Tyler,+Ch.+2;+Tanner,

Curriculum as Experience

Hopefully at this point you see a great deal of consistency between Tyler and Dewey. Tyler was heavily influenced by the work of Dewey. His own work, in many ways, is a more technical way of operationalizing Dewey’s work at the Lab School as well as Dewey’s own theories about curriculum and thinking.

Tanner’s book is getting a bit dated, but it is a good (and short) description of the school. While she addresses issues from the 80s and 90s in her first chapter, think about current issues and concerns that should influence how we do curriculum work in schools. This is not part of your discussion at this point, but it will come up again as you analyze your curriculum for your project.

For your responses, please keep in mind (and reference where reasonable) the readings from both Tyler and Tanner. Most importantly, however, explore the “what ifs” in imaginative (as Dewey defined imagination) ways. Do not succumb to neo-liberalism – throwing up your hands and saying that there’s nothing that can really change. Think in terms of the nature of curriculum work in schools as well as the challenges and opportunities for school leaders in approximating some sort of ideal based upon what the lab school was able to achieve.

To that end, here are your two discussion questions. Please respond with two to four incredibly thoughtful paragraphs by midnight on Thursday and then respond to at least two students by midnight on Friday.

// What is gained/lost if we start curriculum deliberations with experience instead of standards or objectives? // I think that what we would be able to gain from starting curriculum deliberations with experience instead of standards or objectives is a more cohesive process in deliberating information to our students. Can you imagine what changes might occur in our educational system if we were able to create a curriculum that met characteristics stated in each quadrant of the Matrix from earlier readings? As with students, each school is unique and needs to develop appropriate methods of teaching and learning based on that uniqueness. Curriculum could be the foundation in which to build this new philosophy. As with our readings to this point change is possible. In looking at the social structures of our educational system change has to happen at many levels especially within the political arena. Our students come to us from different socio-economic backgrounds and our curriculum should be the bridge between what as a society we know individuals have to be able to perform or accomplish and the skills to be able to do so. Why not teach from experiences and project the future for our students? What we teach our teachers is to make real-world connections; to get to know their students so they can plan their lessons around specific areas of interest. So in a sense we are looking at curriculum from the viewpoint of "experience" instead of standards when school leaders support and defend this definition of curriculum. Unfortunately though, we are teaching in a time where standards are driving our educational format and teaching practices. I am afraid that we will continue to lose truly effective teaching practices and become "robotic" in how we deliver information back to our students. This may have a detrimental effect in that we will be producing citizens that do not know how to think for themselves, be creative, ask questions, or anticipate change. All areas of society will be greatly impacted. In fact what might be happening is a definite tracking pattern of the "have's" and "have nots" by setting a predetermined fate for our students based on a set of standards instead a set of attributes. // What would it take to achieve correlation and coherence in curriculum at the same level achieved in Dewey’s lab school? // In order for our educational system to achieve correlation and coherence in curriculum at the same level achieved in Dewey's lab school we would have to have a true shift in political agendas from the top down. Until government officials recognize what is able to really work in our schools and support those changes both verbally and financially I am afraid we will continue on the same path we are on now. School leaders and community members such as board officials are constantly receiving information about how test scores are the best indicators of a schools success which comes strictly from the number of students that pass or fail a one time a year test (at least at the elementary level). Media plays such an incredible role in how information is presented to all stakeholders. Financial budgets are designed around success or failure of schools to achieve AYP. When legislators are able to provide equatible distributions of funds to our schools perhaps we would be able to have more Dewey lab successes. In achieving correlation and coherence in curriculum we must have leaders at all levels believe it is important and begin to advocate for its use. We have schools where the leaders in those schools have made changes in how we use curriculum to teach necessary skills. If they can do it then all schools should be able to also achieve this standard of educational practice.