CH6

Overview of The Saber-Tooth Curriculum

Introduction

  • New-Fist: A brilliant prehistoric educator and thinker

  • Observations of children playing with bones and pebbles

  • Speculation on practical skills to improve the tribe's life

  • Development of the first curriculum

New-Fist's Curriculum

  • Subjects:

    1. Fish-Grabbing-with-the-Bare-Hands

    2. Woolly-Horse-Clubbing

    3. Saber-Tooth-Tiger-Scaring-with-Fire

  • Impact on children: engagement in purposeful activities over play

  • Outcome: Tribe's prosperity and security

The New Ice Age

  • Unforeseen change: The New Ice Age

    • Effects:

    • Glacial movement muddies waters, affecting fish-catching

    • Woolly horses replaced by agile and shy antelopes

    • Saber-tooth tigers die from pneumonia but are replaced by ferocious glacial bears

  • Consequence: Loss of prosperity and security for the tribe

Emergence of New Educators

  • Introduction of innovative tribal members who adapted to the new environment

    • Examples:

    • Crude net: Caught more fish than bare hand efforts

    • Snares: Effective for trapping antelopes

    • Pit: Successfully secured ferocious bears

  • Result: Restoration of happiness and prosperity for the tribe

Educational Insights

Curriculum Evolution

  • Critique of traditional education:

    • Radicals: Advocated for practical skills (net-making, snare-setting, pit-digging)

    • Opposition from wise old men of the tribe emphasizing timeless education

  • Importance of adapting curriculum over changing conditions

Visible Curriculum

  • Definition of curriculum: The set of courses and their content at educational institutions

    • Origin: Latin term meaning race course—students progress along this path

  • Differences in curricula based on historical context:

    • Colonial America (1660s): Religion and reading focused curriculum

    • 1960s: Inclusion of electives like multicultural education

    • 1980s: Shift back to core curriculum, increasing basic course requirements

Invisible Curriculum

  • Implicit Curriculum: Unintended lessons learned through school culture

    • Elevated importance of competition as seen in student interactions during activities (e.g., spelling bee)

    • Examples of lessons learned:

    • Importance of winning and losing

    • Social dynamics of competition

  • Null Curriculum: Topics never taught impacting student understanding

    • Examples of excluded topics:

    • Events like the Korean and Vietnam wars, civil rights movements, economic downturns

    • Decision to exclude evolution or sex education from teaching

Extracurriculum

  • Definition: Lessons learned from school activities outside formal classes

    • Participation benefits students:

    • Reduction of behavioral issues

    • Enhanced attitudes towards school and increased leadership skills

Positive Impacts of Extracurricular Activities

  • Benefits:

    • Higher self-esteem and academic performance (higher GPA)

    • Improved race relations and health

    • Encouraged aspirations for students from disadvantaged backgrounds

  • Addressed issues:

    • Underrepresentation of low-socioeconomic students and gender disparities in activities

    • Skepticism about actual benefits versus perceived outcomes

Curriculum Design Stakeholders

Forces Shaping Curriculum

  1. Teachers:

    • Develop curricula through textbook selection and classroom adaptations

    • Influence classroom learning through emphasis on different subjects

  2. Parental and Community Influences:

    • Inputs on adding vocational training or banning materials

  3. Student Voice:

    • Historical student influence in demanding curricular relevance, particularly in the 1960s

  4. Administrative Influence:

    • Instructional leaders prioritize curricular changes based on performance metrics

  5. Government Influence:

    • Increasing governmental role in education through standards, legislation, and testing mandates

  6. Colleges and Universities:

    • Entrance requirements underway streamlining high school curricula to meet expectations

  7. Standardized Testing:

    • Tests influence curricular focus on skills evaluated in tests rather than comprehensive learning

  8. Education Commissions:

    • National level reports influence significant curricular reforms

  9. Professional Organizations:

    • Institutions provide guidance and development resources for educators

  10. Interest groups:

    • Corporations may influence classroom content through funding or curricular materials

  11. Publishers:

    • Textbook content shaped by market demands; potential biases and lack of depth

  12. Federal Government:

    • Policies like No Child Left Behind alter education landscape based on accountability standards

The Reign of Standardized Textbooks

  • Central role in educational delivery and student instruction

  • Transition from diverse instructional materials pre-1850 to standardized texts

  • Major criticism:

    • Textbooks can mislead, bore, and fail to deeply engage students

    • Adoption states (Texas, California, Florida, North Carolina) heavily influence national content

No Child Left Behind (NCLB)

Key Provisions:

  • Annual testing in reading, math, and science for grades 3-8 and once in high school

  • Schools labeled based on performance; those falling short faced consequences

  • Critiques include:

    • Narrowed curriculum, focused on test preparation rather than holistic education

Common Core State Standards

Overview

  • Establishment of common academic standards across states

  • Focuses on clarity and consistency in educational expectations

  • Support and criticism of these standards include significant implications for curriculum design

Critiques

  • Questions about enforceability, diversity in subject standards, and underrepresentation of arts and social sciences

  • Concerns over standardization potentially reducing quality and inclusivity in education

Standardized Testing Issues

Problems Associated with High-Stakes Testing

  1. Disproportionate impact on poorer students due to funding disparities

  2. Increased dropout rates linked to testing pressures

  3. Higher scores do not necessarily correlate with deeper learning

  4. Curriculum focus narrowing down to tested subjects only

  5. Frequent testing errors affecting student outcomes

  6. Teacher stress linked to high-stakes evaluations influencing classroom dynamics

  7. What’s worth knowing? Concerns regarding the validity and depth of learning emphasized through standardized measures

Evaluation of Teachers by Student Test Scores

Flaws of Value-Added Evaluations

  • Inconsistent student performance influencing teacher evaluations

  • Dependence on standardized test outcomes flawed in measuring holistic teaching effectiveness

Alternatives to High-Stakes Testing

Suggestions for Educational Assessment

  • Use of diverse assessment methods including portfolios, exhibitions, and performance-based evaluations

  • Authentic assessment's emphasis on understanding and application over rote memorization

  • The role of projects and integrated learning experiences

Societal and Cultural Challenges in Education

Ongoing Tensions

  • Religious Influence: Tensions between intelligent design vs. evolution in curriculum

  • Censorship: Issues surrounding diverse perspectives and controversial topics in literature

  • Cultural Literacy vs. Cultural Imperialism: Debates surrounding what knowledge is essential for students to succeed

Suggestions for Tomorrow's Curriculum

Key Emphases for Future Education:

  • Critical thinking, financial literacy, civics education, creativity, and human relations

  • Promoting individual talents and purposeful lives through personalized education plans.