Educational+Philosophy

Dr. Reich's Educational Philosophy: At the beginning of the last century there was an educational philosopher named John Dewey who came up with a theory of hands on education. In general his approach was based on the assumption that nothing can be learned without the act of doing it. This philosophy can also be summed up by the following Chinese proverb:

Tell me and I'll foget. Show me and I'll remember. Involve me and I'll understand.

This works well with a lesson from my education professor in college. She told our class "You have to teach the students for what you want them to remember in five years." In that context most individual snipits of information aren't really all that useful, but if I can teach students the basic foundations of how to learn, the importance of education, how to do science, and foster the lifelong learner in every student then I've been successful. It also makes my job easier after I've helped foster or instill those things because impediments to learning like bad attitudes or low self esteem are conquered in this environement. To accomplish my goals I think students need to be solving problems, familiarizing themselves with the language of chemistry, work hands on with chemicals, learn to read and write scientific prose, and I have to find creative ways to make them do it and even more importantly want to do it.