There are three “ancient” ideas that I feel still hold true today. The first one is the teaching of the Passover to children depending on the individual’s differences. This reminds me of choosing texts for my students. I may choose a specific text (picture book or novel) to teach a life skill, foster a sense of community, or help develop a trait in students’ that appears to be lacking. The text can be used in several ways throughout the year, and children receive different perspectives depending on my presentation. The second is Quintilian condemning physical force in the classroom. I do believe that physical force is not the answer to handle behavioral issues, but if all the students are engaged and take ownership of their learning, their minds will not fall prey to misbehavior which usually stems from boredom, lack of understanding, frustration, or negative interactions with other student. We as educators need to know the individuals and their needs and interests and design our plans to meet them as well as be aligned with the state standards. Finally, Vives mentions evaluation of students based on progress and not comparing to other students. This is definitely coming into play as our monolingual population is decreasing and ELL learners have become the majority in our schools. Usually, our ELL learners are not on grade level; however, they show tremendous amount of growth within school years, but it is not acknowledged because the proof is in the OAKS testing which they usually do not pass.
Thorndike was a very analytical, logical, and methodical man. Only science would save education. Mind and science were to be foundation for education and not research, observations, nor emotions. James was the pioneer of pragmatism. He encouraged intentional instruction to children that created lifetime habits and behavior that society intact. He also felt that testing ideas and seeing if they work; then, truth can be determined. Hall urged research to occur outside of the sterile laboratories and go out into the highways and byways to see how education really happens. He believed the children need to touch and feel something to understand and be instructed in the relationships between objects. Dewey believed that student have needs, impulses (stimuli), and habits. Educators are to discover these about the children and use them in guiding their instruction to making leaning meaningful. I would consider it an individualized learning plan for each child.
As I contemplate the contrasting views of Thorndike and James to Hall and Dewey, I side with Dewey and Hall. I try to “get my hands dirty” and stay out of stagnancy that can be found in laboratories, unrealistic and unreliable research, and look to my kids to determine how teaching should be. I constantly think about how I learn, with my hands, eyes, and experiences to name a few. Because this is how I learn, this is my approach in the classroom. I try to find any available realia, photos, or and perform experiments or any other “hands-on activities.” As I observe my students on a daily basis, I realize their needs and interests and use them as the springboard into instruction.
Furthermore, the critical need to incorporate visuals and the use of the five senses into the classroom instruction was first envisioned by humanist thinker, Comenius. It is not surprising that many contemporary classrooms are outfitted with technological tools such as computers, multimedia projectors, document cameras, and a variety of visual ai
Unfortunately, Thorndike had tunnel vision when it came to his wholesale allegiance to science and disdain for correlating this knowledge with classroom instruction. His cold ivory tower approach to educational research negatively impacted the field of educational psychology. Tragically, he was so over confidant in his own scientific theories, he never allowed them to be field-tested in various school settings. Pragmatism was supplanted by arrogance. Empirical data from the laboratory of the classroom was deemed irrelevant. Over time, the momentum of Educational Psychology was derailed by the perceived aloofness of its practitioners.
Later, several Love and Logic books (Fay & Funk, 1995) were published. The situations described were very helpful and relevant to real situations. I especially appreciated that the authors remind the reader that we are all human and if the parent or teacher makes a mistake, there is nothing to worry about. The children will give us another chance to respond “properly”. This is a far cry from the turn of the century attitude of early psychologists. So, while there have been many changes in psychology and education, we have more than changed. We have evolved.
Carolyn-
What a great idea to connect Love and Logic to this topic! I never would have considered it in regards to Thorndike, James, Hall, and Dewey. I think that authors Cline and Fay would be associated with Dewey and Hall but abhor Thorndike and James. Both Hall and Dewey encouraged research to be done in the daily life of children and teachers and not in sterile laboratories. Find out what are the children’s needs and interests and work from there to begin planning instruction. The love and logic approach is very similar. The simple and practical techniques are based on a child’s needs and/or actions and help to guide the student to change their behavior and to be responsible, make good choices, and face consequences
Speaking from your experience, describe how the views of Dewey and Thorndike have (or have not) made their way into today's schools. Do you believe it is true, as Tomlinson maintains, that Thorndike's views have largely taken precedence over Dewey's? Answer from your own schooling experiences. Also from your own experiences, think about whether your vision of education and teaching are closer to Dewey's ideas or to Thorndike's. Finally, sketch out an "alternate path" that could have been taken in educational psychology, and in schools, if Thorndike's ideas had not taken precedence over Dewey's. How wouldteaching and learninglook different?