Re: Dewey understood?

[Barbara DeVries Randolph <wpreer@WAM.UMD.EDU>]

Daniela's idea of the using the caveman is apparently how Dewey himself
created the classification system.  He imagined himself as a primitive
man and organized books by the questions primitive man might ask.  The
only place I've seen this spelled out is page 12 of "What to do when your
child hates to read!" by Lee and Marlene Canter.  I found this book at my
local public library.

I think this is a great way to relate the classification scheme if you
can create some cartoons like Daniela mentioned.

Barbara Randolph
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On Mon, 8 Apr 1996, Daniela E. H. Imai wrote:

> I just read a posting from Johanna H.  Dewey is not a sacred cow to me, and
> I know that just cramming it is not something our students enjoy.  But I do
> believe it is necessary for students to categorize their information needs
> and to connect that need with where anad how to find things in the library.
> So I went looking for a way to make it more palatable - just like so many
> of you have been discussing these last few weeks.
> I teach Dewey as a 'social studies' unit, complete with cartoons on
> overheads.  It makes so much sense to me and to the kids, I thought for
> sure that it was an old standby.  We begin with the image of a caveperson
> who first starts to wonder about things like "Who or what am I?" and "What
> makes me tick?", continuing on to "How did I get here, and what is my
> purpose for being?", meeting the neighbors in the next cave, learning their
> language, going exploring together in the sciences, figuring out how to use
> these discoveries, learning how to write it, down etc., etc...  The unit
> covers such things as the difference between King in fiction and Dickens in
> literature, sign language, and so on.
> The cartoons are artwork from my high school art teacher, who also happens
> to be a lmspecialist.  He passed the unit on to me many years ago - and it
> works.  The kids understand the 'natural' flow; after all, it's how they
> learned almost everything: starting with 'me' and extending outward from
> there.
> I really am surprised that no one else posted it during our discussion.  I
> did pick up a few really good extension activities  - thanks to all who
> contributed!
>
> Daniela E. H. Imai
> *Draca Libris*                         801-833-1921    (voice)
> Tooele Junior High School          801-833-1923    (fax)
> 412 W. Vine                              daniela.imai@m.k12.ut.us    (e-mail)
> Tooele, UT 84074
>