Kristin on "Dewey on Education"

I just finished the weekend reading assignment, My Pedagogic Creed by John Dewey, and I am not sure how I feel about what he has to say. While I am aware that Dewey is considered one of the greatest educational reformers of all time, the date of this essay is 1959, and I'm not sure how relevant these ideas are today. Dewey reasons that because "school is primarily a social institution," education is "a social process" (Dewey 22). He lists for six pages what he believes schools are and what education should be. Underlying all of this is his belief that schools should take the form of a community. Current educational institutions, he believes, focus too much on "the school as a place where certain information is to be given, where certain lessons are to be learned, or where certain habits are to be formed" (23). He also sees problems with the school curriculums. He believes that "we violate the child's nature and render difficult the best ethical results, by introducing the child too abruptly to a number of special studies, of reading, writing, geography, etc., out of relation to this social life" (25). What would a curriculum based upon the element of socialization look like? It would probably consist of gym class and music (two classes that involve a lot of activity and teamwork) and group projects (emphasizing cooperation and again, teamwork). In my middle school we would often break into groups to have discussions over the reading material, and we loved it. However, we loved it because we never really talked about the book. Instead it turned into gossip time. Too much emphasis on social aspects I don't think is productive in an environment established for learning. One can learn just as much in a group as they potentially can by listening to a teacher lecture. If there is one thing I know, it's that children learn in many different ways. True, some learn best socializing in a group, but what about the kids that are put into a group who are shy. They tend to hold back, listening to others, not contributing their own ideas. Some learn best through visuals, like videos, others learn best by just listening, such as lecturing. I learn best by another visual, not pictures, but words: reading. Due to the fact that everyone learns differently, the way schools are operated now is probably best. Teaching concentrated subjects such as reading, spelling, and math to kids at an early age will reap them benefits for the future. Dewey says it's best to educate for the present, but honestly education has always been about the future. We educate children because it's easier to mold minds at a young age, and with the knowledge they gain from school, we hope they'll become productive adults. I like what J.D. says, it sounds really nice, but it's not realistic. I wonder though, is there a real answer to make education perfect?