Secondary+Cirriculum

One of the most interesting excerpts from Chapter 12 in HALR comes in the conclusion.

"We found relatively few empirical studies on the Secondary Englsih cirriculum."

In other words, there are tons of theories being bandied about and arguments regarding the use of one possible cirriculum over another. Yet there is very little empirical data or support regarding the overall impact exposing students to certain texts and literacy practice may bring about. In short, we don't know the far reaching effects of what students do and don't learn in school. For as much time and energy being put into the writing of standards and benchmarks, doesn't that seem a little ironic? As educators, how can we dictate what students are to be taught without critically examining how these skills help them or hinder them in the long term? The final remark of this chapter reads:

"Without such investigations, theorists will continue to argue with the benefits of evidence, and the field will be left with many opinions and little data to support why a cirriculum is as it is and why it affects students as it does."

I think that this statement does a lot to support Friere's idea that defining literacy through a new and modern cirriculum is essential for keeping it fresh and relevant to the ever-changing world. Literacy should not merely be an extension of a culture, but an enhancement. There is no doubt that many school maintain out of date texts and practices because it is how things have always been done. These familiarities provide a great deal of comfort to the educators, but offer little to the contemporary student. I guess I don't understand how the standards can be so progressive in terms of aquiring cutting edge technology and inserting new media as a literacy tools, yet continue to require antiquated readings and assessment methods in hope of creating some definition of "literacy" in a modern classroom. I suppose it shocked me that I held the assumption that given all the educational theories being published, there is little or no scientific data to back up how a student is affected academically, socially, emotionally, etc. by what they have learned.