After reading Innovators at PBS and The Makers of Modern Schooling by John Gatto I was a little unsure how to approach this blog. There is a deep contrast between the two sites. In Innovators we puruse people who actually made it their life mission to make a change in education. In "Makers", it came down to more of an opinion as to why we are sent to school. So I looked at each one closer.
In Innovators we had several individuals who, over the last two centuries, made positive changes to our educational system. They not only made education accessible to the common man, but also to women and minorities. However, it was John Dewey who stood out to me the most to me. John Dewey was an educated man receiving his PhD from Johns Hopkins University in 1884. Dewey was a philosopher and psychologist making many contributions in his fields. He also helped to shape 20th century America. (John Dewey: American Pragmatist p1)
In education Dewey put for the idea that education should be grounded in experience. "In Experience and Education he stated that education should be based on a child's psychological and physical development and the world outside the classroom." This is a concept that our educational system has attempted to incorporate over the last century. Dewey's concept basically taught the educators that every child is different, learns differently and their learning is effected by their home and social environment.(Innovators, p2)
In "Makers" the whole article was basically an opinion of education. It seemed to state that big industry and its bosses are the creators of the school system and what determines what is taught. Somehow keeping students down and bored is how the makers want students. If the kids are bored they will be better consumers and better workers in the factories and industry. (The Makers of Modern Schooling)
I really didn't see a lot of proof for these ideas and found it offensive. I've watched the teachers I work with inspire and engage their students. They are successfully putting their student's futures in their own hands to achieve the goals they want to and that's in a school of mostly below poverty level students.
However, since a part of the discussion was to choose on "Maker" I chose Henry Ford. Ford like many of his counterparts had a standard education. He then left home at 16 to become an apprentice in a machine shop. After working for Edison Illuminating Company, he began to work on his own designs and experiments to later create the Model T and helped to found the modern car industry. He followed his dreams and goals and made a huge impact on America. ("The Life of Henry Ford")
I don't, however, see how Henry Ford made great impacts on education. He did develop the Ford foundation which gives grants to education.
Overall I found the "Innovator"s article much more relevent to actually making a difference in education. The "Innovators" definitely impacted the school system we have today.
1. "The Life of Henry Ford" Retrieved from http://www.hfmgv.org/exhibits/hf/
2. "John Dewey, American Pragmatist" Retrieved from http://dewey.pragmatism.org/
3. "Innovators" PBS
4. "The Makers of Modern Schooling" The Odysseus Group, John Taylor Gatto
