Sabre-Tooth Curriculum

1. Education should be based on the skills needed by the society in the present,  but with an eye on the future.   We shouldn't  be afraid to change and adapt our curriculum as need be.  New-Fist first created his curriculum as a means to find "ways in which life may be made better for himself, his family, and his group."  The skills that were to be taught were essential for the overall good of the community.  New-Fist envisioned that the children would be better off when they became grown because of the goals that he established.  So, in that regard, the curriculum was constructed to prepare for the future.

2. A curriculum change should reflect the common goals of the community.  This is seen when the members could no longer survive using the techniques established by New-Fist.  It was paramount to change their methods of teaching skills.  Some members of the community even criticized the schools for implementing change.  But without the necessary change, the community could not have survived.  So even though some members staunchly defended New-Fist's curriculum, other forward thinkers were able to change the educational process for the better.

3. I believe that a curriculum should focus on skills as opposed to content knowledge.  The Saber-Tooth curriculum defenders saw the teaching of the outdated skills as a generalization for other thought processes.  For example, "We don't teach fish-grabbing to grab fish; we teach it to develop a generalized agility which can never be developed by mere training."

This thought process would not be helping the tribe have a better life, which is what New-Fist's goal was when he developed his curriculum.  You must provide the children with the skills needed to survive in the present.

From the reading, the community faced the challenge of a changing environment.  If they continued to catch fish, club horses, and scare saber-tooth tigers using New-Fist's methods, they would not survive.

I believe that New-Fist would be very proud of the radical who implored the wise old men "Couldn't you please try these other more up-to-date activities?  Maybe they have some educational value after all?"