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Cultural Literacy Cultural Literacy Debi Moon Debi Moon Pam Moolenaar- Wirsiy Pam Moolenaar- Wirsiy

Cultural Literacy Debi Moon Pam Moolenaar- Wirsiy

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Page 1: Cultural Literacy Debi Moon Pam Moolenaar- Wirsiy

Cultural LiteracyCultural Literacy

Debi MoonDebi Moon

Pam Moolenaar- WirsiyPam Moolenaar- Wirsiy

Page 2: Cultural Literacy Debi Moon Pam Moolenaar- Wirsiy

Cultural LiteracyCultural Literacy

• In Cultural Literacy, E D Hirsch In Cultural Literacy, E D Hirsch analyzes America’s failure to achieve analyzes America’s failure to achieve a higher degree of literacy.a higher degree of literacy.

Page 3: Cultural Literacy Debi Moon Pam Moolenaar- Wirsiy

Basics of the Hirsch BookBasics of the Hirsch Book

• First, literacy requires beyond basic First, literacy requires beyond basic reading and writing skills, the reading and writing skills, the common body of information that is common body of information that is possessed by the General Societypossessed by the General Society

• Second, it is the responsibility of the Second, it is the responsibility of the schools to impart the shared schools to impart the shared informationinformation

Page 4: Cultural Literacy Debi Moon Pam Moolenaar- Wirsiy

Basics of the Hirsch bookBasics of the Hirsch book

• Third, to dismiss such education as Third, to dismiss such education as elitist or indoctrination is to fail to elitist or indoctrination is to fail to see it as empowerment for only the see it as empowerment for only the culturally literate can hope to affect culturally literate can hope to affect social reformsocial reform

Page 5: Cultural Literacy Debi Moon Pam Moolenaar- Wirsiy

Basics of the Hirsch bookBasics of the Hirsch book

• Fourth, education must involve a two-part Fourth, education must involve a two-part curriculum: extensive ( covering the curriculum: extensive ( covering the shared information) and intensive shared information) and intensive ( allowing for in-depth exploration of ( allowing for in-depth exploration of individual text or specific areas of individual text or specific areas of knowledge) .knowledge) .

• This two-part curriculum avoids the idea This two-part curriculum avoids the idea that all should study identical materials; it that all should study identical materials; it also resists the idea of a core curriculumalso resists the idea of a core curriculum

Page 6: Cultural Literacy Debi Moon Pam Moolenaar- Wirsiy

Two-part curriculumTwo-part curriculum

• The two-part curriculum- extensive The two-part curriculum- extensive and intensive- seems suited to and intensive- seems suited to develop the interrelated goals of develop the interrelated goals of cultural literacy and critical thinkingcultural literacy and critical thinking

• Is inadequate however for the Is inadequate however for the fostering of the creative intelligence fostering of the creative intelligence that is rooted in the imagination.that is rooted in the imagination.

Page 7: Cultural Literacy Debi Moon Pam Moolenaar- Wirsiy

• Literate culture has become the common Literate culture has become the common currency for social and economic currency for social and economic exchange. In other words, it is is the exchange. In other words, it is is the only available ticket to full-citizenship; only available ticket to full-citizenship; membership is automatic if one learns membership is automatic if one learns the background information and a the background information and a linguistic skills needed to read, writing, linguistic skills needed to read, writing, and speak effectively (According to and speak effectively (According to Hirsch)Hirsch)

Page 8: Cultural Literacy Debi Moon Pam Moolenaar- Wirsiy

Knowledge and listsKnowledge and lists

• Hirsch proposes being literate as a Hirsch proposes being literate as a matter of covering the territory of matter of covering the territory of huge cultural literacy listshuge cultural literacy lists

• He assures us it is quite small.He assures us it is quite small.

• Frankly or take a few hundred pages Frankly or take a few hundred pages to describe the simplest of idea such to describe the simplest of idea such as eating at a restaurant.as eating at a restaurant.

Page 9: Cultural Literacy Debi Moon Pam Moolenaar- Wirsiy

The imaginationThe imagination

• The imagination is the faculty The imagination is the faculty responsible for major breakthroughs in responsible for major breakthroughs in theoretical science. The power that a theoretical science. The power that a man has over nature himself and that man has over nature himself and that a dog lacks, lies in this command of a dog lacks, lies in this command of imaginary experience-- he alone has a imaginary experience-- he alone has a symbols which fix the past and played symbols which fix the past and played at the future, possible and impossible.at the future, possible and impossible.

