Education is the shaping of the mind, and this shaping depends on ideas that work from the outside. Herbart is the representative of this theory. The educational significance of this theory has three points: (1) Our minds are different because different things have different reactions. Therefore, the shaping of the mind is entirely a question of putting forward suitable teaching materials. (2) Because the former representation constitutes the "apperception organ" that controls the assimilation representation, the nature of the former representation is very important. (3) All teaching methods can stipulate several formal steps. The first step is to prepare, arouse the special activities of the old representation, make it rise to the surface of consciousness, and assimilate the new representation. Second, many old and new representations interact; Third, use the newly formed content to complete some work. No matter what you teach, you must go through this process.

Herbart's contribution made teaching break away from the conventional and accidental fields, and brought teaching into the conscious method and scope, making it a conscious thing with a specific purpose and process, rather than a mixture of accidental inspiration and submission to tradition.

The defect of Herbart's theory is that it ignores that organisms have many positive and special functions, and that the environment actually includes individuals' participation in common experience. Overexaggerating the possibility of the formation and application of consciousness, while underestimating the role of energetic and unconscious attitude. In short, Herbart's theory fails to consider the essence of education and the energy of young people who are full of energy and seek effective opportunities.

Second, education is replay and review.

The special combination of developing towards the ultimate goal and shaping from external behavior has produced the theory of educational repetition. Including biology lectures and cultural lectures. The basic idea of this theory holds that education is retrospective in nature, and education is mainly about reviewing the past, especially literary works that trace the past. To what extent we shape the mind according to the past spiritual heritage model, the mind is properly shaped.

The defects of this complex language lie in: firstly, the biological basis of this concept is wrong. The various stages of human growth do not strictly go through many stages in the past. The task of education is to liberate children from repeating the past and the old ways, not to guide them to repeat the past.

The concept of recurrence has two correct factors. The first point is in biology. Any baby begins to have all kinds of impulsive and blind activities, which conflict with each other, happen occasionally, and are scattered sporadically, which is incompatible with his current environment. Another point is that the achievements of the past history should be used as long as they are beneficial to the future. This kind of utilization is part of our wisdom, but we can't regard them as the standard and mode of traceability.

Dewey's criticism of repetition theory focuses on two points: first, it separates the connection between history and present. The second is to exaggerate the role of heredity and ignore the efficacy of the environment. Teachers should start from human nature and create an environment for students to give full play to their talents, instead of being bound by heredity.

Thirdly, education is transformation.

On the basis of criticizing the previous educational theory, Dewey put forward his own educational theory, that is, education is the transformation and reorganization of experience. This transformation or reorganization can not only increase the meaning of experience, but also improve the ability to guide the later experience process.

The growth of (1) empirical significance corresponds to the improvement of our understanding of the interrelationship and continuity of various activities. For example, if a child is burned by fire, it hurts, and he will have experience in the future, stay away from the fire source and avoid being burned again. Scientists finally got the same correct conclusion through many failed experiments.

(2) The other side of educational experience is to increase the ability of later guidance and control. For example, a student didn't review his lessons carefully because of the mid-term exam, which led to unsatisfactory exam results. So he learned a lesson, made serious preparations before the final exam, and achieved ideal results in the final exam. Education exists in the continuous accumulation of students' personal experience.

The change of experience may be personal or social. A progressive society tries to shape the experience of young people, so that they will not repeat popular habits, but develop better habits and make the future adult society more progressive than it is now.

In a word, Dewey's educational thought is the thought of continuous transformation of experience. This view is different from regarding education as a preparation for the distant future, a development of potential ability, an external shaping work and a repetition of the past.

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PS: 90-day Challenge Training Camp in University Hall, Chapter 34.