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The Edutopia Poll
by Sara Bernard
The U.S. Department of Education was criticized recently for endorsing specific products and curricula for its Reading First initiative, a program established under the No Child Left Behind Act. Some of these curricula are very prescriptive, delineating every aspect of the lesson described -- even the instructor’s own words and gestures. Still, these methods are supported by scientific research, and having this kind of proven uniformity in classrooms might help schools achieve high educational standards. What do you think?
Do the benefits of scripted curricula outweigh the drawbacks?
Yes. Scientifically tested and proven curricula can be trusted to help students master the material and to be a helpful guide for teachers.
26% (95 votes)
No. Scripted curricula don't allow room for flexibility and differentiated instruction, which is necessary for the success of each student.
74% (268 votes)
Neither. (Click on Vote, then click on Comment on the results page to offer another response.)
0% (0 votes)
Total votes: 363
There is no one way to
Submitted by J.M. Jaco (not verified) on March 4, 2007 - 02:40.
There is no one way to approach information, as scripting would imply. Scripting appeals to psychometricians who can study a canned approach and determine a measurable gain. On the other hand, I believe scripting is abhorrent to all but the most unprepared teacher.
If the argument for scripting is to help students who are stuck in a class with an unprepared teacher, it seems that this "remedy" is being applied for all the wrong reasons. How will scripted lessons help a neophyte or unprepared teacher develop into a better teacher?
Scripts are no better than training wheels and don't promote the need to learn one's subject content well, and to master pedagogic techniques. Through experiencing real classroom interactions with students, a good teacher develops an antenna that determines moment to moment how well his or her students are engaged in a lesson. How can a script help an unprepared teacher develop this awareness? And what does an unprepared teacher do if even the script doesn't help a child learn the material?
Furthermore, what is the personal message to such an unprepared teacher who needs only to follow a script to be called a "teacher"? Is it any wonder that many teachers who are placed in the position of merely having to read a script decide soon after that their importance in the system is low and that "mobility" is the better alternative for their own self worth?
The factory model for 20th-century schools has brought us to the place we are today. It has failed to measure up to 21st-century needs. Scripting is yet another manifestation of this anachronistic model and must go the way of "electronic page turning" programs and other mechanical approaches to learning. People who read Edutopia know the value of bringing back the Art of teaching, and understand the continual process of planting seeds and nurturing them into the fullest Bloom (pun intended).
This poll illustrates the
Submitted by Steve Jubb (not verified) on March 2, 2007 - 22:15.
This poll illustrates the problem with data from polls. This is not a "yes" or "no" question. The question should be, "WHEN do the benefits of scripted curricla outweigh the drawbacks? ...and for whom?" There are tradeoff's for every teaching paradigm and affect individuals and groups of students differently. Fundamentally, education is a value-based enterprise and can be "scientifically" measured within but not across value systems. I agree that there is no substitute for well-prepared teachers teaching within a context of a true professional learning community with plenty of support for students and adults. The problem is that few schools in our urban centers (where I have worked all my career) enjoy those conditions.
Many low income children of color attend schools with hodgepodge curricular materials, no schoolwide literacy program and teachers without the proper support or training to work with the students they see every day. This is often exacerbated by high teacher mobility. In such cases, having a clear, well developed and "scripted" curricula for teachers to follow is an improvement for those students. Worse, insistence on teacher (or even school) autonomy in such cases often makes things worse by ensuring a random, disconnected approach to skill development. I am talking about triage here.
Ultimately Open Court-type curricula will never achieve what it takes for truly high quality and equitable education which relies not only on wise teacher judgment (knowing when to depart from the recipe), but on the values and participation of parents and/or community members in supporting each student's learning.
A software package created
Submitted by Chuck Fellows (not verified) on March 1, 2007 - 21:41.
A software package created to operate a robot is a script. If it is robots you desire, script away!
Many educational bureaucrats use the phrase "supported by scientific evidence." Does anyone ever ask "What science?" Alfie Kohn's "The Homework Myth"
provides a lesson all should learn.
I know now why Honda is pursuing robot production; to supply the American Educational market!
