Curriculum : from Theory to Practice / Wesley Null
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= CURRI C U LUM = CURRI C U LUM From Theory to Practice Wesley Null ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD PUBLISHERS, INC. Lanham • Boulder • New York • Toronto • Plymouth, UK Published by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. A wholly owned subsidiary of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc. 4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706 http://www.rowmanlittlefield.com Estover Road, Plymouth PL6 7PY, United Kingdom Copyright © 2011 by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Null, Wesley, 1973– Curriculum : from theory to practice / Wesley Null. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-4422-0914-5 (cloth : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-1-4422-0915-2 (pbk. : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-1-4422-0916-9 1. Curriculum planning. 2. Critical pedagogy. I. Title. LB2806.15.N85 2011 375—dc22 2010051614 ™ ` The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/ NISO Z39.48-1992. Printed in the United States of America for my parents Master teachers and curriculum makers We wish all men to be educated in all the virtues. —John AmoS COMENIUS, The Great Didactic Contents List of Figures and Textboxes xiii Foreword: The Future of Our Making: Recapturing the Identity of Curriculum by David M. Callejo-Pérez xv Preface xxiii Supplementary Materials xxv Acknowledgments xxvii A Note to the Reader: Theory to Practice xxix Introduction: What Is Curriculum and Why Does It Matter? 1 Curriculum versus Education 1 Curriculum Questions 5 Why Curriculum Matters 6 What Is a Liberating Curriculum? 8 Thesis and Structure of the Book 9 Brief Book Overview 9 Discussion Questions 11 PART I: CURRICULUM TRADITIONS 1 The March to Liberal Curriculum for All 15 Origins of a Liberal Curriculum 16 The Christian Era and the Liberal Arts Ideal 19 The Rise of Democracy 21 Universal Liberal Curriculum and Deliberation 22 John Dewey and Democratic Education 24 Joseph Schwab’s Challenge to Curriculum 26 ■ VII VIII ■ C O N T E N T S The Five Commonplaces of Curriculum 27 Why the Language of Commonplaces? 27 Commonplace #1: Teachers 28 Commonplace #2: Learners 29 Commonplace #3: Subject Matter 30 Commonplace #4: Context 31 Commonplace #5: Curriculum Making 32 A Map for Curriculum Makers 33 The Horizontal Axis 35 The Vertical Axis 35 The Curriculum Map and the Five Curricular Traditions 36 Discussion Questions 36 2 Systematic Curriculum 37 No Child Left Behind and Systematic Curriculum 38 Curriculum Standards as a System 43 Background on the Systematic Curriculum Tradition 47 John Franklin Bobbitt 48 Werrett Wallace Charters 50 The Free-Market System and Curriculum 53 What About Curriculum? 56 Systematic Curriculum and the Commonplaces 58 Teachers 58 Learners 59 Subject Matter 59 Context 60 Curriculum Making 61 Conclusion: Strengths and Weaknesses of Systematic Curriculum 62 Discussion Questions 64 3 Existentialist Curriculum 67 Alfie Kohn and Curriculum for Personal Choice 68 Maxine Greene and Existential Curriculum 72 Elliot Eisner and Artistic Existentialism 74 Background on Existentialist Curriculum 77 G. Stanley Hall and Developmental Curriculum 77 William Heard Kilpatrick and Project-Based Curriculum 78 Existentialist Curriculum and the Commonplaces 81 Teachers 81 Learners 82 Subject Matter 82 Context 82 Curriculum Making 83 Conclusion: Strengths and Weaknesses of Existentialist Curriculum 84 Discussion Questions 86 C O N T E N T S ■ IX 4 Radical Curriculum 87 Michael Apple and Radical Curriculum 88 Official Knowledge 89 Ideology and Curriculum 92 Paulo Freire and Radical Curriculum 94 Pedagogy of the Oppressed 95 Radical Christian Curriculum 96 Background on Radical Curriculum 99 George Counts 99 Dare the School Build a New Social Order? and Curriculum 101 Harold Rugg and Radical Social Studies Curriculum 103 Radical Curriculum and the Commonplaces 106 Teachers 106 Learners 108 Subject Matter 109 Context 110 Curriculum Making 110 Conclusion: Strengths and Weaknesses of Radical Curriculum 111 Discussion Questions 116 5 Pragmatic Curriculum 117 Ted Sizer and Pragmatic Curriculum 119 Horace Smith’s Compromised Curriculum 120 Sizer’s Pragmatic System 122 Harry K. Wong and Pragmatic Curriculum 126 Background on Pragmatic Curriculum 130 John Dewey and the Philosophical Roots of Pragmatic Curriculum 130 Dewey in the 1890s 131 Dewey in 1916 133 Dewey during the Great Depression 136 Ralph Tyler and Pragmatic Curriculum 138 Tyler and the Roots of Curriculum Deliberation 142 Pragmatic Curriculum and the