John Dewey birthplace on May 7, 2010. Photo by Eric Francis.
John Dewey, the educational theorist, philosopher and author, was born in this house on Oct. 20, 1859. Dewey attended the local schools and the University of Vermont. His ideas had a profound influence on American education. I visit the house when I’m in Burlington, as I’m a graduate of John Dewey High School, which was originally based on his ideas: noncompetitive learning environment, learning by direct experience, flexible scheduling and an open campus. The John Dewey HS all-class 40-year reunion will be held at the school in Coney Island, Brooklyn, on June 12, 2010.
John Dewey is something of a hero for many homeschooling families. Alfie Kohn has taken up the banner of promoting non-competitive education these days.
Strangely, I had a conversation with one of my sisters on Friday night pertinent to this. She mentioned that she’d just read Fahrenheit 451 and loved it. She’s 43 years old.
She’s not particularly tuned in to anything a PW reader might be interested in, but she wondered aloud what else we missed out on (there are three of us, sisters), being educated by the Catholics and the fundamentalist Protestants by turns.
She’s about to go through some serious personal evolution, though. That’s just what happens when you start asking those kinds of questions.
Hi Jere….love and all back at cha. You’re here. We’re here. It’s all good here.
And speaking of High Schools….I figure it’s best not to speak (becuse there is far too much negative to be said by this mother of two, one just out and one just into highschool) and rather to bask in this “picture” of a more productive – more well, educational – way to experience teach/learn exchange. Thx e.
It’s all a psychic exchange, this reality,. That we participate on the level of individuality, and that we “dance our asses off” through this trip.
As Always, Love
Jere
..Spiritual tool, if you’re interested..
When looking at, or speaking, of anything external, see the reflection, of you: even to the point of labeling “you” as “I”.
Hi!
Love,
Jere