The Anti-Content Mindset: The Root Cause of the "Math Wars" (Quirk, 2011)

What is curriculum?

  • The Quirk article argues that the curriculum knowledge that is passed from generation to generation and is the primary mission of education. 
  • Curriculum is core content such as math, reading, English, Science and History.

What are schools for? 

  • According to Quirk, schools are to deliver a common knowledge that all students should learn.

What assumptions are made about the needs of learners?

  • The primary reason students do bad in school is because they have a lack of background knowledge
  • learning is easier if we have skills and facts in our schema

What metaphors for teachers or learners are used?

  • Teachers impart knowledge
  • Teachers are content experts

What implicit or explicit theories prevail?

  • understanding and thinking depend on remembered content
  • students construct or build knowledge when new learning includes skills and facts
  • American children do worse on tests than international children because they do not have the skills and facts needed for success

What cultures of curriculum are observed? 

  • Scholar Academic prevails over Learner Centered Ideology

Are the explicit beliefs and purposes of education consistent with the culture of the classroom/school?

  • Many still have Scholar Academic beliefs about education today. You see this mainly with veteran or more experienced educators.


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