http://www.salon.com/2012/12/04/new_education_standards_elbow_out_literature/?source=newsletter
Jamie Highfill is mourning the six weeks’ worth of poetry she removed from her eighth-grade English class at Woodland Junior High School in Fayetteville, Ark. She also dropped some short stories and a favorite unit on the legends of King Arthur to make room for essays by Malcolm Gladwell and a chapter from “The Tipping Point,” Gladwell’s book about social behavior.
“I’m struggling with this, and my students are struggling,” said Highfill, who was named 2011 middle school teacher of the year in her state. “With informational text, there isn’t that human connection that you get with literature. And the kids are shutting down. They’re getting bored. I’m seeing more behavior problems in my classroom than I’ve ever seen.”
That could be the guiding anecdote of a Malcolm Gladwell essay. But seriously, the standards appear to suggest that nonfiction is by definition more rigorous and practical than fiction and poetry.
|