DESCRIPTION OF LESSON
This lesson described is meant to be a culminating activity following the completion of the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer.
Upon completion of the reading of the poem, students are asked to spend the next ten days on a creative project. The guidelines of the project are very broad in the sense that the students are encouraged to choose an area of interest to them, related to The Odyssey, and combine this interest with an interest of their own and create a presentation for the class demonstrating their knowledge.
For example, some possible projects would be as follows:
- Research the costumes worn during Ancient Greece and create an illustrated catalog of these designs or actually create an imitation of one of these designs. The actual costume could be life-sized or doll-sized.
- Research the types of food eaten in Ancient Greece or Modern Greece and create a cookbook or bring in samples of these dishes to share with the class.
- Research the weapons at the time of the poem and create a book of weapons.
- Using paint, clay or another art medium, create a depiction of a scene from the poem or demonstrate various Greek gods/goddesses.
After a student chooses an area of interest, the classroom then becomes a research center for him/her to find ways of discovering information needed to complete his/her project. The student is then responsible for sharing the knowledge discovered with the class, both as an oral presentation and a tangible demonstration.
The possibilities are virtually limitless. Each student can explore an area of interest and then discover his or her own way to demonstrate the findings for the class. The classroom environment is one in which each student works individually at his/her own level of interest and own pace. The teacher's role is that of mentor/coach in assisting the students as they find information on their own. For example, the student may need the teacher to help him/her in locating the information needed.
The students in this environment are following an approach which is highly supported by John Dewey in the sense that the knowledge is student guided and built on students' interests. It is also highly individualized. The students are able to build on prior knowledge, but are not restricted to it. Students may encounter problems or lists of questions regarding the area in which they are studying, but the students must then use their problem-solving abilities to research or solve those problems.
PHILOSOPHICAL BASE OF THE CURRICULUM PRESENTED IN LESSON
As stated before, the lesson described follows very closely the philosophy of educator John Dewey (1859-1952). Dewey lived during a time in which schools considered children as products on an assembly line to be educated as a group, rather than as individuals. John Dewey was considered to be a very radical philosopher for the time in which he lived, however, because he believed that students learn at their own pace, as individuals, and as their interests are sparked. His philosophical ideas have now become widely used throughout the realms of education. In Kentucky, much of the philosophical background for the Kentucky Education Reform Act can be traced back to John Dewey and his educational methods such as individual learning and hands-on experiences.
In the lesson stated, the Deweyan approach can be found in the following areas:
Curriculum - Teach the child, not the content. Concentrate on levels of interest and prior knowledge. Use "teachable moments" when the child's interest has been peaked, even if it is not necessarily a scheduled lesson for the day.
Purpose - Students should be viewed as thinkers, not receivers of rote knowledge. Problem -solving is highly desirable as a skill to be taught and exercised.
How we learn - Children learn as individuals, not as a group. Students also base their level of understanding on prior knowledge.
Techniques - Individualized instruction should be used. Teaching should we aimed at the natural curiosity of children.
Essential Nature - The essential nature of learning is that learning is natural and that culture and nature are greater than experience and nature. There are four areas of interest in children : construction, inquiry, expressing artistically and communicating.
Perception of Reality - Dewey is considered a "naturalistic" philosopher i.e. explanations are given in terms of natural phenomenon.
Ethics - Dewey's philosophy of education was the belief that life is observable.
Thinking - Student's learn as individuals, not as a group. Dewey also believed that knowledge is bigger than truth.
Dewey also believed firmly in the scientific method in that he believed that the best teaching is observable.
The lesson described earlier follows Dewey's philosophical beliefs almost exactly. The students are learning as individuals. They are able to draw on prior knowledge and are encouraged to be thinkers, rather than memorizers of rote knowledge. The learning that is employed is done so at a level of natural curiosity chosen by each student. Also, the projects done by the students employ the four interests of children as stated by Dewey. The projects involve construction in the building of the project, inquiry in researching the area of interest, expressing artistically in the creation of the project and finally, communicating as the student gives the oral presentation of his/her newly discovered knowledge.
DESCRIPTION OF THE NATURE OF THE LEARNER AND LEARNING PROCESS / TYPES OF THINKING INVOLVED IN THE LESSON
As stated earlier, Dewey believed that children have a natural level of curiosity which, when tapped into, allows for the best type of learning to occur. He also believed that children optimal learning occurs at an individual level. As demonstrated above, the lesson depicted follows both of these main themes of Deweyan philosophy. The students are able to choose their own areas of natural interest for their creative projects and each student works individually. Problem-solving that may occur is handled by the individual student with assistance, as needed, by the teacher who works solely as mentor.
DESCRIPTION OF THE TEACHER/STUDENT RELATIONSHIP
In the classroom, the teacher/student relationship is highly important in regard to philosophical viewpoints and how a classroom atmosphere evolves. In a classroom such as the one previously described, the teacher continues to follow a Deweyan approach in the way in which he/she relates to the students. For example, most student/teacher relationships fall into two primary categories:
- Teacher as lecturer /or distributor of knowledge and rule enforcer.
- Teacher as mentor/coach or assistant to the students as they discover knowledge independently.
In the case of the earlier described classroom, the teacher takes the second approach regarding the student/teacher relationship. He/She acts as a coach in assisting the student(s) to choose an activity relating to The Odyssey which interests them individually. The teacher assists the student in finding information which has stimulated his/her natural curiosity rather than making the student submit to an area of knowledge which perhaps the student is not interested in at this time. By helping the student to find out the knowledge for himself/herself , the student/teacher relationship is that of mentor/coach rather than the teacher as lecturer/distributor of knowledge. This clearly follows John Dewey's philosophical approach as he believed that the role of the teacher was to assist students in following their natural interests.
In conclusion, the lesson described is one which typifies many of today's classrooms. It allows for a lot of hands-on activities which are student-based and are used to solidify knowledge previously employed. The students work individually with assistance from the teacher, as well as from their peers. These forms of learning are clearly based upon the philosophical beliefs as originated by John Dewey over one hundred years ago, yet they are still as beneficial and highly utilized today. Views that were once thought of by Dewey's peers as highly radical are relatively commonplace in the world of education today.
(treasurer@kcte.org)