John Dewey Quotations

"The older methods set a premium upon passivity and receptivity..."

"There is, I think, no point in the philosophy of progressive education which is sounder than its emphasis upon the participation of the learner in the formation of the purposes which direct his activities in the learning process, just as there is no defect in traditional education greater than its failure to secure the active co-operation of the pupil in construction of the purposes involved in his studying."

"There should be brief intervals of time for quiet reflection provided for even the young."

"Education is essentially a social process."

"Control of individual actions is effected by the whole situation in which individuals are involved."

"The most important attitude that can be formed is that of desire to go on learning."

"Every experience is a moving force...it is then the business of the educator to see in what direction an experience is heading."

"The mature person ... has no right to withhold from the the young on given occasions whatever capacity for sympathetic understanding his own experience has given him."

"The traditional scheme is, in essence, one of imposition from above and from outside. It imposes adult standards, subject-matter, and methods upon those who are only growing slowly toward maturity... the very situation forbids much active participation by pupils in the development of what is taught."

"The road of the new education is not an easier one to follow than the old road."

from Experience and Education (1938)

Many of these quotes support the direction of this dissertation. If students are seeing school in a way that say a homeowner sees a contractor- someone who has expertise and can constribute to or vision- then there are many reasons to believe academic effort will increase. So are there systems that can be put into use to help students reflect and then to inspire them to own their academic growth?