Running head: FINAL PAPER

C&T 709: Final Paper

Ben Coffey
University of Kansas
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Final Paper

Part 1

In the primary paper, I compare and contrast Maria Montessori and Ralph Tyler. I

chose these two theorists because of their lasting influence on education, albeit they did it

in very different ways.

Montessori and Tyler share a common background in that they both found other

curriculum models to be inadequate. They both despaired about how students were forced

into an antiquated system of rote-memorization. Each curriculist worked to use science,

rationalization, experimentation, and observation to make each classroom a child-focused

environment. The both drew on science for their inspiration.

Montessori and Tyler are very different as well. The former allows students to

work at their own pace with their own materials. Teachers act primarily as facilitators in

this child-centered environment. Manipulatives are paramount. Tyler is more focused on

a linear progression based on objectives and assessments. He wants the lessons to

produce measurable and attainable results. He places the emphasis on the teacher

motivating the student rather than the student motivating him/herself.

I would compare the two theorists to artists. Montessori is Jackson Pollock. She

understands different mediums and is not reckless in her craft; however, she is open to

experimentation and the Avant-garde. Each education will produce slightly different

results. Her theories and practices cannot be confused with others. She is unique and

appreciated, although her model often raises eyebrows. Some might question if a

Montessori based education is valuable or even works; however, both a Pollock and a

Montessori have proven to be lasting, expensive, and entertaining.

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Tyler is Bob Ross, the famous TV personality, who taught America to paint by the

numbers. His works are practical but effective. He has influenced millions across the

country. A teacher just has to follow the linear steps, and he or she will provide a

satisfactory education to the mainstream students. His mediums are no thrills, but it takes

the difficulties out of the process. It is clear to the teacher and the student what the final

product will be.

My views on both theorists have changed through the program. I think I have a

much higher regard for Montessori because her model is so different. No other theorist

has been able to create and implement a curriculum similar to her model, which is why it

is the only model today to bear a name association.

It has lasted generations too. The more I teach high-risk students, the more I

understand how important manipulatives can be to the process. My kids do much better

when they have hands on learning opportunities. Unfortunately, we have many more test-

preparation books than hands-on manipulatives.

She seems to have understood the ideals of differentiation, inquiry, and integrated

studies far before others in her field. Many of the goals we strive for in education today

were part of her curriculum one-hundred years ago. She was generations ahead of her

time.

I am conflicted about Ralph Tyler. I now have a much better understanding of his

impact on education. He really did completely change the field of education. I recognize

this more now after completing the following chapters. I do appreciate the structures he

brings to the profession. I am not sure if any other theorist has been so effective in

creating a practical model that teachers across the nation can utilize. He helped move the
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classroom away from exercises in rote-memorization as well, so I am grateful for his

impact.

However, I think the rigidness and dominance of his model have neglected

certain populations, such as minorities, women, and LGBT students/educators. Some

subject areas have been negatively impacted as well. Maxine Greene suggests in her

essays that the arts have suffered greatly under the auspices of Tylers followers. His

model has also brought central control of education to the government. Michael Apple

decries this structure, noting Since schools are state apparatuses, we should expect them

to be under intense pressure to act in certain ways, especially in times of both fiscal and

ideological crises (Flinders and Thornton, 2013, p.171). These complaints are justified,

and they are the lasting effects of the Tylers vision.

Overall, I believe that educational curriculum in the United States has benefited

from both Montessori and Tyler, but my views on each theorist and his/her impact has

changed since my initial paper.

Part II

The secondary paper for this course focuses on an issue in critical pedagogy. I

write about a teacher in Utah, who was lambasted for having his/her students create ISIS

propaganda posters. The intent of the project was to allow students to consider how ISIS

is able to recruit and motivate new/current followers. In my paper, I support the teachers

actions with evidence from Paulo Freire. I still have the same opinion on this topic,

although my affirmation of support has grown because of current events.

