Need of Progressive Education for Your Kid

Progressive education is a pedagogical movement which at the expense of understanding what is being taught, values experience over learning facts. Thus, we can say that it is a reaction to the traditional teaching style. Some educators felt the need for progressive education after examining the curriculum and teaching styles of the 19^th century.

Learning How to Think

The progressive education says that rather than relying on rote memorization, children should be taught how to think. The heart of this style of teaching is learning by doing. In experiential learning, student’s knowledge is put to use by using projects which actively engage them in activities.

 Experiential learning, help students develop the skills like creativity, ability to work independently, critical thinking, teamwork, etc. which are required to be the productive member at the workplace and also preparing for college. In this way, students get to experience real-world situations.

Deep Roots

 An American philosopher, John Dewey, also an educator, with his influential writing, started the progressive education movement. Thus, it is not a modern invention and has deep roots.

Dewey thought that education should be such which do not make students learn mindless facts which they would soon forget but help students to create and understand experiences. Learning isn’t possible if the life experiences and the finishing school activities of the students aren’t connected. He felt that earlier schools tried to create a world separate from student’s lives but completely cutting off the psychological ties would make students’ learning less memorable and their journey less meaningful.

The "Harness Table"

co ed schools in dehradun says progressive education requires the teacher to interact with students as a facilitator and encourage them to think and question the world around them, while the teacher leads the classroom from the front in traditional education.

 A philanthropist, Edward Harness, developed a way of learning named Harness Method, in which the teacher sits at a round table among students. He thought that teaching should be such in which a teacher sits among students around a table and talk to them and teach them by a conference method or tutorial.

 As a result of his thinking, a round table was created, which was named after him so as to facilitate teacher-student interaction during class.

Progressive Education Today

The community of schools called The Independent Curriculum Group adopted progressive education, which says that just like the heart of any program, students' "needs, voices and capacities' should be included in the same way in their education. Their leaning can be a doorway to discovery and purpose or it can end unto itself.

This article is contributed by Ecole Globale International School.

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