Curriculum on the Edge of Survival: How Schools Fail to Prepare Students for Membership in a Democracy

By Daniel Heller

Book Overview

Typically, school curriculum has been viewed through the lens of preparation for the workplace or higher education-both worthy objectives. However, this is not the only lens, and perhaps not even the most powerful one to use, if the goal is to optimize the educational system. Curriculum on the Edge of Survival attempts to define basic aspects of the curriculum when viewed through the larger lens of a school as the principal instrument through which we maintain an effective democracy. In that case, the purpose of education is to prepare our students to take their rightful place as active members of a democracy. This purpose is larger than workplace or college readiness, and in fact subsumes them.

Curriculum on the Edge of Survival posits four major starting points for education under the purpose of preparing students for functional membership in a democracy: kindness, thinking, problem solving, and communications. These four foundational elements should be taught in every class, at every level, every day. They form the backbone of a great educational system.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1578866642
• ISBN13: 9781578866649
• Release Date: November 2007
• Publisher: R & L Education
• Length: 152 Pages
• Weight: 0.51 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.4" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Professor

This is a text that speaks to the heart of teaching. All beginning and experienced teachers, and curriculum directors will find it an interesting and insightful read. More and more children are falling by the wayside as we have become less and less human in our teaching under guidelines and regulations like NCLB. While Mr. Heller does not bash NCLB he points to many of its flaws. I personally feel more strongly about the harm NCLB has done, but I think this book addresses a basic need to rethink how we do schooling and how we design our curricula. This is a must read for students in my graduate curriculum course. As a Vermonter I am proud to see this work coming from one of my colleagues even though I do not personally know the author. I will use this along with the notion of backward design. This book is a very readable text that can be enjoyed comfortably in short or long sessions. I recommend it. Alis Headlam Rutland, Vermont