After reading the words of John Dewey, I cannot necessarily say that my theory of mind has changed in any way but I certainly did find an educational philosopher with whom I agree with immensely. Dewey saw learning as the acquisition of cultural/ environmental ideas and beliefs. One of his greatest concerns was the method in which students acquire these understandings. He wrote that, "...Beliefs cannot be hammered in; the needed attitudes cannot be plastered on." This quote is very close to the quote by Jacqueline Brooks, and education specialist, I used in my educational philosophy as part of my portfolio for licensure. Brooks wrote, “….The teacher can’t give away the explanations, the teacher can’t give away knowledge, the students can’t receive it passively.”
I have never seen it as my duty as a teacher to merely full students minds with facts to be regurgitated back to me. Learning is understanding and true understanding is the product of deep thinking and reflection. I believe that Dewey was making this same point when he wrote, "...The particular medium in which an individual exists leads him to see and feel one thing rather than another." In other words, each of us is an individual, and our individualities are the reasons why we cannot be told something and immediately be expected to know it. The process going on within the mind are far too complex.
My concern, however, is no longer with the proper theory of mind. My concern is how this theory can successfully manifest itself in the classroom. To act as personal aid to each student is not possible, although it would be most beneficial. If each student had his/her own teacher available to engage them in higher levels of thinking or individual scaffolding then I believe that most issues in education would be solved instantly. But that is not the case, and until then I will continue to seek the best practices in which to apply the constructivist approach to learning, or the approach to learning that believes that students learn by forming their own understandings.
