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The Curricular Canon

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The Curricular Canon
Pointing The Curricular Canon for Optimal Accuracy
Literacy is defined as knowing the world around you and the cultures within. A curricular canon brings diverse societies closer together by sharing knowledgeable experiences leading to a higher understanding of works of literature, art, and music. Each country has a national heritage of text such as novels, plays, and artwork that are deemed worthy of value to the core canon by the elite of that society. However, global testing is used to determine which country is academically ahead and raises the question of what is useful in our western civilizations curricular canon. Teaching to the test is important for math, reading, and writing competence, but significantly hinders our ability to keep …show more content…
The co-mingling of a formal curriculum and the arts is the best recipe for a successful education. Many of the concepts you learn in a math classroom can be found in other school subjects including art and music. M.C. Escher is an illustrator known for his very precise, scientific, and mathematical drawings. His work is intriguing for all ages and should be included in an art curriculum due to its multileveled usage. Ironically lots of other states believe in the importance of Esher in their curriculum canon of k-8, but Texas does not include him in any planned lesson. An example lesson plan at teachersvision.com begins by saying,” The connections between art and math are strong and frequent, yet few students are aware of them. This geometry lesson is integrated with history and art to engage even the most math resistant of your students and to enlighten everyone about M. C. Escher's work in tessellations(www.teachervision.com).” By missing the boat on Eshers contributions to society Texans have fallen short of our goal to advance the young and stay a powerful state through academic achievements. Another advantage that deservers exploration is the reintroduction of music in all aspects of a classroom …show more content…
I believe in the importance of a well-rounded education, and feel a curriculum canon with great works of literature, recognized artist, and classical musicians helps influence students to entwine subject matter fluidly, while using higher levels of taxonomy and simultaneously developing multiple intelligences. We need to step past self-censorship and decide to bring more socially aware literatures into our classrooms, while mentally staying sharp with art and
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