Nature walks, muddy shoes, wet clothes and constant sweating…… not exactly my definition of fun. Knowing that I would eventually have to take this class, I always dreaded the thought of dealing with the unusual syllabus. That is probably why I have waited until my senior year to take this class. The first day of class I was slightly relieved that my professor seemed like a very nice, down to earth guy. He explained that the following class we would be taking a wet walk around the campus. Again, not super excited! He also explained that our grade would be comprised of a series of journals and papers about readings and our field trips. At this point, I am trying to keep as open of a mind as I could.
A few days after class, I decided I needed to sit down and get the readings done. It only took 30 seconds before I realized I was in hell with these readings. John Dewey is probably the driest author I have ever read! I do not like reading about educational styles and experiences in the first place, but this guy made it even worse. However, after hearing one girl ask, “How do we get an A in this class?” And the professor answering, “by doing the readings/journals, coming to class and the field trips, etc.” I knew I had to keep going.
I think what Dewey was trying to say was that a traditional education system is not effective. He feels that the students are way too disconnected from the teacher because the teacher’s education level surpasses that of the student by so much. It is nearly impossible for a child to learn when they cannot comprehend what the teacher is telling them. I do not know if I totally buy this thought process, however I see where he is coming from. His main thought was that students need to experience learning hands on for it to be effective. I think this is what we are supposed to be doing with the colloquium class.
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