The first important idea that I got out of Dewey's first chapter is the transmission of old information into new hands. It is so amazing to think about all the information that we have today because of what past generations have given us. If our ancestors did not come up with some of the ideas and philosophies that we have today, it is unnerving to think of where we might be today. Imagine if the concept of democracy was never thought of. Where would our country be right now? Certainly, it would not be the most powerful country in the world if not for democracy. The transmission of ideas from one generation to the next is crucial to the development of any society.
The second idea that I found to be important is that there needs to be a balance between formal and informal education. Formal education by schooling is critical to the needs of any society, but it is also important for people to learn skills from each other. These skills to not need to be taught in a classroom necessarily; many important skills, such as socialization and communication, are learned through observation and practice. Children are not lectured by their teachers on how to form friendships and other relationships with people. They learn social skills by observing their family members and friends take turns during conversations at the dinner table or in the grocery store. Once children get older, they begin to practice the "turn-taking" process of conversation with others their age. While formal education is imperative for any society to flourish, there also needs to be emphasis placed on the informal.
The third concept that I found interesting in this chapter is that all communication is educational, whether you agree with it or not. I especially like when Dewey refers to all communication as art and that all who participate in it are, in turn, educated by it. There are many instances where I may not agree with a classmate during a discussion, but I always try to see their point of view and take something away from it for my own benefit. For example, I was initially blown away by the girl in class who shared that she had her second graders create a PowerPoint presentation. The reason I thought this way is because the students in my Partial Hospitalization class would not have the patience to complete a PowerPoint presentation, let alone have the basic skills to do research. Once I listened to her reasoning and took into account the levels of students that she teaches, I was able to see her point of view and use it to benefit my own thinking process.
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There is a famous saying (I don't remember who, wait, maybe I'll google it....wow, I found it!) by Bernard of Chartres that was later quoted by Newton that says that we stand on the shoulders of giants, meaning we gain the benefits of all of the accumulated knowledge and learning of those who came before with almost no effort on our part. The challenge is to be the giant of the next generation, and "expand the view".
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