When I got into teaching
Submitted by George Bogart (not verified) on March 1, 2007 - 15:36.
When I got into teaching thirty plus years ago, I thought I had something unique to offer my students. I brought with me a greater experience than many of my fellow teachers. I had gotten a late start in the profession and had done many other things in life before teaching, and I have always seen this as an advantage. It is the freedom to take extra time, give extra information, and share that experience with my students that make it enjoyable for me (and hoprfully for my students) and is what makes my class "my" class. It is hard for me to believe that I am the only one who feels this way. My fellow teachers each bring a perspective to their classes that broadens the experience of learning for our students. For someone to think that they have the single, best way to present a lesson is presumptuous and short-sighted. We have turned out enough "robots", and it is time to let real learning that is broad, experiential, and open to dicussion take place. I can't see how scripted curricula allows this.
I feel that a scripted
Submitted by Barbara Ash (not verified) on March 1, 2007 - 15:06.
I feel that a scripted curriculum is helpful in certain instances. I supervise teachers and I have observed that many of them are not familiar enough with the curriculum to do an adequate job of teaching it. I have found that many of the younger educators lack a lot of creativity that is needed to teach the students of today. I feel that the scripted lessons could temporarily help to close that gap between knowing and not knowing what and how to teach.
I don't feel that a scripted curriculum would help a seasoned, dedicated teacher. I feel that their years of experience and know how will take away from their creativity ability to employ strategies that they know will make a difference
Therefore, I say yes for some; no for others.
The individuals instigating
Submitted by John Wibbens (not verified) on March 1, 2007 - 12:36.
The individuals instigating the scripted curricula are so far removed from the classroom that they have an unrealistic, inaccurate idea of what is necessary. Often the individuals creating the actual curriculum are teachers who have either been conscripted to do so or see the assignment as a way of escaping the classroom environment. The end result is a product which is flawed and hobbles the creativity of the classroom teacher. This in turn stifles the teachers enthusiasm. The lack of enthusiasm is directly conveyed to the students who then also lose the spark which an enthusiastic and creative teacher can provide. We end up with the proverbial tail wagging the dog with instructors teaching to a flawed test or curriculum and the educational environment becoming less engaging. This is essentially EVERYONE being left behind.....
A scripted curriculum
Submitted by Chrisitne Bechtel (not verified) on September 1, 2008 - 17:59.
In response to John Wibbens: Here!! Here!!
When Becker & Englemann
Submitted by Cherry Stewart (not verified) on March 6, 2007 - 11:46.
When Becker & Englemann developed Distar, it was to teach English. The pattern / response mode was helpful to learn the language and was not intended to teach understanding, or critical thinking skills.
All the same, I found that using the materials deadened the classroom, my teaching, and generally the kids approach to learning.
I would love to know what kinds of lives - how creative and lateral thinking - the adults are who were put through the Direct Instruction methodologies. Does anyone know if a longitudinal study has been done of the Follow-Through Classrooms?
Answers rarely are
Submitted by R. H. Richardson (not verified) on March 1, 2007 - 00:39.
Answers rarely are abosolute. Questions rather than answers can be spontanious, and lead to skills in analysis, extended implications, and produce new questions. Critical thinking skills can use a variety of "data fodder" that reflects subjects and contexts. Changing the input fodder changes the output interpretations and speculations and stimulate the quest for new input. These skills, as well as the input and analyses, create intellectual development that I consider the hallmark of education. When this is mixed with life's experiences, we have "educated people" that are diverse in specifics, dynamic in discovery and open for new insights. This is the antithesis of scripted curricula.
Scripted curriculum is "one
Submitted by Jackie Costanzo (not verified) on February 28, 2007 - 23:42.
Scripted curriculum is "one size fits all" education, which anyone who has been in charge of a classroom of children knows is not best. Each child is unique and possesses his own style and rate of learning. My contention is that the research used to promote this type of teaching is strictly based on standardized (one size fits all) testing in the primary grades and not on performance-based assessments. The federal government needs to stop trying to "teacher-proof" curriculum and trust that teachers know how to teach. I know of many dedicated and experienced teachers who are leaving the profession purely because they are being forced to use certain materials.
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