Cycle Three: Should the curriculum address controversial issues?

          To begin, the topic of this week’s discussion spurred an interest in me to really think about what it means to be controversial and why something may be considered controversial.  According to dictionary.com, the definition of controversial is “of, relating to, or arousing controversy” and the definition of a controversy is “a discussion marked especially by the expression of opposing views”.   After reading these definitions I began to think about what makes something controversial. 

I am able to see where much of the controversy occurs when discussing educating our students on gay rights and gay culture.  Much of the controversy lies in religion.  However, I feel that there is something more to the controversy than a religious belief.  I feel that people are afraid of change and acceptance.  But let’s face it, as a society our population is growing and evolving by the day.  The results of these changes are new differences that we must adapt to, accept, respect and teach.  I feel that much of what makes something controversial is fear.  For example, at one time it was controversial to see a man and woman sleeping in the same bed on TV or even to say the word pregnant (I Love Lucy), now nearly no one bats an eye when a television show displays a master bedroom with only one bed or at a lead character giving birth as the basis of an entire episode (Up All Night).  Clearly, over time and through exposure the concept of a married couple sleeping in the same bed, and the thought of woman possibly becoming pregnant is far less controversial than it used to be.  What used to be scary and taboo is no longer.  As Kyle mentioned in his opening blog, we are seeing more and more representations of the gay community on TV as well.  I celebrate this fact.  I feel that by representing the gay community on TV we are welcoming the idea of change and acceptance and offering a venue for exposure to the unknown for some people.  These programs are a sign of the times changing and with that said, it is a sign of the time for us as educators to recognize and incorporate these changes into our lessons.

I believe that curriculum should address controversial issues beginning at a very early age.  For example, this year I have come across several meaningful learning opportunities with one of my kindergarten groups.  In one of my kindergarten groups I have a student that I will call Johnnie.  For Halloween, Johnnie chose to dress up as a princess.  I am unsure if he wore this when he was out Trick-or-Treating, but he did wear his princess costume for the school party.  Previous to Halloween I heard Johnnie discussing with other boys and girls about playing with dolls.  In one instance I heard the tail end of a conversation between the kindergarten classroom teacher, Johnnie and two or three other boys and girls.  The children were saying that Johnnie plays with girl toys.  The classroom teacher took this as an opportunity to explain to the children that there is no such thing as girl toys or boy toys.  That it is ok for boys to play with dolls and girls to play with trucks.  After that very brief discussion the topic has not arisen again.  At such a young age the curious (and potentially hurtful) children were able to accept what they had learned and this prevented any further hurt feelings regarding this circumstance and also subconsciously expanded their tolerance. This is not to say that their curiosity and questions will never surface again, but it was a perfect moment for learning about a controversial subject that made an impact on their young lives.  No innocence was trampled on and childhood was preserved as something special.  The student’s curiosity was answered, and a lesson was learned. 

Johnnie’s experience is only a small example of how we, as educators, can introduce and teach our students about different lifestyles they may not be familiar with.  And to also include the boys and girls who come from families with two moms or two dads, or students who practice “non-traditional” lifestyles themselves.  By introducing the proper guidance, lessons and tools from an early age we can help promote tolerance and hopefully diminish the amount of bullying and in turn save lives.  As stated in the article In Efforts to End Bullying, Some See Agenda, “Many educators and rights advocates say that official prohibitions of slurs and taunts are most effective when combined with frank discussions, from kindergarten on, about diverse families and sexuality.”

            However, even though I am all for addressing controversial subjects through the curriculum, I do not feel that I am prepared to do so.  I feel that I would benefit from attending workshops that address the issue of how to teach controversial topics, and how to respond to parents when I am questioned.  There is much to be learned in the classroom about controversial topics in order to expand our students mind and increase their levels of tolerance, but this can be accomplished only after the educators are taught how to do so properly.

Resources:

This article, entitled 10 TV Shows That Pushed The Envelop, lists 10 shows that incorporated seemingly controversial aspects in their program (e.g. the first biracial kiss between characters)

http://www.cabletvproviders.net/blog/2011/10-tv-shows-that-pushed-the-envelope/

This blog, entitled Oh No They Didn’t!, discusses the evolution of TV love, relationships and romance from the 1950s through the 2000s and how our acceptance has changed throughout the years.
http://ohnotheydidnt.livejournal.com/28782829.html

This website is a resource to help teach and incorporate tolerance into our curriculum.  There are many different areas where tolerance can be taught- Size, weight, hair, race, linguistics, religion etc- This website offers different ideas and lessons to be used in the classroom.

http://www.tolerance.org/

This parenting article discusses the importance of fostering your child’s tolerance for others.  It even describes a similar circumstance regarding boy’s toys and girl’s toys that I described early in this blog.

http://www.scholastic.com/resources/article/teaching-tolerance

This website is a resource for tolerance lesson plans and activities.  In addition to tolerance lesson plans and activities there is also an intolerance lesson plan. I thought that this was an interesting concept.  The intolerance lesson plan shows how destructive it can be to be intolerant.

http://multicultural.mrdonn.org/tolerance.html

Cycle Two: What Should The Content Of Curriculum Be?

