Since my new book about the history and creation of Dalton Plan in Poland is being created, we decided to publish a small piece from the first chapter titled "The vision of Dalton Plan in a contemporary educational system". While my visits to the Dalton schools worldwide I was deeply inspired by numerous changes in an alternative education. Let me share with you a piece of my thoughts about it....
The vision of the Dalton Plan in a contemporary educational system
In the 21st century the Dalton Plan is a source of changes, reforms in the field of educational system, its organization, program process, textbooks and didactic means. All changes and innovations are aimed at
improving the quality of the education process. In this context, the pedagogy of the Dalton Plan
in education of the twenty-first century ought to be considered. The Dalton plan plays an important role in the
designing and implementation of all innovativeness, it is an important category of
an innovative approach to the education process. According to
the authors of the lexicon, it can be generally stated that” the Dalton
School is a social institution, and at the same time the
basic organizational unit of the educational system, whose mission is to educate responsible,
independent children and young people". In contrast, the pedagogy of the Dalton plan can
be understood in a broad and narrow sense. In broad terms it will be assumed that
"every man has the creative abilities understood as the creation of works
of art, technical, scientific and social activity, as well as the creation of
itself. Therefore, it is an action leading to educate creative,
innovative, and socially intelligent citizens. In a narrow sense, we understand it as a
valuable and still innovative educational process, aimed at socializing young
people. However, it needs to be remembered that the
educational process is not only a law, textbooks or a curriculum. Education is primarily a process between
students and teachers. For student, it is the teacher who creates
the educational process. Also for Helen Parkhurst the teacher is a wizard
of a school reality. Based on the analysis of these concepts, it can
be generally stated that the modern Dalton school is the educational institution,
which trains and educates children and young people in an innovative way. The overriding assumptions and objectives of the
Dalton school were disseminated by many educators, including Dewey and Rowid. According to the definition of Rowid, the Dalton
school is one in which the personal potential of the student is liberated,
enriching and improving the life of the individual, and thus the whole society. The goal of the school is "raising a man
who can create a better future, a perfect world and a more beautiful life". Rowid emphasizes several important factors that
stimulate the activity of the Dalton school, they are: independent acquisition of knowledge
and skills, promoting health and physical fitness, taking into account social factors, displaying beauty, assertiveness
expressed in the form of words, gestures, drawing, and the ability to
self-education and self-improvement, individualization of the educational
process, cooperation, responsibility and independence. Therefore, it needs to be claimed that the main
subject in the Dalton school is a pupil and teacher - a secondary subject that
supports the student's work. The Dalton plan , however, refers to the quality of both teacher's and
student's work.