Allison Curry EDUC 6013 Article Summary - Module 4

Fall 2012

Ellswort ! "#! $arris! %#! & Moore! S# '2011(# ) e %ur*ose %ro+ect, -. Sc ool /e.orm! Co0ey! and Sun )1u, ) e Con0ersation 2e3ins# Techtrends: Linking Research & Practice To Improve Learning, 55'4(! 20-23# doi,10#10056s11427-011-0423-5 Unit 2 o. Taking Sides e8*lores 9road .undamental issues t at are discussed .re:uently in *resent day *olicy and *ractice# Discussin3 t e *ur*ose o. *u9lic sc ools and ways to e..ecti0ely el* sc ools ac ie0e lon3-term 3oals t rou3 systematic re.orm is o. utmost im*ortance# ) e to*ic o. turnin3 around .ailin3 sc ools re:uires a dialo3ue a9out w at t e *ur*ose o. *u9lic sc ool is at its 0ery core# ) is editorial not only relates se0eral o. t e issues discussed in Unit 2 to t e *ur*ose o. *u9lic sc ool! it also as a distinct connection to t e 9asics o. instructional desi3n and instructional systems de0elo*ment! two areas o. study w ic ; old in i3 re3ard# <ritin3 .or an audience o. .ellow instructional desi3ners and teac ers o. tec nolo3y! t e aut ors *ut out a call to action .or real sc ool re.orm# )o con0ey t eir *oint wit clarity! t ey 9e3in 9y statin3 t at =t e wise 9e3in wit t e end in mind> and use t e wor?s o. Sun )1u and Ste0en Co0ey to e8*ress t e need to recti.y an educational *rocess t at sim*ly isn@t wor?in3# ) e aut ors cite t e *u9lication o. A Nation at Risk in 1A73 as a catalyst .or c an3e t at culminated in t e im*lementation o. Bo C ild Ce.t 2e ind in 2001# )oday! a decade a.ter its *assa3e! t e aut ors state t at not muc as c an3ed in terms o. sc ool re.orm -- or as itD ) ey

raise a .ascinatin3 *oint t at may9e we are not succeedin3 9ecause we aren@t measurin3 t e ri3 t t in3s# Beeds assessments are a critical *art o. t e instructional desi3n *rocess! and are a *art o. most all instructional desi3n models in t e analysis * ase# ;t re:uires one to sim*ly identi.y and e8amine t e outcomes t at an instructional system will *roduce# ) e aut ors ar3ue t at until we *er.orm a lar3e-scale needs assessment! and identi.y e8actly w at t e *ur*ose o. *u9lic

Allison Curry EDUC 6013 Article Summary - Module 4

Fall 2012

sc oolin3 is! we cannot e8*ect *u9lic education to meet e8*ectations on any le0el# ) ey state t at it is a =collecti0e .ailure> on t e *art o. Americans to e8*lore or e0en discuss t e *ur*ose o. t e *u9lic sc ool on its most 9asic le0el! w ic in turn .osters 9ic?erin3 amon3 *olicyma?ers# )o 9e3in e8*loration o. t is com*le8 to*ic! t e aut ors recount istorical recordin3s .rom t e *ast t ree centuries *ertainin3 to common 3oals o. t e *u9lic sc ool# ;t is clear t at t e issue is not somet in3 t at as ne0er 9een discussed# $owe0er! 9y *er.ormin3 lar3e scale needs assessments! we can use t is collecti0e ?nowled3e and t e 9asics o. instructional desi3n to start re.ormin3 education in a meanin3.ul way# )o conclude t eir *iece! Ellswort et al# outline t e ways t at educational tec nolo3ists and instructional desi3ners! 9y way o. t eir *ro.essional association 'AEC)(! can assist in t e .ront-end analysis t at t ey .eel is crucial to addressin3 t e sc ool re.orm issue# ) e idea o. usin3 a =:uic? .i8> is not an o*tion! and a more in-de*t ! *ur*ose dri0en a**roac is needed .or tan3i9le! e..ecti0e! and e..icient c an3e# ; .elt t is article *ro0ided a re.res in3 0iew*oint in a sea o. *essimistic o*inions re3ardin3 t e *ur*ose o. *u9lic sc ool# ) e connection 9etween t e to*ics *resented in t is editorial! t e second unit o. our te8t! and my own study o. instructional desi3n is a star? e8am*le o. ow connected t e .ield o. Education is! and ; en+oyed t e way t e aut ors *resented t eir case# ;n our di0erse country! it does seem li?e a dauntin3 'and im*ossi9le( tas? to *er.orm a needs assessment t at *ro0ides a succinct set o. outcomes .or all *u9lic sc oolin3# $owe0er! on a smaller scale! *olicyma?ers and aut ors o. standards s ould come to an a3reement on t e intended *ur*ose o. sc oolin3 .irst! and t en construct a system in w ic t ese needs are met# 2y startin3 =wit t e end in mind>! we can answer critical :uestions w ic a0e a sense o.

ur3ency# A 3eneration as *assed since A Nation at Risk# ;t is time .or inno0ati0e c an3e to rede.ine *u9lic sc oolin3 in America#