Page 10: Cultural Literacy Debi Moon Pam Moolenaar- Wirsiy

The imaginationThe imagination

• Finally the imagination is the faculty by which Finally the imagination is the faculty by which we can envision a new society in which the we can envision a new society in which the evils of the present will be ameliorated or at evils of the present will be ameliorated or at least exchanged for lesser evils. least exchanged for lesser evils.

• Percy Bysshe Shelley “ the creation of a new Percy Bysshe Shelley “ the creation of a new society is the crowning achievement of the society is the crowning achievement of the poetic imagination” and “poets are the poetic imagination” and “poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world”. unacknowledged legislators of the world”.

Page 11: Cultural Literacy Debi Moon Pam Moolenaar- Wirsiy

TestingTesting

• Because schools teach to test they Because schools teach to test they emphasize the memorization of facts and emphasize the memorization of facts and formulas.formulas.

• The really important tests are mass-The really important tests are mass-produced and mass graded thus they’re produced and mass graded thus they’re populating questions that have simple populating questions that have simple objective answers. As a result our national objective answers. As a result our national definition of what it means to be educated definition of what it means to be educated translates into how readily one could translates into how readily one could recognize the right word among five options recognize the right word among five options listed in a multiple-choice question.listed in a multiple-choice question.

Page 12: Cultural Literacy Debi Moon Pam Moolenaar- Wirsiy

World winnerWorld winner

• We should be discouraged about We should be discouraged about trying to win the unofficial world test trying to win the unofficial world test scores competition. Instead we scores competition. Instead we should measure the success in our should measure the success in our educational system by whether or educational system by whether or not we are producing graduates who not we are producing graduates who internalize the ability and desire to internalize the ability and desire to learn.learn.

Page 13: Cultural Literacy Debi Moon Pam Moolenaar- Wirsiy

Sign of successSign of success

• The best sign of a successful The best sign of a successful education system would be that education system would be that students want to go to school, they students want to go to school, they remain excited about learning once remain excited about learning once they get there, and that in the end, they get there, and that in the end, they are prepared to creatively they are prepared to creatively respond to the kind of open ended respond to the kind of open ended problems they will actually face them problems they will actually face them in the world.in the world.

Page 14: Cultural Literacy Debi Moon Pam Moolenaar- Wirsiy

Why our college students act Why our college students act the way they dothe way they do

• When “successes of the system” arrive in When “successes of the system” arrive in college they fear open ended assignments. college they fear open ended assignments. They are impatient with discussions that are They are impatient with discussions that are not going in any particular direction except not going in any particular direction except for the interests of the discussants dictate, for the interests of the discussants dictate, since they know that such discussions waste since they know that such discussions waste time that could be better spent studying for time that could be better spent studying for a test. a test.

• What they learned is the way to get along in What they learned is the way to get along in the world is to cater to points of view of the world is to cater to points of view of educational authorities.educational authorities.

Page 15: Cultural Literacy Debi Moon Pam Moolenaar- Wirsiy

Types of knowledge needed for Types of knowledge needed for communicationcommunication

• Make simple inferencesMake simple inferences• Establish causal connectionsEstablish causal connections• Recognize stereotyped situationsRecognize stereotyped situations• Access and utilize raw factsAccess and utilize raw facts• Track peoples goals Track peoples goals • Recognize thematic relationships between Recognize thematic relationships between

individuals and societyindividuals and society• Thus learning facts alone is not enough to Thus learning facts alone is not enough to

effectively communicateeffectively communicate

Page 16: Cultural Literacy Debi Moon Pam Moolenaar- Wirsiy

Testing to the factsTesting to the facts

• To the extent that we believe that To the extent that we believe that there are facts everyone must know, there are facts everyone must know, we will create exams to test that we will create exams to test that people know them.people know them.

• Such exams will inevitably disrupt Such exams will inevitably disrupt natural learning.natural learning.

Page 17: Cultural Literacy Debi Moon Pam Moolenaar- Wirsiy

Real-life learningReal-life learning

• People have natural mechanisms for learning People have natural mechanisms for learning to allow them to master an enormous volume to allow them to master an enormous volume of material during their lifetimes. of material during their lifetimes.

• Some people learn enough baseball statistics Some people learn enough baseball statistics to fill a book. Others learn which political to fill a book. Others learn which political strategies great leaders employed and which strategies great leaders employed and which strategies worked and almost everyone learns strategies worked and almost everyone learns where milk is in their neighborhood grocery where milk is in their neighborhood grocery store as well a s to navigate streets of their store as well a s to navigate streets of their hometown.hometown.

