William Heard Kilpatrick

William Heard Kilpatrick ( born November 20, 1871 in White Plains ( Georgia), † February 13, 1965 in New York) was an American educator and student, colleague and successor of John Dewey.

Curriculum vitae

William Heard Kilpatrick was born the son of a preacher of the Baptist church. After studying at the Baptist College, now the Mercer University, and a half- year Graduate Studies at Johns Hopkins University, he became a teacher of mathematics at the high school and later at Mercer University. Conversion to the pedagogy was conducted by John Dewey due to an encounter with this 1898 in an educational summer seminar at the University of Chicago. In 1907 he went to the Teachers College of Columbia University, here is a second and decisive encounter with Dewey took place. Kilpatrick decided to make philosophy of education for the main compartment, and finished all courses offered by Dewey. From this grew a friendship that lasted until the death of Dewey's, but did not rule out differences of opinion on educational field. On February 13, 1965 William Heard Kilpatrick died in New York.

Project method

Kilpatrick developed from 1915 his version of the " project method. His approach differed fundamentally from the concept as designed by the architects and engineers since the 18th century, colleges and universities in Italy, France and Germany and as Calvin M. Woodward (1887 ), Charles R. Richards ( 1900) and Rufus W. Stimson (1912 ) were transferred to the American Elementary and high schools since the late 19th century.

Unlike it is assumed again, the project concepts of Dewey and Kilpatrick have nothing in common. While Dewey and his predecessors Woodward and Richards, the project considered as a " method of teaching ", which aimed to " practical, constructive action " and " problem solving " defined, Kilpatrick it as a " philosophy of education " which is the " hearty intentional doing " made ​​to her foundation. When the criticism of his child-centered approach was too strong, Kilpatrick saw that he had " made ​​a mistake ", and spoke instead of "Projects of the children " from " teacher -led, student activities carried out " when he favored by him form of school learning meant.

Philosophy

Thinking Kilpatrick as Dewey belongs to the flow of American pragmatism. However, his idea has a stronger social focus on, as this is when Dewey: According to Kilpatrick undertake the real life in a democracy to deal with things. So democracy stimulates retroactively man an actionable life. In terms of education, this means that she has the social life of the base. The particular social orientation of philosophy Kilpatrick's lies in the political situation of the U.S. in the twenties of the 20th century. reasons: Many different social and cultural strata met in the same habitat and claimed an equal right to life. This should be possible through policy planning.