Friere notes, Men are not built in silence, but in word, in work, in action

reflection (Flinders and Thornton, 2013, p.157). Both educators and students need to be
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able to explore certain topics in depth, even though they may be controversial. As long as

subjects are not causing harm to populations inside or outside the classroom, I believe

that they should be admitted.

The assignment in Utah was not harming populations inside or outside the

classroom. It was fostering discussion, which is something Friere and most theorists

condone. In fact, I cannot think of a single curriculist we have studied, who would

denounce open discussion and refection in the classroom.

Instead opposition to such lessons appears to be inflamed by the media and

politicians during times of conflict with hostel nations or groups. For instance, during

World War I, German-language classes, until then a common part of the

public-school curriculum, were discontinued and, in many areas,

outlawed entirely (Immigration, 2015). Today, it is almost certain

nobody would think twice if the same teacher asked students to

produce a recruiting poster for German soldiers. In fact, the teacher

might even be applauded for fostering higher level thinking skills in his

or her students.

However, in this case, enemy number one is the Islamic State in Syria. The

distrust and animosity Americans feel towards the Islamic faith and immigrants from the

Middle East is being perpetuated by people like presidential candidate Donald Trump,

who has threatened to ban all Muslims from entering the United States because they are a

threat. Friere disagrees with such overtures in his Pedagogy of the Oppressed. As

Americans, we cannot or should not discriminate against a minority in the classroom or

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in society because To glorify democracy and to silence the people is a farce; to discourse

on humanism and to negate man is a lie (Flinders and Thornton, 2013, p. 159).

Unfortunately, rhetoric trumps theory, so now mosques are being vandalized,

Muslim-Americans are being threatened, and any project relating to ISIS is quickly

scrutinized or denounced. In fact, a school district in Virginia just canceled classes over

outrage related to a homework assignment related to Islam.

Part III

John Dewey

Some of John Deweys philosophies on education may be antiquated, but I

believe that any effective model of curriculum must include his works. Perhaps, no other

theorist (other than Ralph Tyler) has had such a dominant role in influencing countless

students/educators than this progressive New Englander. Therefore, his principles are my

cornerstone.

Currently, I am teaching in a very diverse classroom; time and resources limit me.

As a result, I agree with Dewey that an integrated and a non-successive curriculum are

necessary. He argues in My Pedagogic Creed that there is no succession of studies in the

ideal school (Flinders and Thornton, 2013, p. 37). He argues that educators should not

just teach science, literature, and history as single subjects. Instead, he articulates that

school should mimic real life, where these subjects are integrated.

This week I taught a science laboratory, which integrated five subjects: math,

science, language arts, social studies, and art. I had the students research the history of

the topic, write about their findings, calculate measurements, and draw their observations.
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I also allowed some of my higher students in fifth grade to begin studying middle school

materials in social studies.

Prior to Dewey, traditionalists would have scorned such freedoms, but he has

allowed us to move beyond the rigid curriculum structures of the past.

I also appreciate what Dewey has to offer me about the topic of community and

social issues. He is passionate that there must be a connection amongst educators,

students, parents, and the community. He notes how these relationships are important in

My Pedagogic Creed:

The moral education centers upon this conception of the school as a

mode of social life, that the best and deepest moral training is precisely

that which one gets through having to enter into proper relations with

others in a unity of work and thought (Flinders and Thornton, 2013,

p.35).

My school is located in a high poverty part of Columbus. Many of my students

are from broken homes, where parents are not teaching their children many of the

values deemed appropriate to a school setting: fighting, stealing, lying, racism, failing to

complete work, and basic hygiene; therefore, it is falling upon the school(s) to teach these

things, through modeling and character education.

I do not mind though because it provides me an excellent opportunity to teach my

students life long lessons. I am also able to build closer connections with parents and

reach-out to the community for assistance.

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Of course, in this era of testing, such lessons may be seen as a hindrance to raising

test scores in math and reading, but John Dewy is right. The school has a role in the

social process, which is why he is paramount to my own model of curriculum.

