Texas Board Passes Social Studies Curriculum

[darkdog]

Yup, I agree with you about that.

Cool. We found common ground. *hand shake*

 

[AndyE9503]

Then the board of trustees would have to approve of changes to the curriculm.

The point is that if teachers are using materials as stated in the curriculm, they are being neutral.

I will give you that

 

[jillio]

That's the reason I sent my daughter to the top private school in Dallas. No reason to allow politicians to dictate what they hear.

It is great, however that TX wants kids to think for themselves and question issues rather than teach through the rose colored glasses that the UN is perfect and there was never a shread of evidence to back up McCarthy's claims.

Information......as refreshing as Coca-Cola

Again, these standards do virtually nothing to promote critical thinking skills and application in students.

Shame that you aren't concerned about the Tx students outside of your immediate family. Those students and the quality of their education has a greater propensity to impact your life than that of your only daughter.

 

[jillio]

If the school were to use that book then that is one example of Indoctrination. The proper type of book to use would just tell what he did so that the kids could use their brain to decide if he was good or not

Ahhh...but was the school using that book as part of the curriculum, or was it simply made available for a child to choose in a library setting. Or as one of many books made available on the topic on which the student had been asked to research and write a report?

 

[jillio]

Did the teacher create the coloring book by herself? Then, it would be an opinion and shouldnt be in the title.

If the book was required by the curriculm standards as a reading lesson, then the teachers have to follow it whether they think MLK is a good person or not.

I hope that answers your question.

Exactly.

 

[shel90]

Ahhh...but was the school using that book as part of the curriculum, or was it simply made available for a child to choose in a library setting. Or as one of many books made available on the topic on which the student had been asked to research and write a report?

TXGolfer said that the teacher made the book.

 

[AndyE9503]

Ahhh...but was the school using that book as part of the curriculum, or was it simply made available for a child to choose in a library setting. Or as one of many books made available on the topic on which the student had been asked to research and write a report?

I am just saying that a book that tells a kid who is good or bad is Indoctrination if taught in school. And should not be a part of the curriculum. Now if the kid wants to do a report on the book because he/she decides that it is the correct view then that is fine.

 

[jillio]

TXGolfer said that the teacher made the book.

Okay. Was it a required part of the curriculum? Would he have found it more acceptable if the title had been "Some People Think that Martin Luther King was a Good Man?"

Was it an assignment that required the child to complete the coloring book?

Was it a part of school wide recognition of MLK's b-day, or Black History month?

So many questions unanswered.

And, even if the title stands, what is to prevent that child from reading the book and deciding that she does not think that he was a good man, and detailing the reasons for her thinking? Teaching to the test. She cannot form her own opinion, because she has to memorize the opinion that will be asked for on the test in order to keep school funding going. Thank you NCLB!

 

[jillio]

I am just saying that a book that tells a kid who is good or bad is Indoctrination if taught in school. And should not be a part of the curriculum. Now if the kid wants to do a report on the book because he/she decides that it is the correct view then that is fine.

It is only indoctrination when that child is forced to repeat and accept that title. That is what NCLB and teaching to the test forces. How about if the title was "Some People Think MLK Was a Good Man"? Would that be less indoctrinating?

 

[TXgolfer]

Again, these standards do virtually nothing to promote critical thinking skills and application in students.

Sure they do......that's where analyze and explain come in.

Shame that you aren't concerned about the Tx students outside of your immediate family. Those students and the quality of their education has a greater propensity to impact your life than that of your only daughter.

A great misjudgment on your part. I support vouchers so that lower income kids can afford to go to the same type of schools. I fund scholarships for lower income students to attend both college prep and college. And I volunteer as a tutor/golf coach. I also write our school board almost as much as I post on AD.

 

[kokonut]

How's that wisdom tooth coming along?

 

[TXgolfer]

It is only indoctrination when that child is forced to repeat and accept that title. That is what NCLB and teaching to the test forces. How about if the title was "Some People Think MLK Was a Good Man"? Would that be less indoctrinating?

In this case the 1st grade coloring book was actually called "MLK Was A Good Man Because....." And each page started with those words.

As I said the teacher quit after the school board sided with my group. Alls good now.

 

[jillio]

Sure they do......that's where analyze and explain come in.




A great misjudgment on your part. I support vouchers so that lower income kids can afford to go to the same type of schools. I fund scholarships for lower income students to attend both college prep and college. And I volunteer as a tutor/golf coach. I also write our school board almost as much as I post on AD.

Critical thinking requires much more than analyze and explain. The curriculum standards ask a student to analyze and explain the particluars that have been presented in the material. That is more a review than critical thinking.

Good for you. All worthwhile activities.

 

[jillio]

In this case the 1st grade coloring book was actually called "MLK Was A Good Man Because....." And each page started with those words.

As I said the teacher quit after the school board sided with my group. Alls good now.

Were the children allowed to come up with their own answers to the "because"?

I don't blame her. I would want to teach in that kind of school district, either.

 

[Reba]

I teach history and science at home during the summer. My kid loves it and is learning to think.

My kid took the state tests for the first time this year (3rd grade). The teachers taught to the test and drilled the kids. What a complete waste of time! It's enough to suck all of the joy out of learning and make elementary school burn outs.

Exactly. How much of that kind of "learning" do the kids apply or retain? Very little.

Even in college now, the students who went thru schools that taught to the test constantly ask the instructors, "Will that be on the test?" No one seems to care about actually learning anything. Just "will it be on the test" or "does this affect my grade or GPA?"

 

[Reba]

The US lost the Vietnam war sure but the US troops won in every engages in every battles against NVA or Viet Congs. The US military would win the war in Vietnam without has to interrupt by LBJ or other politicians tells the US military where to bomb and not to bomb.

True.

And it wasn't in the social studies book in my time in public school.

It wasn't in any of my text books because it was still being fought when I was in school. My male classmates were drafted and served during the Vietnam war. We weren't reading about the war's history, we were experiencing it. I graduated in 1969, a very "hot" time for the Vietnam war and the protests that surrounded it.

 

[Reba]

One thing is clear. There are two factions: those that believe in the education of children, and those that believe in the indoctrination of children so they will continue in the same mindset as those who bore them.

And neither faction is the exclusive realm of either liberal or conservative.

 

[Reba]

Yep. And curriculum standards should never be written to reflect personal beliefs. Or political beliefs.

But we know that there's always been bias in curriculum standards, depending on what beliefs were prevailing at the time..

 

[Reba]

Then the board of trustees would have to approve of changes to the curriculm.

The point is that if teachers are using materials as stated in the curriculm, they are being neutral.

If the curriculum itself is neutral. If the curriculum is biased, then using the materials of the curriculum would support that bias.

 

[Reba]

It is only indoctrination when that child is forced to repeat and accept that title. That is what NCLB and teaching to the test forces. How about if the title was "Some People Think MLK Was a Good Man"? Would that be less indoctrinating?

"Good" or "not good" would be a moral judgment.

Learning about the deeds of MLK and how they influenced American society should be the goal.