John Dewey was an American philosopher, psychologist and educational reformer born in 1859 who developed the philosophy of pragmatism. Some key ideas from Dewey's philosophy included that education is not preparation for life but is life itself, learning occurs through experience and doing, and the school is a social institution focused on the growth of the child. Dewey believed education should be democratic, adaptive to individual needs, use natural settings for learning, and focus on improving the quality of living. His ideas significantly influenced progressive education and how we approach teaching and learning today.