June 16th Meeting

Our June meeting will take place at the UU Church of Spartanburg in room 6 on Wed. evening, June 16 at 6:30 p.m.

This month we will revisit the ideas of America's greatest Humanist, John Dewey, and his philosophy of Pragmatism, especially as it pertains to progressive education. We will spend a short time on his basic ideas which changed American education in the early twentieth century.  Then we will move on and see if those ideas apply to some of the problems we are having in public education today.

- We will list 4 or 5 problems which need solving in today's schools.  Can Dewey's ideas be applied?
- We will discuss the idea, "Does it matter what children learn as long as they are learning?"
- How can critical thinking be taught?  What effect would critical thinking have on the country, on the individual?
- If you as a Humanist had complete control over the religious education of your children, how would you train them in religious ideas?  What would you include?  What would you ban?

This is a timely topic and a chance to discuss it with some of the best minds in Spartanburg.  Hope to see you Wednesday.

June 16th Meeting

In our June Meeting we will revisit Humanist John Dewey's ideas on progressive education with a discussion to follow. John Dewey believed that universal public education was of paramount importance in the maintenance of our democracy. He went so far as to say that a democratic America could not remain tenable without universal quality public education. His ideas had a tremendous impact on public education in the first half of the twentieth century. Today, we face real challenges to public education from the "Religious Right" - Vouchers, Legal challenges to insert "Intelligent Design" in science classes,etc.



What should public education be in the twenty first century and what should be its goals? Plan to join us in June for a timely and pertinent discussion.