Tag Archives: John Dewey

Frigga Haug and the mystery of learning

Posted on December 6, 2022 by Eddie Playfair

How does learning happen? What exactly is going on when we acquire knowledge or skill? When we consider our own education, it’s evident that over time we learn quite a lot – some of it may even overlap with what … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Teaching and learning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Why the comprehensive college?

Posted on September 20, 2020 by Eddie Playfair

When we talk about education, we are talking about both the personal and the social – the ‘small’ and the ‘big’. As individuals, what we know and can do goes to the very heart of our identity. We are engaged … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Education policy, NewVIc | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Knowledge-rich and skills-rich

Posted on August 18, 2019 by Eddie Playfair

We can learn a lot from the telly. Skills competitions like ‘Bake Off’ and ‘Strictly’ and quiz shows like ‘University Challenge’ and ‘Mastermind’ are among the most popular programmes on TV. These shows fall into two main camps, reflecting a … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Philosophy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Jane Addams and John Dewey

Posted on August 1, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

The Toynbee papers #2 An imagined conversation. Toynbee Hall, Commercial street, Whitechapel, 1921. Jane Addams of Chicago is greeting her old friend John Dewey who has just arrived. John, my dear friend – welcome to Toynbee Hall. I trust you … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, History | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Grammaire de Gramsci et Dialectique de Dewey.

Posted on December 30, 2015 by Eddie Playfair

‘Dewey eyed optimism : the possibility of a democratic education’ – James Donald (1992) (Original post in English available here) Il y a plus de 20 ans que j’ai découvert cet essai dans l’édition de Mars / Avril 1992 de la … Continue reading →

Posted in en Francais | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

‘Not for Profit’ by Martha Nussbaum

Posted on July 31, 2015 by Eddie Playfair

In Not for Profit (2010), the U.S. philosopher and academic Martha Nussbaum argues that we are in the midst of a global crisis in education. Why? Because we are too willing to neglect the skills we need to keep democracy … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Gramsci’s grammar and Dewey’s dialectic.

Posted on December 18, 2014 by Eddie Playfair

James Donald’s ‘Dewey-eyed optimism’ Over 20 years ago I read a short review article which re-examined the relationship between knowledge, skill, vocationalism and a broad liberal education. It helped me see that progressive educators could value knowledge and tradition as … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Philosophy, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Education as a whole and in its parts

Posted on November 29, 2014 by Eddie Playfair

Creating a successful learning community Our college mission is to ‘create a successful learning community’. While this only applies to our small part of the education system it’s not a bad aspiration for the whole system. So what would be … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Philosophy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Maxine Greene: resisting one-dimensionality

Posted on June 13, 2014 by Eddie Playfair

Maxine Greene, the eminent American teacher, teacher educator and educational philosopher died last month aged 96. She is relatively little known in the UK and her passing doesn’t seem to have registered much in the British education media. It’s too … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Philosophy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Post-16 citizenship in tough times

Posted on May 28, 2014 by Eddie Playfair

The times we live in demand more than ever that we assume responsibility for ensuring that all young people are educated for global citizenship, in other words for survival. What might this look like post-16? The context The current context … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, NewVIc, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Progs and trads: is a synthesis possible?

Posted on March 22, 2014 by Eddie Playfair

Dialectical pairings like “radical traditionalism” or “revolutionary reformism” may seem paradoxical but instead of cancelling each other out, the contradictions they contain can make us think about each idea in relation to the other. This is not just an attempt … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Teaching and learning | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments