What a metaphor! New-Fist could be considered one of the original founders of education. It is interesting to see how education changes because of demographic changes. Initially, New Fist looked at ways to help make life better for himself, his family, and his group. A curriculum was developed and implemented. The curriculum was a success initially. "But conditions changed, and life which had once been so safe and happy in the cave-realm valley became insecure and disturbing." New educators wanted to make changes to help in daily living. Fish nets were developed to help to catch fish that were hiding in the now muddy waters. There were no more horses because the land was now marshy, the horses migrated to the east. New skins were available in the antelopes. The saber-tooth-tigers were not around. So the initial curriculum of: firsh-grabbing-with-the-bare-hands, woolly-horse-clubbing, and saber-tooth-tiger-scaring with fire curriculum became obsolete.
There is always resistance to change. Even the "men who had the ability to do and daring to think" questioned the curriculum. These men questioned why new skills couldn't be taught in education. They wanted to new curriculum to be updated with the changing demands of their environment - net-making and operating, snare-setting, and pit-digging. There were some radicals who demanded explanations - when told why many radicals started believe why the curriculum can't change. They were told by the old men in educaion, "Because it would be mere training with all the intricate details of fish-grabbing, hore-clubbing, and tiger-scaring-the standard cultural subjects-the school curriculum is too crowded now. We can't add these fads and frills...." With more discussion - even the radicals believed it shouldn't be taught in education.
Why can't we forego the initial curriculum into the more relevant curriculum of the world. Then and now. We always seems, as in this article that it is in addition to what is currrently in the curriclum. Shouldn't we replace some archaic curriculum into more useful and 21st century relevant curriculm. We no longer have the same society that we once did when education started. We need the curriculum then and now to be relevant to the students and work-place ready. We need to "catch glimpses of ways in which life might be made better for himself, his family, and his group." (Change the pronoun his with our and it will be appropriate to use in todays environment.)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Would you believe this was written in 1937 and is still applicable? What does that say about our curriculum and system?
I agree with you completely when you say that we do not have the same society and that education needs to be then and now relevant. Basic skills that were once imporant then are still important today just in a different way. Education needs to change witht the times in order to have our children prepared for what's to come next.
Post a Comment