🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <AC4816DD9668B3872@204.156.153.170> dawson@best.com (Dennis Dawson) writes:
>From: dawson@best.com (Dennis Dawson)
>Subject: Re: Authentic assessment
>Date: Fri, 04 Aug 1995 18:26:37 -0800

>In Claifornia, we have a state board of education that recommends
>curriculum and then local school district committees that develop the
>actual curriculum used in the classrooms. I think that it is important that
>we have a body of knowledge that is commonly accepted as being important to
>a civilization/culture. Although missing out on some of this material might
>not create a life threatening situation for the individual, not passing it
>on can be life threatening to the culture.

>This is one of the questions we are dealing with now, especially in
>California, although sadly, many in the ed. community aren't very aware of
>it. The question is: Is there a common culture that we should be passing on
>to our students? I think that there is. But there are many people who
>disagree. I'm afraid that if we don't teach about our common culture, we
>will see even mare "Balkanization" of our society.

Sounds perfectly reasonable to me. All that you have to decide is HOW you 
teach students about this culture. Some form of project-based activity will 
immerse them in the issues, or you can get them to learn boring facts and 
dates. Which would YOU prefer?

Roger

--
Roger Hadgraft, Senior Lecturer in Civil Engineering
Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, AUSTRALIA, 3168.
phone: 03 9905 4983  fax: 03 9905 4944 or 3409 intnl: +61 3 9905 ....
e-mail: roger.hadgraft@eng.monash.edu.au
http://civil-www.eng.monash.edu.au/people/hadgraft.htm