Abstract
Like many experiential educators, I am not unfamiliar with John Dewey. I have used his books in courses and have further reflected on his approaches, techniques, and philosophies through secondary sources and research studies. Thus, as Steve Simpson, the author of Rediscovering Dewey: A Reflection on Independent Thinking, invited me to join his quest to better understand Dewey’s writings, I considered myself well prepared. As I began reading, I immediately appreciated Simpson’s humble, candid approach and conversational, first-person style of writing. As the book progressed, I easily connected with Simpson’s experiences and found this a surprisingly easy read given the complexity of the topic.
This book can serve several intertwined purposes. For more interested readers or those more familiar with Dewey, it serves as a wonderful overview of some of Dewey’s ideas and concerns. It guides these readers to additional essays, texts, and critiques. The bibliographic essays at the book’s conclusion specifically highlight some options with high potential. For readers newer to Dewey, Simpson does a great job of synthesizing the main tenets of Dewey in an easy to read and digestible format. Specifically, chapter 1 lays out many of the main principles of Dewey’s educational philosophy and chapter 7 explicates many of the weakness and criticisms of Dewey’s beliefs. For a student of experiential education, who is expected to become a more sophisticated and critical experiential educator, the chapters in between raise a breadth of issues that warrant further consideration—and the format of the text does a great job in inviting this critical reflection.
There are several aspects of the book that I found especially useful. By contrasting Dewey with Thoreau, who held a more laissez-faire view of educational ideals, Simpson helped me to wrestle with my own approaches to teaching as an outdoor educator. Chapter 5 offers some concrete suggestions on how to apply Deweyan ideals as well as a thought-provoking list from John Dewey’s essay on “The Duties and Responsibilities of the Teaching Profession” (Dewey, 1930). As a professor of recreation, I was excited to see that Simpson had connected Dewey to recreation, leisure, and play in chapter 6. While many experiential education professionals come out of recreation programs, Dewey is often viewed as an educational philosopher with limited views on recreation. However, as Simpson writes in chapter 6, this is not entirely true. Simpson also spends time unpacking the interplay of liberal arts and vocational education and considers how Dewey’s writing can be placed in contemporary society.
Admittedly, there are some central themes and foci of the book that will be more easily embraced by some than others. In addition to educational techniques, which are a staple of Dewey, core beliefs regarding education for “communitarian individualism” and democracy underscore central themes of the book. Simpson’s recreation background, perspective, and anecdotes worked well for me but may not resonate as well with some readers. There are a few places where readers would benefit from carefully considering their own views before reading further. Simpson offers his own insights and interpretations primarily as an example; however, readers without a solid preexisting educational philosophy might benefit from a bit more introspection before considering how Simpson incorporated these approaches into his own teaching. However, if utilized in a course, this book could certainly be used in a way that would encourage this level of reflection.
As an overview of Dewey, this book does an admirable job with a complex topic. However, this is not its only strength. Simpson invites educators to develop, test, and internalize their own philosophy and theory of education through a tour of Dewey’s work and by demonstrating his own evolution in thinking. Experiential educators who accept Simpson’s invitation will undoubtedly find the journey worthwhile.