TE 818: Synthesis: Theme 2: The History of Curriculum in the United States

I didn’t read the Dewey chapter for my initial post, so I referred to it for an additional perspective for my final post. Two things to say about The Child and the Curriculum. First is that just yesterday I was working with our education service center. The presenter talked about how this particular curriculum included the Performance Indicator (test of sorts) in each lesson so that teachers could keep “the end in mind” so that lesson delivery can build toward that end. And so it has been from the beginning of this curriculum endeavor. The Performance Indicators are always listed at the beginning of the instructional focus documents and the exemplar lesson. I’m going to have to ask one day if they are following Dewey’s model. The second is that I like how Dewey emphasizes that a child has an interest in what is being taught to him. “Appealing to the interest upon the present plane means excitation…” (p. 112). I have served as a new-teacher mentor several times, and one of the points I make to my new teachers is that student learning has to be meaningful in order for them to engage. This is not an original idea of mine. I heard it at one of a hundred professional development sessions, but it made so much sense to me that I pass it along every chance I have. “They must operate, and how they operate will depend almost entirely upon the stimuli which surround them…” (p.114). I do believe it is up to teachers to take the curriculum and find the stimuli that will both meet the curriculum requirements and hold real meaning for the student.

TE 818: Theme 2: The History of Curriculum in the United States

Reading through Schubert's perspectives on curriculum, I immediately identified with the Intellectual Traditionalist. For a moment I thought it was because it was the first one I read, and I linked it to the hypochondriac who believes his/her symptoms match every illness in the book. As I read through the others, I found, as Schubert said, that I was a "blend" of probably two other perspectives, but the main ingredient was that of the Intellectual Traditionalist. The place where I found I most related to the Intellectual Traditionalist was where the textbooks were concerned. I told myself that I didn't consider myself an elitist, unless you count where I try to stay away from textbooks as much as possible because I find them so limiting, particularly in Reading, and I won't even go into how embarrassingly outdated our Science textbooks are. I have been with my district for ten years, and they were already old when I got here. Reel it back in, Lupita. "Too many teachers do not know or appreciate the depth and breadth of their subject, so how can we expect them to inspire others to immerse themselves in it?" (Schubert, p.2). I know that because I am a good reader and writer, I put on a great show for my students when teaching these subjects. I had to develop a better understanding of Texas history and Science in order to put the same effort into those areas, and Math, well, let's say it's a work in progress, and I can tell the difference in my classroom. Where the Social Behaviorist was concerned, I clearly understood the point of hanging on to old courses and/or teachings..."Fish Grabbing with the Bare Hands and Saber-tooth Tiger Chasing with Fire." Times and needs change and we must change with them. Also from the Social Behaviorist's perspective, I related to the "what" and the "how" comments about curriculum as I have gone through a number of trainings where this was reiterated after our district adopted a new curriculum. What also struck me here was the discussion about a needs assessment. I'm assuming someone in Texas put one of these together to develop our TEKS. And they have obviously re-re-revisited that needs assessment many times as our TEKS are now "college readiness" based. I seemed to have a lot to say about the Social Behaviorist quoting Bobbit..I get it, except that by the time their assessment is over, the students who would have benefited most from the assessment are probably out of high school and on not-to-college, or are pursuing the jobs and/or degrees of the previous needs assessment. The students who will receive the instruction based on the new needs assessment will be yrs down the "ladder, " and by the time they reach the job/college world, the results of a new needs assessment will be on the horizon. In other words, there is a HUGE gap between needs assessments and implementing the results to those who would truly benefit from it. The last tidbit I will include about the Social Behaviorist, I'm beginning to think I might swing this way after all, is the discussion about "[T]he multitude of handbooks, encyclopedias, journal articles, synoptic texts, and research reports that exist make it inexcusable that research is not a stronger basis for curriculum development" (Schubert, p.5). I wonder if the idea of a tailor-made curriculum is too daunting for the policy makers. It's interesting that teachers end up tailoring the curriculum to meet the needs of our students on a daily basis. Schwab also makes mention of how educators are only brought into the picture for developing assessments and for evaluation (p.125). In reading the Critical Reconstructionist's reply to the Second Questioner, I began to wonder…would I be perpetuating educational injustices were I not seeking my master's degree? I mean, I would then only be exposed to whatever professional development came down the pike, and I would be responding to my social environment. I believe myself to be a rather intelligent person, and to some extent, I can see having run into some research on the whole thing, and I do see inequities in the system. Finding teaching materials in Spanish alone will suffice. But how time would be lost in the long run?

I have spent a lot of time on this, and I can obviously provide support for each of the perspectives. I will end my observation of Schubert's article by focusing on his reference to Dewey and not to become a "card-carrying" anything. I know it's not the same, or maybe it is, but this is what I think about when we attend a professional development session. There is an underlying pressure to implement every aspect of the training every day in every subject. This is entirely too overwhelming for any teacher. I say, take the best of each training and work with that. After all, if you pay close enough attention, they all tend to overlap one another. Also, do what works best in your classroom and for your students. That ALONE might require you to change your approach from year to year.

