The Education of John Dewey - a biography by Jay Martin Essay

The Education of John Dewey - a biography by Jay Martin - Essay Example John Dewey was considered as one of the most ten important thinkers in the history of the country of America. This was of the many instances of popularity he achieved during his lifetime from his birth in the year 1859 till his death in 1952. The short hand word of Pragmatism identified his line of thinking conventionally. The body of thought as prescribed by the prominent thinker has been identified as one of the distinctive philosophy of the American society that had been ruling the philosophy of the country for the last fifty years. The work he had done for the education system of the society has still been famous and influential in recent period in the eve of the changing world and has been considerably famous for the worldwide system of education. According to him education is the immediate necessity of life. The ascendance of multiculturalism and that of independent thinking of individuals in the American pedagogy of the contemporary period was anticipated in the educational wo rks that had been done by him in his lifetime. In the emerging democracies of the present world The University of Chicago Laboratory School that have been founded by him in the year 1896 has been a model for the schools and also in entire world of schools. John Dewey had well established himself as one of the eminent reformers of the education system of the country.... The movement of progressive education emphasized on attacking the established education system of the country from both inside and outside the establishment. However, according to some critics of the education philosophy of John Dewey, the philosophy had racial assumptions underlying it. The famous child centered education philosophy of John Dewey holds true for the American as well as the European American students but not for the African Americans. Apart from this criticism the educational thoughts propagated by him had been truly helpful for education of every society of the country. There was a need of continuous interaction of the classroom education of an individual along with experience of his real life. There is the need of students in continuously learning the use of the past experience of the individual along with the present one for the attainment of decisions intelligent enough in the future. Education of the individual is defined as the only process in achieving so. Acco rding to John Dewey harmonization of individuals with the people of the society, which is involved in the growth of the mental power of individuals, is the ultimate meaning of education. A democratic society in the country could only be evolved with the achievement of education with respect to the intelligence capacity of each individual of the society along with his or her own uniqueness. Dewey perceived democracy as a ‘â€Å"way of life† founded on a working belief in the possibilities of human nature and in the capacity of humans for â€Å"intelligent judgment and action† (Martin 438). He addressed the League for Industrial Democracy in 1931 and suggested the ban of Japanese commodities unless they receded their forces from the borders

Leadership Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Leadership - Coursework Example These numerous studies have identified a variety of skills, personalities, and competencies that leaders possess. These studies include the renowned political and sociological legendary leaders as well as in the organizational set up. In the present context, an evaluation of the concept of leadership is done based on the teachings of Hughes, Ginnett and Curphy (2008) who assert that leadership is a complex phenomenon that involves the leader, the followers, and the situation. In the present context, leadership is assessed based on these three critical elements; in addition, leadership skills essential for effective leadership have been evaluated. Further, impact of management on leadership and vice versa has also been assessed. These evaluations are based on leadership conceptualization of Hughes et al (2008) with reference to leadership conceptualization made by Zenger and Folkman (2009). References have been made to Zaleznik’s (1992) article that differentiates manages from leaders. Personal experiences with respect to leadership have also been opined and explained. Considering Hughes et al.’s (2008) explanation of leadership, it is difficult to arrive at one specific definition of leadership because the definition depends upon the kind of leader being studied, the situation as well as the followers’ perception of their leader.... These people are self driven and proactive. However, for leaders to be effective, they must possess specific skills, which will enhance their effectiveness as leaders. Zaleznik (1992) describes individual leader as a person with unique qualities that distinguishes the leader form the rest of the group on the basis of courage, personality, and ability to control others. This does not mean that leaders tend to exert power or authority to control others or display their courage. Though famous leaders are known to have lead by these qualities, they possess other qualities that actually attract huge masses of people into believing in what the leader believes and influence them to achieving what the leader envisages. This means the leader’s vision eventually becomes people’s shared vision. Leaders can exert such influence on others through their effective and powerful communication, convincing abilities, inspiring speeches, conversations as well as actions. Zaleznik (1992) ar gued that leadership cannot be taught or trained; however, Hughes et al (2008) assert that leadership can be taught and leaders can be made. Usually great leaders or highly talented people emerge from those who were once seen as submissive, self-absorbed, or indifferent. Zaleznik (1992) refers to Albert Einstein, who was once seen as a mediocre and timid student in school and later became the world’s renowned scientist through his irrefutable discoveries and propositions. Einstein is known as a human being with unique set of abilities and passion for his work. Though he is known to be highly talented, he was extremely hardworking and passionate towards his work, which took him to the great discoveries. Other such notable leaders are Abraham