Curriculum and Instruction

by A. Jonathan Eakle (Editor)

Overview

Education of America's school children always has been and always will be a hot-button issue. From what should be taught to how to pay for education to how to keep kids safe in schools, impassioned debates emerge and mushroom, both within the scholarly community and among the general public. This volume in the point/counterpoint Debating Issues in American Education reference series tackles the topic of curriculum and instruction. Fifteen to twenty chapters explore such varied issues as alternative curriculum, curriculum control, standardized curricula, subject- versus student-centered curricula, textbooks, and more. Each chapter opens with an introductory essay by the volume editor, followed by point/counterpoint articles written and signed by invited experts, and concludes with Further Readings and Resources, thus providing readers with views on multiple sides of curriculum and instruction issues and pointing them toward more in-depth resources for further exploration.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781412988087
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	09/06/2012
Series:	Debating Issues in American Education: A SAGE Reference Set , #2
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	376
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

A. Jonathan Eakle is an associate professor in The Johns Hopkins University School of Education. He teaches and mentors advanced graduate students and conducts research on cross-cultural and international studies in education; out-of-school and in-school literacies; and the interrelations of the plastic arts, printed texts, and other communication forms in museums and classrooms. He supervises clinical practicum at Johns Hopkins. Eakle’s work includes translating empirical data to sensible products using novel qualitative research methods. He serves on the faculty editorial advisory board of the The Johns Hopkins University Press—the oldest running academic press in the United States. He has contributed in various ways to international education organizations, major education journals, and high-profile publications. Eakle’s coedited book on secondary school literacy is the third volume of a 50-year-old series published by the National Council of Teachers of English. His research on Mexico City museums, identity, power, and education is forthcoming. He resides with his family in the Washington, D.C., metro area

Table of Contents

About the Editors-in-Chief ix

About the Volume Editor xi

About the Contributors xii

Introduction xvii

1 Do Curriculum and Instruction in Schools Need to Be More or Less Programmatic? 1

Overview A. Jonathan Eakle 1

Point Marcia H. Davis 4

Counterpoint Judith T. Lysaker 10

2 Should Teachers Have a Voice in Statewide Curricula Decisions? 18

Overview A. Jonathan Eakle 18

Point Jennifer Jones 21

Counterpoint Stergios G. Botzakis 27

3 Does National Accreditation of Education Schools Improve Teacher and Education Leadership Programs? 35

Overview A. Jonathan Eakle 35

Point Katharine Rasch 39

Counterpoint David Reinking Jamie Colwell 44

4 Should Standardized Student Assessments Guide Curriculum and Instruction in Schools? 55

Overview A. Jonathan Eakle 55

Point Marc L. Stein 58

Counterpoint Christopher Knaus 64

5 Should the Focus of Literacy Education Be on "Reading to Learn" or "Learning to Read"? 72

Overview A. Jonathan Eakle 72

Point P. David Pearson Gina Cervetti 75

Counterpoint Marcia Invernizzi Latisha Hayes 82

6 The Race to the Top Program: Should America Be the Global Leader in Math, Science, Engineering, and Technology Education? 90

Overview A. Jonathan Eakle 90

Point Mark A. Templin 93

Counterpoint George G. Hruby 99

7 Should "English-Only" Curriculum Be Eliminated or Expanded? 108

Overview A. Jonathan Eakle 108

Point Elizabeth B. Bernhardt 111

Counterpoint Jeanne Gilliam Fain 116

8 Are the Challenges and Opportunities in Contemporary Diverse Classrooms Being Met? 124

Overview A. Jonathan Eakle 124

Point Loukia K. Sarroub 128

Counterpoint Lisa Patel Stevens 134

9 Do the Arts in Education Enhance or Distract From Core Curriculum and Instruction? 142

Overview Michelle Zoss 142

Point Ellen Winner 145

Counterpoint A. Jonathan Eakle 150

10 Should the Primary Focus of Gifted Education Be on Teaching Advanced and Accelerated Curricular Content? 158

Overview Bonnie Cramond 158

Point Carol J. Mills Linda E. Brody 162

Counterpoint Rosa Aurora Chávez-Eakle 168

11 Should There Be Alternative Special Education Curricula, or Should Students With Special Needs Be Part of Mainstream Classroom Instruction? 177

Overview Laurie U. deBettencourt 177

Point Timothy E. Morse 181

Counterpoint Margie W. Crowe 187

12 Should Moral Values Be a Topic in Public Education? 195

Overview Rosa Aurora Chávez-Eakle 195

Point Ralph D. Mawdsley 198

Counterpoint A. Jonathan Eakle 203

13 Is There a Place for Popular Culture in Curriculum and Classroom Instruction? 211

Overview A. Jonathan Eakle 211

Point Donna E. Alvermann 214

Counterpoint Margaret J. Finders 220

14 Are Online and Other Virtual Means of Curriculum and Instruction the Future of Education? 229

Overview A. Jonathan Eakle 229

Point John Castellani 233

Counterpoint Peggy Whalen-Levitt 239

Index 248

Editorial Reviews

".... The volume presents current conversations on timely educational reform topics and at the same time allows the reader to reflect, review, and refine the discussion into meaningful and thoughtful daily practices.... Approaching the topics with an overview and then point/counterpoint debate affords a holistic advantage by allowing the reader to consider multiple perspectives and finally come to his or her own conclusions. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduate, graduate, research, and professional collections."

L.H. Bush