The Saber Tooth Curriculum 1.

Should education be based on disseminating the important skills needed by society in the present and for the future?

Yes! To do this, it is important that educators be current in what employers are looking for in prospective employees and also to keep updated with how industry is changing and what needs are changing in the business world and in technical industry. In The Saber-Tooth Curriculum, the new generation saw the importance of changing the ways they sought out food and clothes while the older generation still saw the need to keep the old curriculum intact. While there may be a valid argument to the curriculum of old, it can also be argued that as the times change, so to must the curriculum. I agree that the curriculum needs to remain current, but there are some old ways of thinking that will forever be important to education. Among these are the ability to think logically and critically and the ability to speak and communicate effectively.

2. Should curriculum change reflect the common goals of the community in enabling its members to function as citizens?

I think whether curriculum changes or remains stagnant, that there should always be an underlying goal of setting up our students for success as citizens. If they are not ready to go out into the real world as we call it, then we have failed them. They should leave high school from their individual towns and be ready for any college anywhere. They should also be continuing necessary skills for their future while in college.

3. Should curriculum focus on skills or content knowledge as its primary focus?

How about a happy mix of both? I think being introduced to content can help a student be more well rounded in knowledge and act as an aid in narrowing down a field to work in. For example, if a student doesnt care for math, then they shouldnt be an engineer, if English isnt your thing, then perhaps journalism isnt in your future. Either way, it is important to see the content. However, I think content can and should be used to focus on important skills. The other day in my geometry classes, I was introducing the topic or area and perimeter of rectangles. I am sure this is something each of my students has seen before and I am also very aware that there is a good possibility that when they are done with schooling they may never be asked again for the formula or to apply the formula they learned in tenth grade. They got a curveball then all of a sudden though, it wasnt just plug into the formula and

solve. Or here are the dimensions listed in a word problem Now solve! Instead I give them two word problems with no values listed . Thats right, they are going to have to think about what to do with the knowledge they have. I do hope my students take with them that ability. The ability to think their way out a problem of any kind, I just happen to focus on my content area, Math. Like New Fish told the younger generation, he taught fish catching, horse clubbing and saber-tooth scaring for more than just those skills. He taught them for strength, courage and agility that were found to be important to their way of living.