Product Description
Laurel Tanner examines closely the practices and policies of Dewey’s Laboratory School from its inception to the current day. There are extensive excerpts from the school’s teachers’ reports and other original records, and the volume provides a wealth of practical guidance on how schools today can introduce Deweyan reforms the way they were originally – and successfully – practised…. More >>
Dewey’s Laboratory School: Lessons for Today
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#1 by Anonymous on January 27, 2010 - 12:48 am
Unfortunately, I must say I did not enjoy reading this book. I had trouble separating Dewey’s contributions from other educators. Reading this book was like watching a movie with 4 or 5 story lines/plots. I had to search to figure out if I was reading Dewey’s or other educators ideas. Dewey had some great ideas but they were not easily identified in the book. I liked the objectives of Dewey’s school; but the way this book was written you could not fully emerge yourself into the book.
It is true that a lot of Dewey’s ideas are present today and are needed today. The hands-on approach and problem solving skills are greatly needed by students. The layout of the book made it hard to follow Dewey’s concepts. The format of the book clearly is not the best way to highlight Dewey’s great accomplishments.
This is not the type of book, I would recommend for a first year teacher; even though there are some great ideas in this book. I had to read several pages to understand Dewey’s educational goals. This book did not capture my attention within the first few pages. As I stated earlier, it is unfortunate the writer did not present these wonderful ideas in a more interesting format.
Rating: 2 / 5
#2 by Emily Parrott on January 27, 2010 - 1:38 am
Dewey’s Laboratory School – Lessons for Today was a very informative resource that provided an in-depth view into John Dewey’s University Laboratory School of the late 1800s and early 1900s. Tanner definitely spent some time in collecting her research from the University of Chicago and she able to compile a concise, yet very detailed and informative overview of the school. She also did a wonderful job of making comparisons between Dewey’s school and the public schools of today. Tanner forces the reader to really evaluate their educational experience against the experiences of Dewey’s students and to question the way in which public schools are educating our children today.
Some of Tanner’s writing is dry and she uses many quotes and citations that, at times, seem overwhelming, but overall, this book is a helpful resource for educators to look into when considering school reform, curriculum reconstruction, etc. There are, indeed many lessons to be learned from Dewey’s Laboratory School.
Rating: 4 / 5
#3 by Pamela White on January 27, 2010 - 1:43 am
Dewey’s Laboratory School, Lesson for Today by Laurel N. Tanner is a must read! Tanner provides individual schools, school districts and teacher a road map to success. She gives us insight to Dewey’s educational ideas, as well as, discusses how Dewey along with his staff explored and implemented these ideas. They were able to create, with much success, a cooperative learning society for their students, which many schools are trying to recreate today. The style in which Tanner compares the practices and policies of Dewey’s Laboratory School with todays schools is excellent. She compares how Dewey used children’s curiosities and life activities that were familiar to them as spring boards to construct curriculum that helped children learn important concepts. Tanner takes this example and talks about how schools today, which are searching for models to help improve their schools, are missing the opportunity to take advantage of this vauable research as a way to apply children’s curiosities to guide curriculum. This comparison, along with others in this book, forces us to take a closer look and evaluate as administrators and teachers our school’s practices and policies and to see if they demonstrate the lessons learned from Dewey’s Laboratory School.
Rating: 4 / 5
#4 by Kristi Dameron on January 27, 2010 - 2:17 am
Would you like to improve your school and teaching career? IF so this is a must read book. This book is full of “new” ideas and practices that have been in place for almost 100 years.
Here a famous educator Dewey provides us with a wealth of knowledge from his discovery and leadership from his development of a Laboratory School. Here are just a few ways to rate your school as a Dewey school.
* Children are engaged in the learning process.
* Teachers are seen as specialist in their field.
* There is a close relationship with a university.
* Teachers work together in planning.
If this describes your school then read the book for more…
If you like history in schools this is for you. This book gives lessons from the early 1900’s that are helpful in current practices of today.
This book is a must read for every educator everywhere.
Rating: 5 / 5
#5 by Kristi Dameron on January 27, 2010 - 4:26 am
Would you like to improve your school and teaching career? IF so this is a must read book. This book is full of “new” ideas and practices that have been in place for almost 100 years.
Here a famous educator Dewey provides us with a wealth of knowledge from his discovery and leadership from his development of a Laboratory School. Here are just a few ways to rate your school as a Dewey school.
* Children are engaged in the learning process.
* Teachers are seen as specialist in their field.
* There is a close relationship with a university.
* Teachers work together in planning.
If this describes your school then read the book for more…
If you like history in schools this is for you. This book gives lessons from the early 1900’s that are helpful in current practices of today.
This book is a must read for every educator everywhere.
Rating: 5 / 5