         As I read through the three articles for Cycle Two I came to the realization (as I feel many of us will as we read the articles) that the content of curriculum needs to be a balance of traditional key concepts and an opportunity for flexibility and openness.  John Dewey suggests that curriculum and education should be child centered and based on experiences.  John Dewey states, “The case is of Child.  It is his present powers which are to assert themselves; his present capacities which are to be exercised; his present attitudes which are to be realized.”  As educators we can teach our students facts and concepts, but we must also provide opportunities for our students to ingest the knowledge and experience it in a personally meaningful manner.  This is one way to look at the content of curriculum.

             

           Hirsch has presented us with a different approach. Hirsch suggests that we teach our students traditional concepts (a big picture), but to also allow for flexibility in teaching the traditional, or big picture, concepts further.  He describes this in terms of an extensive curriculum and an intensive curriculum.  Where an extensive curriculum explores the big picture concept (“traditional, literate knowledge, the information, attitudes, and assumptions that literate Americans share- cultural literacy).  And intensive curriculum delves deeper (“Intensive study encourages a fully developed understanding of subject, making one’s knowledge of it integrated and coherent.  It coincides with Dewey’s recommendation that children should be deeply engaged with a small number of typical concrete instances.  It is also that part of the total curriculum in which great flexibility in contents and methods can prevail.” (Hirsch)

           
           A common bond in both of these schools of thought and the news article we read regarding video games and the classroom is the idea of making the curriculum relevant and interesting to students.  I can remember so many times in my own K-12 education, and even college to be honest, where myself or a fellow classmate said out loud “When am I ever going to need this?!”  Having that attitude makes the absorption of potentially pertinent information that less feasible.  I say potentially pertinent because there are some cases where certain components of curriculum really could be omitted.

             

             The elementary art curriculum where I teach is basically a Hirsch dream come true.  Each and every elementary art educator in my district follows what we call “The Ten Essentials”.  Let me explain what these “Ten Essentials” are.  As an elementary art educator group (about 10 teachers) we met in the beginning of the school year to look over the new state standards for elementary education.  As we looked over the new list of standards and benchmarks, we consolidated the list into the ten essentials- the ten most important concepts from the new standards- for each grade.  Here is an example of the ten essentials for second grade:

2nd Grade
1. Students will use a variety of art media and tools to create line.
2. Students will identify and use warm, cool and neutral colors in a composition.
3. Students will create a gray value scale to express five different values. Students will identify by name and use value as being an element of art.
4. Students will arrange geometric and organic shapes and forms to create a piece of art.
5. Students will identify and name different types of textures.
6. Students will work with space to show the illusion of depth.
7. Students will examine and reflect upon the artwork of self and others as a record of human kind.
8. Students will use sculptural materials appropriately, and clean up in a safe manner.
9. Students will identify and use emphasis as being a principle of art.
10. Students will compare symbols, trademarks, icons, emblems, and other visual motifs in various cultures.

As you can see, the ten essentials are similar to Hirsch’s idea of the extensive curriculum.  It is then up to each elementary art educator to develop and put in action the intensive curriculum. I personally begin developing my intensive curriculum by reflecting on my own current interests, remembering what interested me in the past and lastly by surveying my students and finding out what interests them.  For example, I just recently taught a unit on value.  We discussed that value is the lightest of lights and darkests of darks of a color and can be used to trick the eye into thinking something is 3-d.  From there we practiced drawing spheres on white paper.  As we were developing our spheres I mentioned to my students that you can apply the rules of value to many different things- not just spheres.  I suggested the idea of fruits, vegetables, bottles, and then I suggested something that just about blew their mind- THEY CAN MAKE 3-D LOOKING ANGRY BIRDS BY USING HIGHLIGHTS AND SHADOWS (value) IN THEIR DRAWINGS!!!  Now, when I look through my students’ sketchbooks I am sure I am going to find many attempts of Angry Birds with value.  This is just one example of how my curriculum affords me the ability to relate the core concepts to my students’ personal interests.

To summarize, I feel that the content of curriculum should be relatively universal, but should also allow for flexibility and personalized translation depending on the environment and the individuals who are being taught.

Resources:

http://eprints.oum.edu.my/408/

This article by Zoraini Wati Abas and Yun, Yun Chow describes the experience of an art classroom who has introduced technology into the classroom.  I feel that this article is similar to the one we read regarding using video gaming in the curriculum.

http://blog.mondrianwall.com/2011/03/21/benefits-to-your-school/

This resource can be used to help revitalize your curriculum.  This is a program you have to pay for.  I found it interesting that I was able to find a tool like this on the internet- It seems almost like signing up for someone to do your taxes through an online program.

http://www.edutopia.org/neuroscience-brain-based-learning-relevance-improves-engagement

This article discusses the science of the brain and how relevancy really matters.

“Students need a personal connection to the material, whether that's through engaging them emotionally or connecting the new information with previously acquired knowledge (often one and the same). Without that, students may not only disengage and quickly forget, but they may also lose the motivation to try.”

http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/23/tech/innovation/ipad-solid-education-tool/index.html?iref=allsearch

This article discusses how a classroom has improved their math scores by having the student use IPads instead of textbooks.  The article later goes on to say that IPads are making access to knowledge easier and that using an IPad may be less daunting of a task for students.

http://mcpopmb.ning.com/

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