Assignment1.A.

TakingSidesDecisionMatrix

YourName:JeremyCooper

Date:6/10/14

Issue1.A:ShouldtheCurriculumBeStandardizedforAll?

PositionIofMortimerAdler(1982),clearlystatedinyourownwords:

MortimerAdlerspositionisthatallschoolsshouldprovideabasiclevelofeducationto
everystudent.Eachstudentwhogoesthroughaschoolsystemshouldbeequally
equippedwiththeskillsnecessarytobeaproficientcitizen,earnabasicliving,andhave
ampleopportunityforpersonaldevelopment.Thesethreegoalsareportrayedinthe
PaideiaCurriculum.

PositionIIofJohnHolt(1974),clearlystatedinyourownwords:

JohnHoltspositiononthistopicisthatyoungpeople(students)shouldhavetheability
tochoosewhen,where,how,howmuch,andhowfasttheylearn.Learningisahuman
rightthatisequivalenttofreedomofthought,andiflearningbecomesprescribed,we
destroythatbasichumanright.

AtBest

AtWorst

PositionI:(23SignificantIdeas)
PositionI:(23SignificantIdeas)
Allstudentsshouldhaveequalaccess
Teachersarenotwillingtoteachinthe
tosameeducationthateveryoneelseis
stylethatthePaideiaCurriculum
receiving.
suggests.
ThePaideiaCurriculum:1)Acquisition Whatqualitiesdeterminewhowould
ofOrganizedKnowledge,2)
makeagreatteacher?Thekindsof
DevelopmentofIntellectualSkillsand
trainingandeducationthatonemust
SkillsofLearning,3)Improved
receiveinordertobeagreatteacher.
UnderstandingofIdeasandValues

PositionII:(23SignificantIdeas)
Allpeopleshouldbeabletodecide
what,when,how,andforhowlong
theywouldliketolearn.Theabilityto
learnfreelyisequivalenttofreedomof
thought.

PositionII:(23SignificantIdeas)
Schoolsareworsethanmostofthe
peopleinsideofthem.
Schoolsarecorruptedbecauseofthe
anxiousdemandsfromparentsto

 Topicofhomework:Ifhomeworkis
goodfortheyoungandhelpsthem
learn,thenwhyareweallnotdoingthe
samethingasadults.Whyareadults
allowedtomakechoicesonwhat,how,
when,oriftheylearn?

understandhowtheirstudentisdoing
inrelationtootherstudents.

Reflection:
A:Afterreadingthearticlesandcompletingtheabovepoints,fromyour
perspective,isthePaideiaCurriculumafeasiblechoiceforpublicschools?Howmightit
beimplementedforall?

Afterreadingthroughthetwodifferentperspectives,Ifoundmyselftobeverymuch
inthemiddleofthetwodifferentarguments.Tome,thePaideiaCurriculummodel
couldcertainlybeachoiceifitweremandatedbythefederalandstategovernments,
howeverIdonotbelievethatitwould.Icancompletelyunderstandtheargumentthat
thereneedstobeacertainlevelofeducationandabilitythateachstudentshouldbe
guaranteedandheldaccountableforobtaining.IfeelthatthePaideiamodelistoo
prescribedtothepointthatitdoesnotallowforawiderangeofteachingstrategies,
styles,orimprovementsinteachingtechnology.
Thecoursesthathavebeendeterminedtobenecessaryforallstudentsalsoseems
limited,asitonlyappliestowhatwewouldcallthecoresubjects.Thereisabsolutelyno
roomforelectivesorfreedomofchoiceinadditionalcoursesthatstudentsmayfind
interestingorbeneficialintheirlives.TheonlywaythatIcouldpersonallyseethis
modelbeingimplementedinallschoolsisthatitwouldhavetobeputintolawthat
requiredthatallschoolsneedthiscurriculummodel.

B:Shouldyoungpeoplehavetherighttochooseanddirecttheirownlearning?Why?
Doyouthinktheyhavetheknowledgetomakethosedecisions?Whyorwhynot?

Overall,Idoagreethatyoungpeopleandallstudentsingeneralshouldbeallowedto
chooseanddirecttheirownlearning.Nowinthepreviousquestion,IstatedthatIdo
believethatthereshouldbeacertainlevelofeducationthateachstudentshouldbeheld
accountable.Whentalkingaboutyounglearnersforexample,Iwouldarguethat
developmentally,theydonotyethavethecapacitytomakethebestdecisionsfortheir
education.EverythingthatIveeverseenaboutchilddevelopmenthassuggestedtome
thatchildrenarenotreadytomakelargescalelifedecisionsastheystillhavesomuch
physicalbraindevelopmenttogothrough.Howevertomethatlevelofeducationand
agerequirementisprobablybelowthatsuggestedinthePaideiaCurriculummodel.
Justlookingattechnologyandthewaysinwhichithaschangedthewaysinwhich
peopleteachandlearn,therearejustsomanydifferentpossibilitiesforselfdirected
learningandwaysinwhichstudentscanshowtheirproficiencyonagivenstandardor

requirement.Assomeonewhoteachesinanelectivefield,Icansaythatthroughmy
ownexperiences,theelectivecoursesgiveadifferentkindoflearningexperiencethat
theywouldntreceiveinatraditionalclassroom.Idofeelthattheelectivesareimportant
becausetheyarehelpingusdecidewhatwelikeanddontlikeintermsofpossible
interests,hobbies,jobs,andcareers.Icannotbuytheargumentthatifeveryonewent
throughthePaideiamodelthattheywouldallofasuddenunderstandthattheydowantto
pursueafouryeardegree,gotoacommunitycollege,orattendatechnicalschool.When
aretheylearningexactlywhattheywanttodoasajoborcareerwhennooneisgiving
thestudentsanyexperienceintheseareas?Attheendoftheday,Iwouldarguethatwe
needabaselineofsubjectcontentforallstudents,whileatthesametimeprovidingthem
choicesandoptionsforwhatandhowtheywanttolearn.