I saw in Popkewitz and Schwab's articles that Labaree's idea of education being a "public good" was present. Schwab says "...for societies do not exist only for their own sakes, but for the prosperity of their members as individuals as well" (p.28). So yes, we want students to be able to serve society, but Schwab also emphasized meeting the individual's needs so that they can help out with the public good. Popkewitz was a little more direct, I believe. "These technologies linked public objectives about good health and the moral order of the social body with individual personal health and well-being" (Popkewitz, p.185).

In general, I found Popkewitz's History of Curriculum a difficult read. I did relate to his citing Thorndike that the purpose of education "was to shape the mind and the spirit so the individual can be responsible for her or his progress and trustful of her or his future" (Popkewitz, p.183). I made an instant and personal connection to this. I do believe that we are all responsible for where we allow our education to lead us. I found the establishment of a curriculum in the United States interesting, and did I understand this correctly...the use of the word "all" doomed curriculum to inequities from the onset? And as a final chuckle, I can see Paul Rabinow's (which fittingly I read as "Rainbow" at first) and the whole "education is aesthetic." I have to think about how to make my lessons "look pretty" every day so that I can keep kiddos engaged and interested.

TE 818: Synthesis: Theme 1: Conflicting Notions of the Purposes of Schooling

After reading several TE 818 posts and responding to the required 2 and also reading through the responses on my own post for this theme, I realize that focusing on only one aspect of our readings left most of my thinking unsaid, even on the one point.

I will maintain that education is a commodity to me, in each of the perspectives from which I commented. I can see how it came across a little crass, and perhaps even very black and white. I do, in fact, have a very real love of and enthusiasm for learning which I connect very closely to a formal education. I say these last few words because we all know that not all learning comes within the confines of an academic institution.

I'll refer to my "teacher self" and say that I hope I convey this to my students on a daily basis. I want them to come to school wondering "what will I learn today?" and I want them to leave thinking "Wow! I can't wait to come back tomorrow." That's what I want for them. Do I tell them that they have a better shot in the world with an education? Sure. But I also tell them that if they don't actively participate in their learning, they'll never appreciate where it can take them. I don't think I've ever told them that they need to fill a specific niche in the real world, although the teaching of good character does lend itself to discussion about the kind of person they want to be outside of what occupation and/or career they will hold. And Jillian hit it on the nose in response to my post when she said we're not in teaching to get rich (or something very close to it). I really do work to provide quality learning for my ELLs, more than anything to build their confidence and self-worth. Public good? I will say this, though. I really do wish many more parents would see their child's education as a commodity even if only to light a fire under them to speak up for an equal education for their children, to get them involved and in the schools to see what's going on between teachers and students.

As my "parent self," I know that I have instilled a love of learning in my son. He's always gone off on his own either exploring, reading, or observing. Is that a "private good?" I am now trying to develop in him a sense of loyalty, if you will, or some connection with an institute of higher learning to get him a little more excited about college. He KNOWS he has to go to college, and I suppose that's the "commodity" point of view, but I want him to look forward to it as what may well turn out to be some of the greatest years of his life.

As a student, I will say again that I love learning. I remember when my relationship with my husband started getting serious. I sat him down and told him that my education was very important to me. I didn't know what I was going to be "when I grew up," but I had to complete my degree no matter how long it took. I told him in no uncertain terms that if he could not support that part of me, that it was a real, honest to goodness deal breaker. We could negotiate children, a home, and anything else, but there was no negotiating my education.  I needed that piece of paper. I had no idea where it would lead me, if anywhere at all, but I needed it. As I mentioned in my original post for the cycle, I know that a degree from MSU carries more weight than one from the local university (commodity), but this degree is really for private/personal reasons.

So much to say about this. I don't know if I packaged my thoughts any better than I did the first time in trying to provide the flip side of my original post. "Too many minds..." as one character says in The Last Samurai.

TE 818: Conflicting Notions of the Purposes of Schooling

I just spent the entire day writing a reading lesson plan for my grade-level for the upcoming week. It was late. It was due at the very latest this past Friday. One of the reasons that it took so long is that I was working to create a lesson which would engage students from the onset and prompt them, or lead them to that higher order thinking that the entire educational world speaks of. But how does that get accomplished in a one-hour block each day, in two languages, with accommodations for special education, GT, and RTI students, and pending benchmarks and three grades due for the grade book each week? Talk about losing sight of the purpose of schooling.

Labaree talks about social mobility in education, making education a commodity. At the elementary level, particularly in our bilingual classes, we don't see much of the parents who are fighting to make sure that their child/student is being distinguished in the classroom. We see them at award ceremonies at the end of the school year which indicates that they, too, see the value of academic success. However, the benefit to their children would be immensely multiplied were their interest year round.

