John Dewey: Learning by Doing
You learn best by being active and working on real-life projects and problems.
Experiential Learning
“learning from experience.”
Encourage learning by doing, promoting hands-on experiences and active participation.
Interdisciplinary Approach:
Integrate subjects to make learning more holistic and interconnected.
Democratic Classroom:
Give students a voice in their learning process and classroom governance.
Reflective Thinking:
Promote regular self-reflection to help students think about their learning.
Community Engagement:
Connect learning to the community and the world beyond the classroom.
Potential Child Development Outcomes
Practical Skills Development:
Children develop practical skills and learn to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world scenarios.
Enhanced Cognitive Connections:
This can lead to better understanding and retention as children see the links between different areas of knowledge.
Civic Skills and Responsibility:
Children learn the principles of democracy and responsibility, fostering a sense of agency and empowerment
Metacognitive Skills
Children develop the ability to think about their own thinking, improving their self-awareness and learning strategies.
Social Awareness and Empathy
Children understand their role in the community and develop empathy and social skills.
DO: Experience
Participants/learners take part in educational activities.
REFLECT: Share
Participants reflect on what happened throughout the event
REFLECT: Process
Examine how the activity was carried out.
APPLY: Generalize
Show connection between your activity and a life skill
APPLY: Apply
Connect your new talent to your daily life.
In a Deweyan classroom, students might build models, test out experiments, or collaborate on real-world problems. They’re not just learning about concepts—they’re applying them. This kind of learning fosters creativity, critical thinking, and personal growth. It helps students develop the confidence and flexibility they’ll need not just in school, but in life.