectively.

How does the school environment influence our thinking habits? (See Chapter 4) Mental attitudes and habits of staff: how we interact with the children and how well we are encouraging the development of reflective thought processes influences the thinking habits of students. Do we give them answers, or do we show them how to find their answers? Subjects studied: “there is danger of the isolation of intellectual activity from the ordinary affairs of life” (p. 50). In other words, are the studies relevant to the student’s life and questions? Educational aims & ideals: you may have a philosophy of education as a student/teacher, but this is always shaped by the ideals and aims of society, politicians, and special interests

How does Dewey define discipline and freedom ? (See Ch. 5)

Discipline You can reach the point of discipline through the exercise of reflective thinking to create power that is effective. It can have positive and constructive results. Is a result rather than a cause or punishment. Gained after the achievement of being able to think on your own. A process that is severe at the time, but necessary to prepare for the future. Freedom The ability to think for yourself through discipline. “Mental power capable of independent exercise” (p. 64).

But with a disciplined mind…

…reflective thought &

So, what is reflective thought? (See Ch. 6) Dewey defines “five logically distinct steps” (p. 72) in the process of reflective inquiry, but I added a 6 th. They are: 1.We experience a felt difficulty or problem : Dewey defines a felt “problem” as the moment in experience that “perplexes and challenges the mind so that it makes belief at all uncertain”, it involves “sudden change” (p. 9). 2.We locate & define the problem: make “necessary observations…to bring to light just what is the trouble, or to make clear the specific character of the problem” (p. 74).

…reflective thought? (See Ch. 6) 3.We suggest a possibility or idea: Dewey calls this “the very heart of inference”, or the hypothesis (p. 75). “Given a difficulty, the next step is suggestion of some way out”, and the source of these suggestions are found in “past experience and prior knowledge” (p. 12). 4.We develop the possibility or idea through reasoning: The inquirer must “hunt for additional evidence…that will develop the suggestion” and then go through the process of weighing its possible implications (p. 13). 5.We conduct further experimentation and observation that can lead to conclusion. 6.We accept or reject the belief or disbelief (p. 72).

Similarities Between Teachers & Learning Experiences with Impact

Ideal Learning Experiences:

Typical Learning Experiences:

What is Philosophy? Thinking deeply about beliefs and using reflective about why we believe them. It's the study of life and our's and other people's beliefs and knowledge. How and why people think. Philo = to love, osophy = the study of that equals the love of wisdom, mind, language The process of using your experiences and observations in the training your mind to think deeper and challenge your beliefs The study of thought and knowledge. The study of why things are and what makes them that way