1. Cultural Literacy Debi Moon Pam Moolenaar- Wirsiy

2. Cultural Literacy In Cultural Literacy, E D Hirsch analyzes Americas failure to achieve a higher degree of literacy. In Cultural Literacy, E D Hirsch analyzes Americas failure to achieve a higher degree of literacy.

3. Basics of the Hirsch Book First, literacy requires beyond basic reading and writing skills, the common body of information that is possessed by the General Society First, literacy requires beyond basic reading and writing skills, the common body of information that is possessed by the General Society Second, it is the responsibility of the schools to impart the shared information Second, it is the responsibility of the schools to impart the shared information

4. Basics of the Hirsch book Third, to dismiss such education as elitist or indoctrination is to fail to see it as empowerment for only the culturally literate can hope to affect social reform Third, to dismiss such education as elitist or indoctrination is to fail to see it as empowerment for only the culturally literate can hope to affect social reform

5. Basics of the Hirsch book Fourth, education must involve a two-part curriculum: extensive ( covering the shared information) and intensive ( allowing for in- depth exploration of individual text or specific areas of knowledge). Fourth, education must involve a two-part curriculum: extensive ( covering the shared information) and intensive ( allowing for in- depth exploration of individual text or specific areas of knowledge). This two-part curriculum avoids the idea that all should study identical materials; it also resists the idea of a core curriculum This two-part curriculum avoids the idea that all should study identical materials; it also resists the idea of a core curriculum

6. Two-part curriculum The two-part curriculum- extensive and intensive- seems suited to develop the interrelated goals of cultural literacy and critical thinking The two-part curriculum- extensive and intensive- seems suited to develop the interrelated goals of cultural literacy and critical thinking Is inadequate however for the fostering of the creative intelligence that is rooted in the imagination. Is inadequate however for the fostering of the creative intelligence that is rooted in the imagination.

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

8. Knowledge and lists Hirsch proposes being literate as a matter of covering the territory of huge cultural literacy lists Hirsch proposes being literate as a matter of covering the territory of huge cultural literacy lists He assures us it is quite small. He assures us it is quite small. Frankly or take a few hundred pages to describe the simplest of idea such as eating at a restaurant. Frankly or take a few hundred pages to describe the simplest of idea such as eating at a restaurant.

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

10. The imagination Finally the imagination is the faculty by which we can envision a new society in which the evils of the present will be ameliorated or at least exchanged for lesser evils. Finally the imagination is the faculty by which we can envision a new society in which the evils of the present will be ameliorated or at least exchanged for lesser evils. Percy Bysshe Shelley the creation of a new society is the crowning achievement of the poetic imagination and poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world. Percy Bysshe Shelley the creation of a new society is the crowning achievement of the poetic imagination and poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.

11. Testing Because schools teach to test they emphasize the memorization of facts and formulas. Because schools teach to test they emphasize the memorization of facts and formulas. The really important tests are mass-produced and mass graded thus theyre populating questions that have simple objective answers. As a result our national definition of what it means to be educated translates into how readily one could recognize the right word among five options listed in a multiple-choice question. The really important tests are mass-produced and mass graded thus theyre populating questions that have simple objective answers. As a result our national definition of what it means to be educated translates into how readily one could recognize the right word among five options listed in a multiple-choice question.

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

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

14. Why our college students act the way they do When successes of the system arrive in college they fear open ended assignments. They are impatient with discussions that are not going in any particular direction except for the interests of the discussants dictate, since they know that such discussions waste time that could be better spent studying for a test. When successes of the system arrive in college they fear open ended assignments. They are impatient with discussions that are not going in any particular direction except for the interests of the discussants dictate, since they know that such discussions waste time that could be better spent studying for a test. What they learned is the way to get along in the world is to cater to points of view of educational authorities. What they learned is the way to get along in the world is to cater to points of view of educational authorities.

