Reflection 3: The “Correct” Curriculum
My first question after reading Arthur Applebee’s article, “Toward Thoughtful Curriculum: Fostering Discipline-Based Conversation in the English Language Arts Classroom” (1994), is what is so wrong with a content-based curriculum? While I agree that curriculum should be relevant to students’ lives, I am weary to throw content out the window. I mean, is there a core base of knowledge that we want students to have? The Applebee article talks about moving the focus in language arts classrooms away from things like the “analysis of symbols and imagery…toward a discussion of multiple perspectives on shared events within each time period” (p. 6). Why can’t we focus on both? Surely, examining literary devices is still an important component of the curriculum. These devices give us the language we need to deconstruct texts on a deeper level…right? Maybe I’m still stuck inside the box. It seems to me that without some sort of content guiding the coarse structure and goals, things would become extremely inconsistent. I agree that we need alternative texts in the classroom, and I agree that students should be free to construct their own meaning from a text, but I also think that there should be some core concepts that all students learn; otherwise, how are we going to prepare them for state-mandated tests? If I know that the test may ask students to identify things like tone and author’s purpose, am I not failing students by ignoring on these concepts?
Applebee also writes that learning needs to become “cumulative and reinforcing” (1994, p. 7). I agree that teachers need to find ways to connect the content; however, I wish I knew how to counter poor attendance and high attrition rates. How do I connect content for students when, simply put, they are not at school? It seems like I have four or five kids missing everyday in my on-level courses, and on the four-by-four block, these absences can be devastating. I have a current student who has already missed two weeks this semester (on a traditional schedule, this is like missing a whole month), how do I make the information connect for this student? How do I reinforce information that was never taught in the first place? I would love to hear how other people deal with this issue.
February 10th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
I wish I could say more than “I agree” and “I have the same problems.” I have a student who failed my class last semester, is back this semester, and hasn’t been to school in 3 weeks. I know we’re never supposed to give up on students, and I have called home, contacted her counselor, contacted the attendance office, and met with the graduation coach. Beyond that, I don’t know what to do. And I half expect her to show up tomorrow and say “what have I missed for the last three weeks? Can I make it up?” I would rather her not come back—and I hate to say that. But I want to focus my energy on the students who DO make it to class nearly every day and, even if they don’t like it particularly, they care about what we’re doing.
I completely agree with you about the necessity of certain standards and elements in the curriculum—if we could just through caution and curriculum to the wind and teach creative writing (no offense, Lindsey) and whatever short stories would be most appealing to our students, why wouldn’t we? I struggle with the fact that I have to teach British Lit to kids who do not give a whit about Brit Lit (I’m sorry, I had to go for the rhyme!). But I still think it is good for them to stretch themselves to an area that is uncomfortable. And yes, a critical vocabulary and application skill is necessary in order to approach the classroom—how else will the students become responsible, contributing humans in society—whatever they do with their lives? They also need to learn that everything they have to do in life may not directly apply to them. The process of learning and thinking will always affect them.
February 10th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
I don’t think that content based curriculum is bad either. Students need to learn how to interpret texts because fact of the matter is there are standard answers to almost any text. This comment isn’t meant to discount multiple perspectives, but as teachers I think we are responsible for teaching students how to find and analyze common characteristics of literature, like imagery and symbolism.
In regards to high absentee rates, that’s tough for any teacher. It is near impossible to recreate a class or classes. However, I have a couple of suggestions. Perhaps you could scale down what was missed and only hit on the important themes, ideas, lessons, etc. taught while the student was absent. Or, to increase continuity choose make-up work that ties into what you are teaching when the student returns. Also, if an idea is taught in one unit/lesson and then reinforced in the following units/lessons, frequently absent students should receive some type of continuity despite their absences.