Origins of Secondary School Curriculum?

[Demetri Orlando]

In a presentation at Lausanne, I heard Dr. Dougherty mention that a group named "The Committee of 10" (meeting in 1892 at Harvard) established the framework of what is still our secondary school curriculum. [Classics, Algebra, English, Mathematics, Physics.] Reportedly, their intent was to ensure that students would be properly prepared for admission to university. Dr. Dougherty also mentions that the culmination of the schooling experience would prepare students to become college professors themselves.

There has been much talk in the past few years about redefining the important elements of k-12 curriculum with emphasis on "21st century skills" such as those identified by Thornburg: verbal proficiency, collaboration, technological fluency, solve complex problems, creativity, analytical and thinking skills, and gumption.

I continue to wonder about how these two forces-- the origins of our curriculum and our current needs-- fit together, and whether it may be time for a new "committee of 10" to get together? Imagine going to a school which based its curriculum on preparing students for the needs they face in today's world, and delivered its curriculum taking advantage of today's information and communication tools.

What would the "subjects" be? What would assessment look like? What would "class" look like?

[Josie Holford]

This committee was also the origin of the "layer cake" science curriculum - arranged in alphabetical order - biology, chemistry, physics.

[Brian Kelly]

The topic is interesting to me for several reasons--not the least of which is that my dissertation explores the results of 21st century technology tools on the reflection process in service learning. Specifically, though, I've been thinking a lot about the way Independent School teachers teach, and how pedagogy needs to change because of the advent of 21st century skills/technologies. Even before anyone begins to address this issue, though, I think we need to address how "college prep" instructors are currently teaching. I have worked at three different independent schools and at each it seems as if the teachers and administrators have defined "college prep" as "to teach as if one is teaching in college." And certainly there are merits to teaching in this manner. However, I think schools need to stress the "prep" in the term "college prep." We need to teach the students how to learn and thrive in such an environment. Merely inserting them into this environment and expecting them to "get it" would be akin to throwing someone off a dock and expecting him or her to swim. That, I believe, is from where the "sink or swim" aspect of private school education is derived. But demographic trends and population shifts suggest that many schools will "sink" if they do not change their practices. We need to meet the children where they are and give them the tools to succeed, not expect them to rise to the challenge or leave. That's the old paradigm, and if we continue to follow it we will find ourselves without jobs. So my suggestion for a "New Committee of 10" would be to create a curriculum that embraces Gardner's concept of multiple intelligences and addresses the needs of students as individual learners.

[Bill Ivey]

Hi!
This topic fascinates me, but I don't really know where to start, both because there's so much I want to say and because I want to go double-check all my favourite role models and read or re-read every page of their websites, books, articles, etc.:
- Mark Springer ("Soundings" program at Radnor Middle School)
- The Alpha Team (at Shelburne Community School)
- Dennis Littky (The Big Picture Company)
- Sudbury Valley School (the ultimate in democratic teaching)
- Alfie Kohn (of course!)
But, being impatient, here are my thoughts:

- Lots of reading and writing workshop at all levels.
- Everything as multi-disciplinary as possible at all levels.
- Significant time devoted to advisory, service learning, athletics, and the arts as well as reading, writing, research, math, problem-solving... etc.
- Each component of the program treated as having equal value (since they do).
- Focus on applying knowledge, not acquiring knowledge.
- Lots of hands-on, project-oriented work, handled in age-appropriate ways as kids grow up. For example, the democratic teaching techniques of "Soundings" in the middle school, or individually-designed multi-disciplinary projects which involve the greater community in the high school.
- Individual goals set by students at all levels.
- Self-assessment according to pre-determined rubrics or checklists; double-checked with teachers.
- Graduation" being dependent on the successful completion, according to the student, the student's advisor, and a panel of people from the school and the community, of an in-depth final presentation of knowledge, similar to the "exhibition" of the Coalition of Essential Schools.
- Evolving technologies as a tool to the above ends.

"Class" might involve full group, small group, or individual activities depending on what goal(s) are being worked toward at a given point in time. The focus is on the process leading to a product, on the collaborative and individual creation, application and evaluation of knowledge and skills of all types.

