1 Dewey

John dewey (John

Dewey (1859- 1952) is a famous pragmatic philosopher and educator in modern America. He founded the Chicago Experimental School in 1896, which is his philosophy, pedagogy and psychology laboratory. Experimental school is actually the practical application of Dewey's educational thought, which has accumulated rich practical materials for writing democracy and education through educational practice. Starting from pragmatic philosophy, he put forward the slogans of "education is life" and "school is society", opposed teacher-centered, and advocated liberating students from the bondage of teachers. Dewey advocated the new "three centers"-children center, classroom activity center and personal direct experience center. This formulation was a great progress in the early 20th century, and it still has far-reaching significance even now.

Dewey came to China to give lectures from May 19 19 to May 192 1 2000, and traveled all over eleven provinces to publicize his pragmatic philosophy and pedagogy. Dewey has been paying attention to the relationship between education and democracy all his life, and he believes that this issue should attract special attention of educators. The relationship between education and democracy is not only a personal concern of Dewey, but also an isolated issue unrelated to others. Many thinkers and scholars in different fields have listed this issue as their main topic in social and educational exploration.

(B) "Democracy and Education" overview

1. Overview

This book was written by Dewey at 19 16. At this time, the United States is facing a new stage of industrial revolution and scientific and technological revolution, and is in a period of rapid development. Therefore, it is necessary to study and explore new education to meet the needs of the industrial revolution and solve various problems in social and political life, which is the need of the times. Dewey's people-oriented education embodies this requirement of the American bourgeoisie. Therefore, there are both negative and critical things in the book, which is also worth learning.

2. On the role of teachers in books

First of all, it is mentioned in Chapter 14 of Democracy and Education: "It is not enough for teachers to have knowledge. In fact, unless the teacher's habitual attitude is concerned about the interaction between teaching materials and students' own experience, some characteristics of the teacher's knowledge or the teaching materials he has mastered in isolation will hinder effective teaching. "The problem of teaching is to make students' experience move towards what experts know, so teachers need to know not only the teaching materials, but also the unique needs and abilities of students. In the teaching of teachers, Dewey demanded that "teachers should be completely proficient and free to use teaching materials when they are directly engaged in teaching;" At this time, the teacher's attention should focus on the students' attitudes and reactions. It is the teacher's business to understand the interaction between students and textbooks. " In order to achieve good teaching results, teachers should pay special attention to the needs and abilities of teaching materials for students, which are in line with their intellectual development level.

Secondly, Dewey thinks that the school life organization should take children as the center. Dewey emphasized the idea of "taking children as the center", but he didn't agree that teachers should adopt the policy of "letting themselves go". Because the education process is a process in which children and teachers participate together and they really cooperate, children and teachers have closer contact in the education process, so that children can be guided more by teachers.

Thirdly, Dewey believes that children should be allowed to freely choose their own interesting homework, freely carry out "activities" and gain knowledge from "activities". Therefore, he opposes the way that teachers follow his orders, and thinks that this kind of education is "blind obedience", so it will not achieve the purpose of education. Because of this, in the educational reform, he believes that children should be allowed to grow freely and develop naturally. Because children obey the "orders" of adults and teachers, they do things and study because they are suppressed by external forces. They are not interested, but like to work hard, so their "activities" will not have a good result.

The pragmatic teaching theory advocated by Dewey has its shortcomings. It emphasizes that children's experience is above everything else, and completely denies the leading role of teachers in teaching. At the same time, compared with the traditional teaching theory, this is a great progress. It criticizes the formalism and mechanism of traditional teaching theory, emphasizes the initiative of students and stimulates their initiative and creativity. Teachers can not only impart knowledge, but also become participants in activities. Teachers cannot be above others. Democratizing the student center in the classroom is beneficial to teaching, and teachers can also be helpers. This is the first time in the history of education to reposition teachers, and the role of teachers is not single. Putting forward other roles of teachers is of great significance and enlightenment to modern teaching.

Second, the role and role of teachers in modern teaching

(a) the role of the facilitator

With the cooperative learning advocated by Dewey, it is now widely respected (Co-operative.

For example, cooperative learning is a teaching mode in which students organize learning activities in the form of groups, exchange information with each other, and students are not only responsible for themselves, but also for others' learning. In this mode, students-centered, cultivate students' communication ability and critical thinking consciousness, and cultivate students' spirit of cooperation rather than competition consciousness, which is exactly what students lack now and is also necessary in the future. Teachers play an auxiliary role in this learning mode. First of all, teachers should create a well-organized learning environment; Secondly, in the process of learning, teachers must walk back and forth in the classroom and provide help whenever students or groups need it. During this period, teachers should interact, reiterate, question, support, expand, praise, emphasize and give feedback, guide the study group to solve problems and think for themselves, and help students complete their learning tasks.

(B) the role of consultants

Under the "non-directive" teaching mode, the teacher is not a tutor, but a consultant. Teachers don't teach students how to learn, but provide students with the means of learning (including teachers' own knowledge, ability, way of thinking, etc. Because this teaching mode is based on humanistic psychology, it has become a "student-centered teaching theory", which emphasizes the role of students' "self-realization" and teachers only play a promoting role. This teaching model attaches great importance to the role of interpersonal relationships and emotional factors in teaching, and requires teachers to treat students sincerely, and put students' feelings and problems at the center of the teaching process, which can promote students to fully understand their self-worth.

(3) the role of information and material suppliers

In today's electronic age, there are many cases of using multimedia in the classroom, which increases the amount of information in the classroom, so this information undoubtedly needs teachers to collect. What is related to what you have learned, which can enhance students' interest in learning, enliven the classroom atmosphere, which can help students understand and which can be used as the expansion of knowledge, whether it is words, pictures or animations, teachers need to choose on the basis of careful preparation, which depends not only on teachers' understanding of knowledge, but also on teachers' taste and quality.

(d) the role of directors and monitors.

Teachers need to tailor teaching materials and select materials according to the actual situation and needs of students, and organize activities according to what students learn in class, so they are the directors and supervisors of the whole learning process. Teachers should correct students' mistakes in the learning process in time, especially language teachers pay more attention to students' language output.

(5) The role of the artist

When teaching reaches a higher level, it becomes an art and can bring people beautiful feelings. Of course, teaching is a special art. In teaching activities, teachers use language, movements, expressions, colors, music and other means to create teaching situations, creatively organize teaching, and integrate knowledge and aesthetics to make students learn happily and efficiently. As a special artist, the teacher's job is to create, which is mainly reflected in three aspects: teaching preparation, teaching design and teaching implementation. Successful teaching brings people beautiful enjoyment.

In a word, modern education emphasizes the multiple roles of teachers, who are guides, assistants, participants, information providers and so on. Teaching with students as the main body. The current educational goal is "for the development of all students, for the all-round development of students and for the development of students' personality". This is generally consistent with Dewey's thought of student-centered and teacher-assisted guidance. Therefore, educators should carefully read and understand Dewey's works and critically absorb them to promote our teaching practice.