#45 - Content Guidelines
Talking about general content and textbook content are very similar. The rules and guidelines are virtually the same for both.
Content is a really vast subject. It covers everything from phonics to nuclear physics and everything in between. We wrote a post called Public Database (which you can find here) in which we advocated for public database that list all of the courses from prekindergarten to doctorate levels and beyond. It was suggested that it was an extremely massive project and time consuming. We’re not even talking about the full content of the course - that’s for teachers or commercial publishers. We’re only talking about just the list.
It would take thousands of people and dozens of years to compile such a list. And that doesn’t address the expertise and knowledge required to compose such a list. So, here’s an idea to shortcut the process. The following is a suggestion for the guidelines necessary to put together the list.
Of course, there are basic subjects to cover: Language Arts, Math, Science, Humanities, Technology and Arts plus an infinite number of advanced or specialized subjects requiring specific knowledge and know-how.
Good content helps the basic process of getting an idea from here to there. The original method was to lecture and explain. Now, it’s a little more complex in terms of channels and media - print media, digital, audio, video and online. But, the idea is still really simple. Just get the idea from here to there. There seems to be a search in progress for the ideal curricula and the perfect methodology. A quest for the methodology and content that make up some utopian idea of what education should be. What is funny is that we probably had it in our hands all along. It’s called classic or traditional education. It resides somewhere in our archives and in our memory. If you add a little evolution for better methodology and improved delivery and some technological advance, mix it with a little traditional teaching and you get what we should be teaching now.
Along with good content, it is assumed that you have proper infrastructure and functional protocols. In other words, you have classrooms, students attend and follow the various rules of the teachers and schools and the whole thing is covered by a budget.
Another fundamental has to do with student willingness. There are a number of prerequisite rudimentary elements that are assumed. The students need to be there, be interested and not have their attention on something else and so on. The most important point here is willingness.
There are some important general concepts:
Teach students HOW to think, not WHAT to think. Give them data and information, but let them assimilate it and come to their own conclusions.
Always observe Power of Choice. Always give the student the choice to accept the data and make his or her own conclusions.
Always maintain the student’s willingness. Don’t do anything to kill it or dilute it.
Suggested Content Guidelines:
All content must be factual or labeled as opinion or speculative.
Content should not contain religious materials except factual descriptive data or historical facts. Any opinion or speculation must be so labeled.
Content should not contain political materials except factual descriptive data or historical facts. Any opinion or speculation must be so labeled.
Materials should not contain ideological materials except factual descriptive data or historical facts. Any opinion or speculation must be so labeled
All content must be free of overt or implied commercial or endorsement statements.
All courses must state the skill and/or knowledge gained by the student.
All content must have an easily accessible glossary.
All content must be legal and comply with local, state and federal law.
All content must be aligned with the Constitution.
All content must fit within and contribute to approved curricula or fill a specified needs related to an approved programs.
The work of compiling a list of content may go on for years, decades or may continue forever into the future, but laying down some guidelines lets us evaluate new things now without waiting. Will it be perfect? No. Perhaps a watchdog function is appropriate here in additions to the suggestions made.
Click on a category below to read more…
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