Commonplaces 143 Teachers 143 Learners 144 Subject Matter 144 Context 145 Curriculum Making 145 Conclusion: Strengths and Weaknesses of Pragmatic Curriculum 146 Discussion Questions 147 6 Deliberative Curriculum 149 William A. Reid and Deliberative Curriculum 150 Thinking About the Curriculum 151 Reid on Curriculum and Liberal Education 154 XNTENTS ■ C O Ian Westbury and Deliberative Curriculum 158 Westbury on Liberal Education 159 Westbury on Bildung, Didaktik, and Curriculum 161 Background on Deliberative Curriculum 164 Joseph Schwab’s Challenge to Curriculum 164 Schwab and Deliberation 168 Richard McKeon: Rhetoric and Humanity in the Curriculum 169 McKeon on Rhetoric and Premodern Curriculum 170 McKeon on the Theory-Practice Relationship and Deliberation 172 Deliberative Curriculum and the Commonplaces 176 Teachers 176 Learners 176 Subject Matter 177 Context 178 Curriculum Making 178 Conclusion: Strengths and Weaknesses of Deliberative Curriculum 179 Discussion Questions 182 PART II: FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE 7 What Should We Do with State Curriculum Standards? 185 The Idea of Curriculum Standards 186 Jesse Parker: High School U.S. History Teacher 187 Resolving Mr. Parker’s Problems 192 Kathy Waterman: Social Studies Department Chair 195 Resolving Ms. Waterman’s Problems 198 Michelle Ochoa: Fifth-Grade Teacher 202 Resolving Ms. Ochoa’s Problems 205 Discussion Questions 209 8 How Can We Reinstitutionalize a Core Curriculum at Our University? 211 Northern State University 212 Dr. Martin Fitzgerald 213 Resolving Provost Fitzgerald’s Problems 216 Smithville College 222 President Elizabeth Rankin 223 Resolving President Rankin’s Problems 224 Discussion Questions 233 C O N T E N T S ■ XI 9 What Should We Do to Create a Better Teacher Ed Curriculum? 235 Western State University 236 Dean John Mason 237 WSU: The Context 238 President Jenice Longfellow 239 Dr. Ronnie Lopez 239 Provost Barry Barnett 240 Dean Michael Leadbetter 240 Resolving Dean Mason’s Problems 241 Freedom Hill College 247 President Martin Westland 248 Dean Eugene Barker 249 Dr. Theresa Moore, Assistant Professor 251 Resolving President Westland’s Problems 252 Resolving Dr. Theresa Moore’s Problems 255 Discussion Questions 258 10 Calling All Curriculists: Virtue and the Future of Deliberative Curriculum 259 The Premodern Turn and Curriculum Deliberation 260 Virtue and Curriculum Making 265 John Amos Comenius and a Liberating Curriculum for All 269 Discussion Questions 273 Appendix: Curriculum Dilemmas 275 Curriculum Dilemma #1 “Intelligent Design versus Evolution: Teach It or Ignore It?” 276 Curriculum Dilemma #2 “Should I Talk to the Principal or Not?” 277 Curriculum Dilemma #3 “Must I Teach Phonics?” 279 Curriculum Dilemma #4 “Should I Confront the Principal or Ignore What I Saw?” 281 Curriculum Dilemma #5 “Should I Give the Star Running Back a Break or Uphold Standards?” 283 Notes 285 Bibliography 297 Index 303 About the Author 313 Figures and Textboxes Figures 1.1 Curriculum Map 34 6.1 Curriculum Map with Authors 181 10.1 Curriculum Deliberation Team 270 Textboxes Chapter 1 Plato’s Cave 17 Chapter 2 Background on Curriculum Standards 44 Taylor’s Scientific Management 48 Chapter 3 Maria Montessori 68 Reggio Emilia 69 Chapter 4 The Null Curriculum 93 Chapter 5 Pragmatic Philosophy 118 The Eight-Year Study and Curriculum 139 Chapter 6 The University of Chicago and the Field of Education 165 Curriculum Reform following Sputnik 166 ■ XIII XIV ■ FIGURES AND TEXTBOXES Chapter 7 Curriculum Standards and Controversy 187 Chapter 8 Core Curriculum 212 Core Curriculum within Universities 222 Chapter 9 Professional Development Schools and Teacher Ed Curriculum 247 Chapter 10 Three Traditions within Moral Philosophy 264 Foreword The Future of Our Making: Recapturing the Identity of Curriculum David M. Callejo-Pérez Carl A. Gerstacker Endowed Chair in Education, Saginaw Valley State University ROWING UP playing baseball in Miami, I always understood two things about the Cuban style of Gbaseball: hitting is an art and baseball is a reckless discipline. Coaches, fellow players, and parents yelled to attack the ball, whether hitting or fielding, and to imagine and harness forces of action when throwing, catching, swing- ing, tagging up, or running. In short, we had to play baseball like we lived our lives—it was one and the same. In much the same way, curriculum is an art and a reckless discipline. Wil- liam Schubert writes, “What is fundamentally curricular and what is fundamentally human are of the same fabric.”1 Cur- riculum also exists in a state of angst, between science and art; practice and theory; justice and