Maria Montessori

Another innovator I am including is Maria Montessori. All educators should

consider her passion, creativity, and unorthodox approaches because her methods

continue to work. She is also the perfect antithesis to the standardized/rigid curriculum

we use today.

No, I am not ready to cede complete control to my students. I have neither the

patience nor the mandate to allow them to inquire at their own pace; however, I am trying

to give them more time to experiment in class; I am offering them more opportunities to

discover things for themselves. They often want me to provide all the answers (spoon

feeding), but more and more I am handing assignments back to them, so they can

formulate their own answers/conclusions. I am also trying to get them out of their desks,

so they can participate in activities. Montessori reminds me that this element is

imperative:

Today we hold pupils in school, restricted by those instruments so

degrading to body and sprit, the desk-and the material prizes and

punishments. Our aim in all of this is to reduce them to the discipline

of immobility and silence, -to lead them, -where? Far too often

toward no definite end (Flinders and Thornton, 2013, p. 30)

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If I am going to provide my students with the education they need and deserve, I must

find ways to circumvent many of the constraints of our current system. Maria Montessori

provides these answers.

Ralph Tyler

I am conflicted as I incorporate Ralph Tylers curriculum model into my own, but

his influence is so great, I cannot neglect his tenants. Still, I find him to be the antithesis

of Montessori. His doctrine seems quite conservative, allowing little freedom for

educators seeking balance in the system. Many of the controversial approaches we use

today precipitated from his works as well, including standardized testing. This makes his

model difficult to fully embrace.

Nevertheless, I do appreciate his linear approach. He-above all others- has shown

me a simple blueprint for success. A great deal of thought should be taken, while

planning a lesson or unit of study. I recognize that I need to keep refining my ability to

create lessons that are specific, measurable, and attainable. I agree with Tyler that there

should be a clear purpose for the learning that we convey to our students. It is somewhat

taken for granted today, but I am sure that he would still be correct in stating, Many

educational programs do not have clearly defined purposes (Flinders and Thornton,

2013, p. 59).

Perhaps, we should only teach something with a clear objective in mind?

Otherwise, our lessons will lack uniformity and purpose. We will also be wasting the time

of our students and teachers.

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This year I am mentoring a new teacher. In September, he asked me to help him

create lessons that have structure. I feel that I can show him Tylers approach, so he can

be successful. It is still simple yet effective, which is why I wish to incorporate his views.

James Popham

James Popham also holds dominion in his philosophies on objectives and

assessments; however, unlike Tyler, he offers educators more freedom in their decision-

making; therefore, wish to weave his model into my own.

I have long been taught to refine my goals and objectives, so they are designed for

each specific lesson. My current principal is very keen on this point. For example, if he

were evaluating me, I would write something like this: Fourteen students will be able to

write 16/20 simple sentences containing the prefixes -un, dis-, or re-. This is a very clear

objective that is specific, measurable, and attainable, but I probably would never be able

to use it again because of its narrow focus.

Popham offers a solution to this dilemma by arguing that more general objectives

are permissible. He writes What most educators wish to accomplish is not so limited in

scope, but covers a broad range of learner behaviors, behaviors which can be employed

profitably in many situations (p.100); therefore, I am going to try and write objectives I

can use in the future as well. I might also try and utilize a collection of pre-written

objectives, so I do not have to spend as much time creating my own.

Reconceptualists

I am drawn to the Reconceptualists. I admire the creativity, choice, and openness

that Maxine Greene, Paulo Freire, Michael Apple, and William Pinar offer teachers. Their

writings contrast smartly with the stuffy-state-controlled models of today.

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Maxine Greene argues passionately for the arts as means to helping students

succeed. I agree. I believe that students, especially in high poverty schools need

opportunities to experience music and art; however, my school has neither, so many

students may leave our building never having experienced the glow of pastels or the

vibrato of Beethoven. She reminds me that I need to find ways of incorporating them into

future lessons.

