Webquest following Tyler discussion

PART I.
Given what we believe are the best “lessons” to be learned from Mr. Ralph Tyler, I wonder how well current state-mandated objectives compare with his approach…

☼ Go to the Pennsylvania Department of Education webpage, and check out the section on curriculum and instruction.

What do you imagine Tyler would say about the State’s approach to curriculum and instruction?

☼ Pick one or two disciplinary areas for which Standards are available, and quickly get a sense of the kinds of goals and objectives that have been chosen.

• What are the major sources of objectives for the State of Pennsylvania?
• What are the major types of “screens” that the framers of these objectives have used to choose among potential objectives.
• What criteria would you say have been used for the organization of learning experiences?
• What organizing structures have been used?
• What is valued by the chosen evaluation procedures?

☼ Check out another state’s Standards for comparison. Try to compare in each dimension listed above:

• Alaska Department of Education Standards webpage
• New Jersey Department of Education Standards and Assessment
• New Hampshire Curriculum Frameworks
• Louisiana Student Standards and Assessments

☼ Compare the Professional Recommendations of one or two professional associations:

• National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Principles and Standards http://www.nctm.org/
• International Society for Technology in Education http://www.iste.org/
• International Technology Education Association http://www.iteawww.org/
• National Council of Teachers of English Positions and Guidelines http://www.ncte.org/positions/
• Minnesota Environmental Learning Scope and Sequence http://www.seek.state.mn.us/classrm_d.cfm
• Council for Exceptional Children Professional Standards http://www.cec.sped.org/ps/
• Arts-Edge: The National Standards for Arts Education http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/professional_resources/standards/natstandards/standards_print.html
• National Council for the Social Studies Curriculum Standards http://www.socialstudies.org/standards/toc.html
• National Association for the Education of the young Child Guidelines for Appropriate Curriculum Content and Assessment http://www.naeyc.org/resources/position_statements/pscuras.htm
• National Science Education Standards http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/nses/html/overview.html

Part II.

☼ Given what we think might be left out of curriculum planning according to Ralph Tyler, how do the website you have just explored compare? Do they seem more or less sophisticated than what you would expect given that people have been reading Tyler since 1949 and most of these websites were created or updated within the last few years?

☼ Some people just don’t like starting with subject area disciplines. Remember, even Ralph thought this was only one source of objectives for the curriculum. What are your reactions? Can you find some education associations on line that begin their discussion of frameworks, standards, or core curriculum from a perspective other than subject area knowledge?

☼ Do your own searches.

☼ Check out the following sites for other perspectives on the Standards movement in this country:

• Alfie Kohn Association http://www.alfiekohn.org/
• Public Agenda: Is there a backlash against education standards? http://www.publicagenda.org/aboutpa/standardsbacklash.htm
• Education Week Hot Topics on the Standards http://www.edweek.org/context/topics/issuespage.cfm?id=55
• AZ Standards – movement to get rid of test-driven education http://www.azstandards.org/
• Radical Dilemmas in the Anti-High stakes Testing Movement http://www.dennisfox.net/politics/mcas.html
• Organizations Opposed to High-Stakes Testing http://www.azstandards.org/documents/antiHSpositions/High-Stakes%20testing%20opposition%20URLs.pdf