Peter E. Pflaum - Golden Globe - The Synergy Network
http://www.wiredbrain.net/  Pflaump@wiredbrain.com

   In reading early twentieth century Dewey and in reading
Goodlad's recent book (Goodlad, 1984), one is struck by recurrent
themes and by apparent inability of the American educational
system to adapt to changing circumstances.  Schools are part of a
complex web of life.  The social change of which Dewey was an
early prophet continues to evolve.  The philosopher's concern
with the exigency of learning to learn permeates his 1920
thinking.  Dewey notes rapid progress of his times.  Advances in
industrialization, transportation, and communication dictated
need to adapt to a continuously and quickly changing environment. 
Experience and thinking involve connection of relationships. 
This connection is essential for reasoning to occur. While all
thinking results in knowledge, ultimately the value of knowledge
is subordinate to its use in thinking.  For we live not in a
settled and finished world, but in one which is going on, and
where our main task is prospective, and where retrospect -- and
all knowledge as distinct from thought is retrospect -- is of
value in the solidity, security and fertility it affords our
dealings with the future (Dewey, 1920, pp. 177-178). 
Implications of such thought exist today in our post- industrial
information age.

   The core of Dewey's educational theory was encouragement of
flexibility, creativity, and practicality in individual thinking. 
His argument suggests these qualities are required of a broadly
democratic society as he defined it.  Public schools were
originally designed for students who would settle well into
industrial discipline.  Waves of immigrants arriving in the
mid-nineteenth century were socialized to American ways through
the public schools.

   As a segment of society, early public schooling saw as part of
its role this preparation of factory workers.  Assembly lines
were largely staffed by immigrants from foreign countries and
rural America.  Factory-like compartmentalization was reflected
in physical traits of schools (rows of nailed down desks) as well
as in curriculum with its segmented structure.  Subjects were and
often are separated from other subjects and from life itself.  
Dewey is a prophet of contemporary critics of our educational
system.  The American school system is not working.  Goodlad
(1984) sees necessity for change even in our best schools.   The
system designed to produce factory workers is no longer relevant. 
Rather than factory mentality, we need reason -- reason derived
from thinking and knowledge.  As technology rushes forward, it is
imperative for citizens to have learned how to learn.  Dewey saw
schools as small communities where students grasp larger concepts
through smaller concepts relevant to their own worlds. 
Individual discovery of findings established
centuries earlier, are new in the sense of unique interpretation. 
As a child uncovers wonders of nature, the individual's
revelation is as fresh as an initial discovery.  Goodlad (1984)
sees the role of schools as communities for changing society, not
as mere reflections.  Sadly, what we often see inside of our
schools is a mirror image of what is wrong outside.

   Dewey the philosopher and social theorist based much of his
thought on the social sciences and psychology.  He spoke of
organizations as the organic whole.  As industry changes from
production lines to cooperative work groups, X Theory becomes
Theory Z.

   Traditional schools espouse X Theory (individuals are
inherently unmotivated, needing coercion to work or learn). 
Dewey's school is based on Theory Z (learning occurs naturally
through relevance).  Organizational structure of small schools
lends itself to Type-Z application.

 The nongraded multiage approach is an attempt to break out of
the industrial mold and teach the child as an individual being,
rather than as a product to be processed.   Age segregation is as
unnatural as subject matter segregation.  Retention shatters
self-esteem into small bits.  Goodlad proposes teacher cycling,
schools within schools, and multiage nongraded grouping in an
effort to bring continuity to schooling.