The Cavernous Curriculum
Fifty Countries
Signs of Progress
Upgrading Curriculum
Myths
100
This group, which met in 1892, has had more far reaching effects on education than any other group in the history of education.
What is The Committee of Ten?
100
This has become a new catchphrase.
What is "standards, not standardization?" Implying that teachers need latitude to help individual learners reach proficiency targets. Yet, in practice this has caused educators to feel that teaching to the test is what counts, and these test are often suspect in terms of value.
100
The United States views education as this.
What is a state area focus? Until this changes, our public school’s destiny will lie in the hands of local school boards that have exceptional power over individual schools.
100
New essential curriculum will need revision using this kind of model rather than a change model.
What is a growth model? Change in schools often feels trendy and superficial, whereas a growth is positive and deep.
100
Adults tend to have this kind of attitude towards school because it is comfortable and familiar.
What is the good old days are still enough?
200
The Committee of Ten shared their findings, that are still seen today, at the National Educational Associate in this year.
What is 1893?
200
In terms of national standards our country looks like this.
What is 50 separate countries? When it comes to education the United States is not united.
200
Having established some concerns, it is important to note that there are some promising signs of state education departments showing this.
What is 21st century leadership?
200
In order for revise current revision, all members of a professional learning community should be committed to this.
What is growth?
200
Underlying forces have shifted our attitudes about school away from the original American tradition of argument, debate and vigorous exchange to this type of thinking.
What is we are better off if we all think alike - and not too much?
300
The effect of the 1893 curriculum and habits ended in this year.
What is it hasn't ended? We still use the same academic program predicated on English, history, civics, mathematics, biology, chemistry and physics on the high school level which is the driving force for what is taught on the elementary level?
300
In standarized tests it often seems that the overwhelming majority of these assessment items come out of these.
What are 1950s textbooks as mutlitple choice items?
300
The Council of Chief State of School Officers has commissioned a workgroup to develop these.
What is potential national standards in reading and mathematics?
300
School and curriculum is housed in these four key programs structures.
What is the schedule, the way we group our learners, personnel configurations and the use of space?
300
We need to start to value out of the box thinkers, creative thinkers and idea shapers instead of these prevalent ideas.
What is too much creativity is dangerous and the arts are frills?
400
The design of school organization was based on this model.
What is the factory model of organization that had taken hold between 1897 and 1921? This standardization model was ultimately applied to education with 180 instructional days and a 6 hour day with 8 subjects.
400
It is not only the wide range of standards that are a problem among states, but also this.
What is the diverse educational approach each state takes? Let's say little Johnny has been steeped in three years of learning of in his state's history when his family moves across the border and he enrolls in a new school, where he will engage two full years of global studies, learning about political economic and historical issues from all parts of the world. Which state will best prepare him for the future?
400
These three states have made dramatic 21 century curricular policy development.
What is New Jersey, Rhode Island and Hawaii?
400
We know that multi-age groups, accompanied by thoughtfully grouped personnel for our young learners, has proven to be extremely effective, yet we isolate our teachers within this type of classroom.
What is self-contained classrooms? Frankly the phrase itself suggests a kind of narcissistic alcove cordoned off from others.
400
We need to cultivate these creative thinkers and educational advocates who will encourage creative ideas that are actionable, rational and constructive.
What is children AND adults?
500
Jean Piaget, the famed child developmental psycholgist, was born in this year.
What is 1896, too late to redirect the committee's notion of who children are and what they can learn? In fact, schools were not designed for children. This standardization still holds children, teachers and communities in a fierce grip.
500
Our national concept of what a school does not need reform, it needs this.
What is NEW forms?
500
There are other pockets of innovation, but many standards documents seem to be this.
What is strikingly dated?
500
We have schedules, grouping patterns, classroom spaces and curriculum that has not dramatically changed since this decade.
What is the 1930s?
500
The line of thinking is prevalent today.
What is it is hard to change education?
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