The Saber Toothed Curriculum
This 70 year old book on the problems, challenges and history of education still rings true today. Have you ever asked yourself while you were in school, why am I learning this? This book takes a tongue in cheek look at paleolithic education and how the original intent of education was to prepare people for living in the real world. The educational system grew and changed as time passed and became more and more abstract. This book challenges educational thought regarding teaching practices and doing things a certain way because they've always been done that way.
The second design principle is the ENDS principle. Good learning designs prepare learners to meet community needs by linking living and learning. This end goal is accomplished through the acronym PICKLE, Problem Solving, Information Using, Community Participation, Knowledge, Literacy, Ethical Decision Making.
Applying this to my music classroom, I want to see how music can help solve a real world problem. We all know that music relieves stress and provides joy. How can I teach my students to create music that greatly enhances their lives and others?
Some ideas to link living and learning are to skype with people that are currently working in the music industry. I have two family members that make their living as music producers. Perhaps showing students one of the many ways that music can become a career will inspire them to stick with it.
Another idea is to help write a song that addresses a current social issue, like bullying or a girls low self esteem. This song could be sung on the morning announcements or put out to the school in another way. This will help students solve or at least address a problem. It will also help them participate in their community by being aware of social issues that kids face.
The Saber Toothed Curriculum addresses the problem of education of just teaching subjects because they've always been taught and proposes a new way of doing things... making learning meaningful and powerful that will affect learners for their lifetimes.
I love your idea of having students write a song that addresses a current social issue. Your examples certainly are current, real-life problems that students face in today's society. I like how your are also thinking of ways to create an authentic audience for them to share their song with. I can see many aspects of the PICKLE being present in this design.
ReplyDeleteKim,
ReplyDeleteYour thoughts resonate with me. I've wondered so many times, in the course of my own education, why am I learning this? I'll admit that I've even, as a teacher, struggled with an answer when my students ask, "why are we learning this?" It can be difficult to justify to a tenth grader why someone in the district office has decided that medieval central African folktales are a necessary part of their school experience. Ideally, students wouldn't feel the need to ask, "why are we doing this?" We should craft learning experiences in a way that makes the end product or outcome relevant and authentic, like in the examples you mentioned. I like the idea of students creating songs that address social issues. With some care and sensitivity, that could be a great assignment. Allowing them to broadcast them on the morning announcements gives them an authentic audience for their work. Nice!
I too like your idea of having your students write a song that addresses a current social issue, could even address something specific to your school? Would you give examples of songs that address social issues to your class? I'm thinking of Vietnam War era protest songs. Great idea!
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