That's my not-yet-researched, not-yet-fleshed out, beginning glimmer of an idea of what such a school might be like. Oh, one last thing you'd see... a very happy Bill somewhere in there, working side by side with his students and with like-minded colleagues.

Take care,
Bill

[Al Doyle]

An ideal high school of the future (the future is now!) would be entirely project based. If some students opted for an 'academic' track, they would be trained in the traditional manner typical of our schools now: course work, grades, subjects, papers, tests. These students would go on to become 'academics.'
All other students would be given large scale projects that require teamwork, discipline, direction, follow-through and a lot of mentoring and guidance to get the job done. This approach is inter-disciplinary and cross-curricular and would integrate skills on an 'as-needed' basis.

[Demetri Orlando]

It seems like we're pretty active on this topic at the k-12 level, but does anyone have info from the post-secondary level? Seeing as most independent schools put students on a track towards college, I'm wondering how this topic is being perceived of and dealt with at colleges and universities. Are there particular colleges or college educators who are doing good work with this? If anyone has links or articles to share, I'd appreciate it.

[Bill Ivey]

Chris Toy, a former middle school principal, is doing some wonderful college-level work with teacher training that puts progressive/constructivist techniques actively to work as he believes in being a good role model and walking the talk. I know of a number of other current and former middle school people who are or have been in a similar situation. What I'm not sure about, though, is whether there are people in higher ed who have come to this point on their own rather than transferring ideas over from having worked with younger students.
Perhaps younger members of this group have experiences from their colleges they could share (cough, Lisa?!)?

[Bill Ivey]

I learned about Prescott College two nights ago. Here is their mission statement: "It is the mission of Prescott College to educate students of diverse ages and backgrounds to understand, thrive in, and enhance our world community and environment. We regard learning as a continuing process and strive to provide an education that will enable students to live productive lives while achieving a balance between self-fulfillment and service to others. Students are encouraged to think critically and act ethically with sensitivity to both the human community and the biosphere. Our philosophy stresses experiential learning and self-direction within an interdisciplinary curriculum."
Also, there's Hampshire College, well known for the interdisciplinary "frisbee project" many years ago and still committed, as far as I know, to individualized student exploration.

[Pam Hepp]

Interesting post - I will read the original "committee of 10" article but in the mean time...I was thinking that we a individual teachers have adapted the way we teach the traditional subjects to include the 21st centrury skills identified by Thornburg - verbal proficiency, collaboration, technological fluency, solving complex problems, creativity, & analytical and thinking skills. I do not however see these skills emphasized in the SAT or AP exams. Teaching AP Chemistry I ofen hav eto choose between continuing on with a lab or project becasue of studnet interest and covering all the material for the exam in May.

[Eric Wilson]

I teach a course called Science and Sustainability, but it has quite a bit of math and social studies. The course very well could be sustainability and require students to study the three "disciplines" of science, math and geography/social studies. This integration of the material is key to providing students with a better understanding of the world and how it works. Right now the topics are too disparate to help them make connections.

[Demetri Orlando]

Thanks Eric,
I added that course to the list of subjects on this wiki page.

[Demetri Orlando]

Was emptying my inbox and finally looked at this interesting article from the December issue of Edutopia. It is an interview with futurist Alvin Toffler who discusses his thinking on the public school system. He also sheds some insight into the origins of our current system.

[Bill Ivey]

Here's the brief summary (the article is well worth reading in it's entirety):
****************************************
Toffler's School of Tomorrow
These are the fundamentals of the futurist's vision for education in the twenty-first century:

* Open twenty-four hours a day
* Customized educational experience
* Kids arrive at different times
* Students begin their formalized schooling at different ages
* Curriculum is integrated across disciplines
* Nonteachers work with teachers
* Teachers alternate working in schools and in business world
* Local businesses have offices in the schools
* Increased number of charter schools
***********************************************************************
I look at this and find myself in agreement to some extent with all except the "teachers alternate working in schools and in the business world." I can definitely see the need for teachers to understand where our students are going after school. But at the same time, if we're forming these partnerships with the community, including businesses, and truly listening, that should help meet that goal. I really don't want to be part of the business world. Now, if we were to require sabbaticals for a variety of purposes, I might be persuaded to go along with that. Requiring professional and personal development certainly makes sense to me.