Chapter 2
The Need for a Theory of Experience
In our MCL
circles we discuss creating the “ideal learning experience”. The idea of the ideal learning experience is
a reaction to our current learning environment that is dominated by “not so
ideal learning experiences”. We can list
all of the learning experiences that are not ideal, but they can be summed up
by the dominance of the “sage on the stage”.
Harkening back to chapter 1, we must also remember that we must not
succumb to the “either-or” fallacy. We
must resist the urge to think that our job will be done in education if we
create “experiences” that differ from the existing model of learning. Dewey makes this point by saying that
although “Each experience may be lively, vivid and ‘interesting’, and yet their
disconnectedness may artificially generate dispersive, disintegrated,
centrifugal habits” that will make education and experiences more disconnected
from a student’s life. Our challenge in
the world of MCL is to NOT fall into the trap of thinking that creating any experience will automatically
improve learning for students just because it is a different experience from what currently exists in our schools.
Dewey states
that experiences are meaningful only when they are connected to a student’s
future experience. This is the reason
that disconnected learning experiences (according to Dewey) harm the learning
of students; they have no relevance to the experience (either in the present or
the future) of students. It seems to me
that if we are going to have a significant impact on the arc of learning in our
country, we must grapple with this idea of creating learning experiences that
are relevant to the present and connected to future learning experiences of
students. We must be cognizant that a learning
experience that is engaging and outside the common learning experience of today
may not necessarily be any better than a traditional learning experience. Let’s not kid ourselves to believe that just
because we are creating something different, that we are creating something
better.
So what is our
philosophy of education? I think it noteworthy
that Dewey takes the time to say that our current system is probably
philosophically agnostic and runs on the power of habits. The habits of the system have largely gone
unexamined and have morphed into a quasi philosophy. I recently had a conversation with a well
known educator who shows passion for helping kids. As we discussed what the possibilities of education
can be, he continually referred to practices that are backed by “science”. In other words, educators need only refer to
those strategies and programs that have run the gauntlet of peer reviewed
“scientific” research. There are many
problems with the assumptions underlying this philosophy of scientific
research, but for our discussion here, let’s concentrate on the idea that we
must keep education, learning and schooling as simple as possible. When my son was in first grade (and
struggling with reading), I did not ask his teacher to mount a mini-dissertation
defense to develop and justify her recommendation for helping him. Rather, I simply asked her what she believes,
in her professional experience, will help him become a better reader. She developed a plan (that worked) based on
what she knew to be right. As we develop
a philosophy of learning (and experience) let’s access the experiences and
knowledge of the actual educators in the field and lets not complicate the
issue by assuming educational habits are a philosophy and that “scientific”
research holds the answer to creating learning experiences.
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