Page 18: Cultural Literacy Debi Moon Pam Moolenaar- Wirsiy

What’s wrong in classWhat’s wrong in class

• Classes teaching reading still have all the Classes teaching reading still have all the students reading the same book as if it were students reading the same book as if it were the book and not the reading that matteredthe book and not the reading that mattered

• Classes teaching math often present math is Classes teaching math often present math is something the useful at some point later in something the useful at some point later in life, rather than as something that applies to life, rather than as something that applies to students and their immediate concerns.students and their immediate concerns.

• Classes teaching history rarely show how the Classes teaching history rarely show how the lesson for the past informs students choices lesson for the past informs students choices today.today.

Page 19: Cultural Literacy Debi Moon Pam Moolenaar- Wirsiy

Problem of todayProblem of today

• The primary problems is the school’s dependence The primary problems is the school’s dependence on fixed curricula, the stranglehold of standardized on fixed curricula, the stranglehold of standardized testing, an impossibility of giving individual testing, an impossibility of giving individual attention with high student-teacher ratiosattention with high student-teacher ratios

• The goal is to take the natural interests of each The goal is to take the natural interests of each student and use that as a vehicle for teaching student and use that as a vehicle for teaching what we want students to learn.what we want students to learn.

• If the student likes trucks why not teach them to If the student likes trucks why not teach them to read about trucks, do the math is needed to read about trucks, do the math is needed to understand fuel economies, and know the understand fuel economies, and know the economics and politics needed to run a trucking economics and politics needed to run a trucking company?company?

Page 20: Cultural Literacy Debi Moon Pam Moolenaar- Wirsiy

You learn every dayYou learn every day

• People learn every day and they People learn every day and they manage to learn without making it an manage to learn without making it an academic affair.academic affair.

• What have you learned today?What have you learned today?

Page 21: Cultural Literacy Debi Moon Pam Moolenaar- Wirsiy

• The secret why people are able to learn so The secret why people are able to learn so much in their daily lives is really no secret much in their daily lives is really no secret at all. They learn about things to reach their at all. They learn about things to reach their goals; they learn about things in which they goals; they learn about things in which they are interested ;because they’re interested are interested ;because they’re interested they try things out and sometimes fail; they try things out and sometimes fail; these failures cause them to ask these failures cause them to ask questions ;sometimes these questions use questions ;sometimes these questions use outside sources like books ;we develop the outside sources like books ;we develop the question and are ready to learn the question and are ready to learn the answer; once we developed an answer we answer; once we developed an answer we have little trouble rememberinghave little trouble remembering

Page 22: Cultural Literacy Debi Moon Pam Moolenaar- Wirsiy

• Schools present generalizations before Schools present generalizations before specifics but a generalization is really specifics but a generalization is really only valuable if you make it yourselfonly valuable if you make it yourself

• The reason for this is simple enough: The reason for this is simple enough: generalizations come from cases, lots of generalizations come from cases, lots of cases ,if you teach them a cases ,if you teach them a generalization formula that it better be generalization formula that it better be useful nearly every day or you’ll forget useful nearly every day or you’ll forget it. it.

Page 23: Cultural Literacy Debi Moon Pam Moolenaar- Wirsiy

• In order to take advantage of In order to take advantage of students natural learning abilities we students natural learning abilities we must provide an environment which must provide an environment which supports them pursuing goals of supports them pursuing goals of interest that allows them to try interest that allows them to try things out initially rather than be things out initially rather than be given answers; they should generate given answers; they should generate their own questions.their own questions.

Page 24: Cultural Literacy Debi Moon Pam Moolenaar- Wirsiy

CuriosityCuriosity

• In his essay the “Loss of the Creature” the In his essay the “Loss of the Creature” the novelist Walker Percy contrasts when novelist Walker Percy contrasts when learning arises naturally versus in the learning arises naturally versus in the classroomclassroom

• ““A young islander walking along the beach A young islander walking along the beach and spying a dead fish and going to work on and spying a dead fish and going to work on with his jackknife in a fashion wholly with his jackknife in a fashion wholly unprovided in modern educational theory unprovided in modern educational theory has a great advantage over a Scarsdale high has a great advantage over a Scarsdale high school student who finds a fish on his school student who finds a fish on his laboratory desk with a list of what he needs laboratory desk with a list of what he needs and all the steps involved. It kills curiosity”and all the steps involved. It kills curiosity”