Today’s Student Mindset John Dewey’s View (Learning by Doing) Response/Bridge Between the Two
“Writing is a waste of time.” “Learning is doing, experiencing, and engaging with real life.” Writing should be an active, purposeful experience, not a dry academic task. Make it real and useful.
“Why improve writing when AI or apps can do it for me?” “Education must develop thinking and problem-solving, not just knowledge transfer.” Writing is thinking in action—not just for exams, but to shape and express ideas clearly. Even to guide AI, you need good thinking.
“I need to focus on coding, content creation, tech—not grammar.” “Education must connect to life, interests, and future society.” Show students how writing supports tech work: scripts, storyboards, pitches, emails, coding comments, resumes, etc.
“School writing is boring—it has no real use.” “Curriculum must start from learners’ experiences and social needs.” Connect writing to their real goals: YouTube, game design, freelancing, activism, etc. Let them write for a purpose and audience.
“Digital tools make writing unnecessary.” “Tools and environments must support real participation, not replace it.” Use digital tools creatively (blogs, collaborative docs, video scripts), but don’t skip the thinking process behind writing.
Dewey Would Say Today:
“The value of writing lies not in handwriting, but in the power of expression, discovery, and communication.
If students write only when forced, they never experience the joy of creating something that matters.”