In today’s fast-paced society, no one ever takes a moment to pause and question the purpose of education. Everyone simply assumes that education’s aim is to get employed. Although there is a great need for STEM employees across the nation, countless jobs continue to be vacant. This comes as a result of the applicants not meeting the non-STEM skills that many of the employers are looking for in an employee. One may be able to perform tasks properly, however they lack many qualities such as critical thinking, time management, problem solving, teamwork, and the ability to network with people in the field. A liberal arts education, rooted in a civic-based approach, does not aim to train students for a certain career, it offers students the opportunity
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Dewey’s educational philosophy called for students to engage in their community in order to learn, almost calling for education to be a tool of politics. David L. Palmer, who focuses in critical theory with a concentration in education, and his colleague Christina Standerfer in their article, “Employing Civic Participation in College Teaching Designs,” argues that there is a direct correlation between education and democracy. Palmer and Standerfer assert, “Traditional education situates student learning prior to real-world application, a practice Dewey (1985) labels ‘objective teaching.’ Students are taught to gain a technical understanding of concepts prior to translating the ideas into purposeful action” . In that regard, Dewey’s view of education called for a class setting that exemplified democratic ideals, in which the student and the teacher had an equal say and participation in the classroom. Students and teachers learned side by side, catering to the needs and interests of the student. In making education democratic, Dewey called for freedom articulated through class discussion and common values that result from community …show more content…
Yet without the proper skills of converting this information to knowledge, this only intensifies the failure of the current system. Christopher Lasch in his book, The Revolt of the Elites: And the Betrayal of Democracy, highlights the importance of utilizing the information that individuals encounter on a daily basis. Lasch argues, “When we get into arguments that focus and fully engage our attention, we become avid seekers of relevant information. Otherwise we take in information passively—if we take it in at all” . Thus, Dewey’s educational philosophy’s reliance on communication requires students and teachers to utilize their engagement in civic and political life in order to make connections and indulge in discourse with others. In his chapter, “The Lost Art of Argument,” Lasch asserts, “It is the act of articulating and defending our views that lifts them out of the category of ‘opinions,’ and gives them shape and definition, and makes it possible for others to recognize them as a description of their own experience as well. In short, we come to know our own minds only by explaining ourselves to others” . By entering into dialogue with individuals unlike themselves, these skills can be applied as students and citizens. Dewey argued for a curriculum centered around many different subjects so that students may freely choose the direction they want to take when it comes to their education. Teachers, serving
Dewey’s educational philosophy called for students to engage in their community in order to learn, almost calling for education to be a tool of politics. David L. Palmer, who focuses in critical theory with a concentration in education, and his colleague Christina Standerfer in their article, “Employing Civic Participation in College Teaching Designs,” argues that there is a direct correlation between education and democracy. Palmer and Standerfer assert, “Traditional education situates student learning prior to real-world application, a practice Dewey (1985) labels ‘objective teaching.’ Students are taught to gain a technical understanding of concepts prior to translating the ideas into purposeful action” . In that regard, Dewey’s view of education called for a class setting that exemplified democratic ideals, in which the student and the teacher had an equal say and participation in the classroom. Students and teachers learned side by side, catering to the needs and interests of the student. In making education democratic, Dewey called for freedom articulated through class discussion and common values that result from community …show more content…
Yet without the proper skills of converting this information to knowledge, this only intensifies the failure of the current system. Christopher Lasch in his book, The Revolt of the Elites: And the Betrayal of Democracy, highlights the importance of utilizing the information that individuals encounter on a daily basis. Lasch argues, “When we get into arguments that focus and fully engage our attention, we become avid seekers of relevant information. Otherwise we take in information passively—if we take it in at all” . Thus, Dewey’s educational philosophy’s reliance on communication requires students and teachers to utilize their engagement in civic and political life in order to make connections and indulge in discourse with others. In his chapter, “The Lost Art of Argument,” Lasch asserts, “It is the act of articulating and defending our views that lifts them out of the category of ‘opinions,’ and gives them shape and definition, and makes it possible for others to recognize them as a description of their own experience as well. In short, we come to know our own minds only by explaining ourselves to others” . By entering into dialogue with individuals unlike themselves, these skills can be applied as students and citizens. Dewey argued for a curriculum centered around many different subjects so that students may freely choose the direction they want to take when it comes to their education. Teachers, serving