Isn't it so common to hear in the classroom, "Why do we even have to learn this? What is the point? When will I ever use this in life?" Many students feel that some of the subjects they are required to study in school are just plain useless. A good teach though can show the real world applications for that particular topic and that the knowledge they are gaining will serve a purpose and be needed some day. That seems to be the basic principle of pragmatism education.
In our text, Education The Practice and Profession of Teaching, John Dewey is quoted stating, "When people are educated pragmatically, they are prepared for life." (127) This type of education focuses on problem solving, critical thinking, and the consequences to one's actions. At a very young age, students are taught through activities and real life situation they will face some day. It is a creative, hands on way of learning. These practical experiences provide insight to the student that they can then use later in life to be successful. Pragmatists also feel that all subjects should be intertwined and connected so students can understand their full purpose. They feel that students who are educated this way posses the characteristics of: "self-confidence, self-reliance, co-operation, sacrifice, sympathy, empathy, mutual respect for others, tolerance, self-control, and originality." These students they say become responsible, contributing remembers of society and successful in life.
In early education, field trips could be used for pragmatic education. This is a hands on way for students to leave the classroom and learn about something in the natural world. Instead of reading a book and being lectured about food production, the teachers can take the students to a farm in the country to see and touch the crops in its natural state. They can go out into the field and have a discussion about what they experienced that day. This type of education is also what technical and vocation high schools are all about. It gets the students directly involved in their learning that they will use as a career later in life. Pragmatic learning seems to cut the fat from education and simply focus on the main structure bones that will be useful for the students throughout their lives. I think it is a good way to educate children because it shows them that what they are learning has a purpose. The students are focused on their learning because it truly involves them and then gives them the tools to be successful in life.
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