Freires devotion to the oppressed resonates with me as well. The students he is

referring to in his works are quite similar to the ones I have in class everyday. My

students are the ones that are least likely to have the opportunities more affluent students

enjoy. They are the most likely to be marginalized as adults. I cannot in good

consciousness keep them silent in their desks all year; contrarily, I need to give them a

voice because Without dialogue there is no communication, and without

communication, there can be no true education (Flinders and Thornton, 2013, p. 160).

Of course this is difficult in a classroom funded by the success of our students on

standardized assessments. The model for my school is most definitely teacher centered.

We seek promotion through educational banking. There is little or no time for student

dialogue, so we operate through a linear model. This is something I quietly try and

circumvent because I know that such a model is not healthy for my students or for our

culture.

Peter Hlebowitsh

Perhaps, I need to embrace the recommendations of Peter Hlebowitsh, who notes

that it is important that we examine how different traditions can coexist or even enrich

each other (Flinders and Thornton, 2013, p. 229). I need to find ways to accept the
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standards of today, while allowing dialogue, differentiation, and inquiry in my classroom.

This is a difficult balance, but as a veteran teacher recently told me, As long as you get

the desired test results, the administration wont care how you teach the material.

This may be the vision I need moving forward because I can see the importance

of each model. I do not want to discount the traditional approaches; I want to include the

Reconceptualists recommendations, and I cannot dismiss the current model. I need to

move horizontally and vertically.

This has been a challenge for me in the past. I used to teach high school, and I

was very much a traditionalist when it came to reading novels. I would make my students

read the same traditional texts that I read when I was a student; most of the kids would

acquiesce to such rigidness, but a few of them either complained bitterly or refused to

read them. They wanted to read more modern texts, such as graphic novels or non-fiction

texts. One student would only read football related materials, so he never glanced at To

Kill a Mockingbird or Jane Eyre.

While I still find value in these texts because of their traditional values in a

vertical curriculum, I can now view these assignments with a horizontal lens. The

main intent of a reading class is to get kids to read. This main purpose should not be

neglected, even if it means allowing certain children to make an alternative choice.

Elliot Eisner

Finally, I close with Elliot Eisner, who offers suggestions/thoughts on student

involvement, assessments, and the overall state of education in this country. He parallels

Freires refrains on student dialogue, writing, When youngsters have no reason to raise
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questions, the processes that enable them to learn how to discover intellectual problems

go undeveloped (Flinders and Thornton, 2013, p. 283).

I have been allocating more time for students to ask questions this semester.

Sometimes I feel that their questions are keeping us from our prescribed track of testing,

yet I have been able to see that their involvement and interest in the subject matter has

increased greatly. It has also been a pleasure watching them sort through challenging

subject matter. For example, last week we were discussing viruses and the immune

system. One student raised his hand and asked, How can my body better defend itself

from diseases? Similarly, I had a child ask, Why did the Native Americans have

compassion for the Pilgrims? These open-ended dialogue sessions are paying dividends

for everyone and moving us away from the educational banking system.

Similarly, I appreciate Eisners call for students to take a greater role in assessing

their own work. He writes, It is important for teachers to understand what students

themselves thin of their own work (Flinders and Thornton, 2013, p.284). This has

proven challenging for me because I am constrained by time and patience. I get frustrated

with students who do not use the rubrics and instruction I have provided them; however, I

must be successful on this front.

Conclusion

Overall, each theorist brings something to education. I may or may not adopt

some or all of their recommendations, but at least I now have a framework to use in the

classroom. Each year brings news challenges, so I believe that I will be able to utilize

their sagely advice as needed.

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References

Flinders, D.J. & Thornton, S.J. (Eds.). (2013). The Curriculum Studies Reader. New
York: Routledge.
Immigration: Shadows of War. (2015). Retrieved from
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presen
tations/immigration/german8.html.