Explanation of the Progressive theory

1. Progressivism
By: Taylor Lofton

2. What is Progressivism?
 The idea that students learn best from
what they consider relevant in their lives
 Students work in groups to learn
cooperation and social skills
 Importance on skills that will help them for
the rest of their life, not just on tests
 Helps students to formulate meaningful
questions and devise strategies to answer
these questions

3. Goal of Progressivism
 The goal of
progressivism is for
students to become
intelligent problem
solvers
 Students will be
socially aware
citizens who are
prepared to live
comfortably in the
world

4. John Dewey
 Dewey believed that
people learn best from
social interaction in the real
world
 He believed book learning
was no substitute for
actually doing things
 Formed that Laboratory
School, which used many
group methods such as
field trips, role plying and
dramatizations

5. Nel Noddings
 Believes that an ethic of
care can best be made
when curriculum is
centered on students
 Challenges schools to
nourish the physical,
spiritual, occupational, and
intellectual development of
each child

6. What do students do?
 Work in small groups
 Work on different projects in different
groups (centers)
 Instead of talking in front of the room, the
teacher will be walking around
 They will not be worried about
standardized testing
 Use of computer simulations, field trips
and art-based learning
What do teachers do?

7. Why Progressivism?
 I think Progressivism is a theory that I would
definitely like to bring to my classroom
 Students should not just be taught for a test,
they should be taught to handle themselves
in the real world
 Social skills are also very important in our
society
 I want to make sure my students are
interested and enjoy learning as much as I did

8. Picture Credit
 Title
slide:http://rossieronline.usc.edu/obtaining-
your-teaching-certificate/
 Goal of Progressivism:
http://www.cal.org/twi/evaltoolkit/whytoolkit.
htm
 John Dewey:
http://ywang26.blogspot.com/2013/10/maria-
montessori-montessori-method.html
 Nel Noddings:
http://insidetheacademy.asu.edu/nel-
noddings
 Why Progressivism:
http://childcarecenter.us/provider_detail/fing
erprints_preschool_frisco_tx#.U0tHutzxbwI

9. Bibliography
 Sadker, D. Teachers, Schools, and Society:
Brief Introduction to Education. McGraw-
Hill.
 Theodore, D. P. (n.d.). Progressivism.
Retrieved from The Foundations of
Education Web:
www.siue.edu/~ptheodo/foundations/pro
gressivism.html