Juxtaposition: The Coexistence of Traditional Navajo and Standards Based Curricula

Authors

Daniel R. Conn, Minot State UniversityFollow

Abstract

Northridge Elementary, a small public school serving almost entirely Navajo students, was recently labeled with a failing grade from the New Mexico Department of Education. This study explores what this label reveals and what it conceals. Using educational connoisseurship and criticism as the method of inquiry, this study considers how the label interacts with the structural, intentional, curricular, pedagogical, and evaluative dimensions within the school. As offered in the thematic aspect of the analysis, the label overgeneralizes realities of Northridge Elementary and is hindering rather the benefiting students.

Keywords

Labels, Navajo, Ecology of School Improvement, Educational Connoisseurship and Criticism

Author Bio(s)

After ten years of teaching in the regular classroom in Colorado, Daniel R. Conn, Ed.D., accepted an Assistant Professor of Teacher Education position at Minot State University. Dan’s teaches elementary education pedagogy as well as graduate level education courses. Especially influenced by the late Elliot Eisner, Dan’s research interests include curriculum, pedagogy, and the interaction of dimensions within school ecology. Correspondence regarding this article can be addressed directly to: Daniel R. Conn at his E-mail: daniel.conn@minotstateu.edu

Publication Date

5-18-2015

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2015.2134

Recommended APA Citation

Conn, D. R. (2015). Juxtaposition: The Coexistence of Traditional Navajo and Standards Based Curricula. The Qualitative Report, 20(5), 618-635. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2015.2134