Comapring Gardners Model to the Theory of John Dewey Essay -- Teachin

Philosophers are part of history, caught in its movement; creators perhaps in some measure of its future, but also assuredly creatures of its past.-John Dewey American philosopher, social commentator, idealist, educator, and democratic theorist, John Dewey has had a profound impact on America's educational system. Proponent of change and advocate of "hands-on" learning and interactive classrooms, Dewey accomplished a great deal in his long life, (interestingly enough, he is the only major philosopher to live beyond his ninetieth year). He is the one professional philosopher of our age whose ideas have touched the common man through institutional changes in education and social action. Born on October 20, 1859, in Burlington Vermont, John Dewey was born into a small-town middle class family. His father was a reasonably successful town grocer and tobacconist, while his mother, almost twenty years younger and "better-born", had come from a prominent Vermont family. Dewey remembered his mother as a woman of great piety, strict with her sons, and frequently questioning their "rightness with Jesus". Until he was almost thirty years old, the greater part of Dewey's intellectual life was concerned with mediating between the core of evangelicalism that his mother had given him and life as men live it, particularly the intellectual life of the later nineteenth century. Mrs. Dewey prized the principles of work, prayer, benevolence, maternity, and ambitious goals for her family. The disappointment of her marriage seems to have led her to seek an exaggerated sense of self-reliance. Due to her strong convictions, the home life of her three sons was very demanding. The teachings of his mother left Dewey with the notion that the world... ...ample is the characteristic of egoism among creative individuals. This also seems obvious, especially when dealing with the individuals he has chosen, as they are all famous and recognized worldwide for their achievements. On the whole I do not agree with Gardner's model, and I believe that it is somehow wrong to stereotype and dissect people to the extent that he has. But hey, maybe that's why I'm not an psychology or phyciatry major. Works Cited 1. Hook, Sidney. John Dewey: Philosopher of Science and Freedom. 1950. Dial Press. New York 2. Campbell, James. Understanding John Dewey. 1995. Open Court. Chicago, Illinois 3. Johnson, A.H. The Wit and Wisdom of John Dewey. 1949. The Beacon Press. Boston. 4. http://www.albany.edu/~dkw42/s2-dewey-progr.html 5. http://education.ucdavis.edu/ACADEMIC/EDU120/dewey1.html 6. http://www.fred.net/tzaka/demointr.html