15. Types of knowledge needed for communication Make simple inferences Make simple inferences Establish causal connections Establish causal connections Recognize stereotyped situations Recognize stereotyped situations Access and utilize raw facts Access and utilize raw facts Track peoples goals Track peoples goals Recognize thematic relationships between individuals and society Recognize thematic relationships between individuals and society Thus learning facts alone is not enough to effectively communicate Thus learning facts alone is not enough to effectively communicate

16. Testing to the facts To the extent that we believe that there are facts everyone must know, we will create exams to test that people know them. To the extent that we believe that there are facts everyone must know, we will create exams to test that people know them. Such exams will inevitably disrupt natural learning. Such exams will inevitably disrupt natural learning.

17. Real-life learning People have natural mechanisms for learning to allow them to master an enormous volume of material during their lifetimes. People have natural mechanisms for learning to allow them to master an enormous volume of material during their lifetimes. Some people learn enough baseball statistics to fill a book. Others learn which political strategies great leaders employed and which strategies worked and almost everyone learns where milk is in their neighborhood grocery store as well a s to navigate streets of their hometown. Some people learn enough baseball statistics to fill a book. Others learn which political strategies great leaders employed and which strategies worked and almost everyone learns where milk is in their neighborhood grocery store as well a s to navigate streets of their hometown.

18. Whats wrong in class Classes teaching reading still have all the students reading the same book as if it were the book and not the reading that mattered Classes teaching reading still have all the students reading the same book as if it were the book and not the reading that mattered Classes teaching math often present math is something the useful at some point later in life, rather than as something that applies to students and their immediate concerns. Classes teaching math often present math is something the useful at some point later in life, rather than as something that applies to students and their immediate concerns. Classes teaching history rarely show how the lesson for the past informs students choices today. Classes teaching history rarely show how the lesson for the past informs students choices today.

19. Problem of today The primary problems is the schools dependence on fixed curricula, the stranglehold of standardized testing, an impossibility of giving individual attention with high student-teacher ratios The primary problems is the schools dependence on fixed curricula, the stranglehold of standardized testing, an impossibility of giving individual attention with high student-teacher ratios The goal is to take the natural interests of each student and use that as a vehicle for teaching what we want students to learn. The goal is to take the natural interests of each student and use that as a vehicle for teaching what we want students to learn. If the student likes trucks why not teach them to read about trucks, do the math is needed to understand fuel economies, and know the economics and politics needed to run a trucking company? If the student likes trucks why not teach them to read about trucks, do the math is needed to understand fuel economies, and know the economics and politics needed to run a trucking company?

20. You learn every day People learn every day and they manage to learn without making it an academic affair. People learn every day and they manage to learn without making it an academic affair. What have you learned today? What have you learned today?

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

22. Schools present generalizations before specifics but a generalization is really only valuable if you make it yourself Schools present generalizations before specifics but a generalization is really only valuable if you make it yourself The reason for this is simple enough: generalizations come from cases, lots of cases,if you teach them a generalization formula that it better be useful nearly every day or youll forget it. The reason for this is simple enough: generalizations come from cases, lots of cases,if you teach them a generalization formula that it better be useful nearly every day or youll forget it.

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

24. Curiosity In his essay the Loss of the Creature the novelist Walker Percy contrasts when learning arises naturally versus in the classroom In his essay the Loss of the Creature the novelist Walker Percy contrasts when learning arises naturally versus in the classroom A young islander walking along the beach and spying a dead fish and going to work on with his jackknife in a fashion wholly unprovided in modern educational theory has a great advantage over a Scarsdale high school student who finds a fish on his laboratory desk with a list of what he needs and all the steps involved. It kills curiosity A young islander walking along the beach and spying a dead fish and going to work on with his jackknife in a fashion wholly unprovided in modern educational theory has a great advantage over a Scarsdale high school student who finds a fish on his laboratory desk with a list of what he needs and all the steps involved. It kills curiosity