As a parent, I see education as a commodity. I removed my son from the school district that I work in after his elementary years. As a district employee, I was privy to the state test academic outcomes of the middle schools available to my son. In addition, there were several instances in which the very teachers at the middle school level were not very flattering with their comments about their own schools. I also did not want my son to go to school to participate in a drill-and-kill academic environment. I placed him in a charter school, and so far, I am convinced it was the best decision we could have made for him. The school does resort to test-taking practice and/or strategy sessions as testing approaches, but for the most part, I see that a "real" education is being provided. I see that his school diploma and the college readiness that is highly and publicly emphasized will weigh more heavily than my school district's high school diploma when it comes time for college applications.

As a student I see that education is a commodity as well. Having received my bachelor's degree at the local university, I feel that it does not weigh as heavily as if I had received one from MSU or Texas A&M. In my decision to attend graduate school, I could have had that out of the way years ago if I would have simply enrolled in the local university's graduate program. I did not see how that would enhance my education. Some people see it as a chip on my shoulder, and perhaps it is, but I dare anyone to tell me that a master's in education from UT Brownsville weighs the same as a master's in education from MSU does. By the same token, I have a sister who does not have a college education, but who worked her way up through management levels of a retail chain which shall remain nameless, and now has a management position at a pharmacy chain which, too, shall remain nameless. She makes crazy amounts of money more than I do and never had a student loan to repay, much less a second one. Now let's compare the exchange value of her high school diploma and my pending graduate degree. She wins. In terms of salary, anyhow.

As a school teacher, I see education as a commodity, too. Its basic value and exchange value are different from those of my personal life. I want my bilingual students to be able to compete with all students at their grade level, in fourth grade as much as in subsequent years. Their ability to perform in English becomes an academic as well as a social issue for them. There is somewhat of a lingering stigma about the quality of a bilingual education in our school system. In my classroom, I work to provide an equal education for them, but I don't know what happened before me or what will come after. Another way that education becomes a commodity for me is that of accountability. The exchange value in this aspect is a high one in terms of job security. This is where the purpose of education becomes somewhat skewed. Was I hired and kept on to teach, to provide what I consider a "real" education to elementary school children, or was I hired to meet state-mandated testing requirements? I ask this question because before becoming a teacher, I worked at that local university from which I received my bachelor's degree. It was fed primarily from the local high schools which were achieving recognized and exemplary status for state test performance. Curiously, though, there were a large number of remedial courses having to be offered to these students. Now the question becomes, "What is the REAL exchange value of passing high school level state-mandated tests?" This does, in fact, place a huge strain on classroom instruction.

My goal for this year is to provide the best education for my students whether they choose an academic or vocational future.

TE 818: Introduction Post

Hello, All.

My name is Lupita Ochoa. On our course roster and on the book club list, you will see my name listed as Maria Guadalupe Ochoa. One-and-the-same, I promise. I tried for about an hour and a half to get a neat little video done to upload as an introduction, but finally gave up.

This is my second semester of the MATC program. I started my undergraduate studies at MSU (Go GREEN!) in 1990, but was unable to complete my bachelor's degree, so successful completion of the MATC program is hugely significant to me.

I am in my 11th year as an educator in south Texas, mostly as a 4th grade teacher. The past 3 years have been one heck of a roller coaster ride. It started off leaving my campus to move to a brand new campus. About 4 weeks later, I received a letter that I had been assigned to a Kindergarten classroom. Who does that to a 4th grade teacher? I thought the best thing to do was introduce myself to my new administrator and ask, beg if necessary, if the possibility of a grade change existed. Fortunately, it did. I started off the 2011-2012 school year as a 3rd grade teacher. Did that for 9 weeks before I was moved to a 4th grade classroom (ah, home again). Started the 2012-2013 school year as a 4th grade teacher. Did that for five (yes, five) days before I was promoted to an Instructional Specialist. Ended the school year thinking I'd be doing that for at least another 3 years. I was wrong. A board of trustees decision eliminated the position across the district, and so now I'm back in a 4th grade classroom (ah, home again). As an added bonus, our district is participating in a grant which, long story short, has me capped at 14 students, and only 13 of them showed up. How great is that!?!

I am an EC-4 Bilingual Generalist certified teacher, so I have worked with ELLs my entire career. Last semester I had to rely on memory to relate to course topics, so I am really looking forward to making direct and current connections to my studies in this semester. I have my note-taking notebook ready to go.

I currently don't have any spare time, but I'm going to work on it. I'd like to up my running abilities from zero to 5k by November 9th. The Color Run is in town and I've already paid my fee. I like to read. I keep saying I'd like to read a good mystery, but I haven't picked one up since grade school. Still can't get through Anna Karenina, but did finally read Pride and Prejudice. I like to plan our summer family vacations to places we've never been before. This summer we spent a few days in Colorado Springs, and next year we're looking at Dallas.

Looking forward to the course. I'll work on that video post, too.