Often time’s curriculum is thought of as a set of rules and standards given to teachers to follow. However, more goes into a curriculum than just what meets perceived. Teachers are not just the vehicles from which a curriculum flows but in a sense, they embody it. There are four main different avenues in which curriculum is constructed. It’s constructed through government agencies, publishers, school systems, and teachers. It can be defined as “content, a set of specific educational plans, a changing series of planned learning experiences, or as everything that learners experience in school” (Van Brummelen, 20). A curriculum is strongly built behind a worldview. “A worldview is a comprehensive framework of basic convictions about life. Worldviews …show more content…
In his book, Steppingstones to Curriculum, Van Brummelen discusses four popular perspectives on curriculum through curriculum orientations. “A curriculum orientation sets out basic worldview assumptions and how these suggest an overall vision for education, a view of knowledge and of the person, and how these affect classroom learning and teaching, and how we go about planning, and the general aims of curriculum” (pg.25). Curriculum orientations provide the teacher with a clear and distinct sense of direction for an educational program. A curriculum orientation is what a teacher teaches to. Each orientation has a different view on what’s important and gives the teacher clear focus. The four orientations are traditional, process/mastery, experimental, and Christian. When planning out curriculum, the traditionalist approach views curriculum as a conveyor of information and ideas. Their focus is on transmission. They focus on building basic skills and reasoning through gaining knowledge in key disciplines. Process/mastery supporters focus on the process. They view curriculum as a controlled and efficient process. Their knowledge and learning emphasis are on investigating, mastering, and applying data in small, defined, manageable steps. Experimentalist view curriculum as a quest for personal meaning. They focus on constructing knowledge. They’re all about learning through experience. They put emphasis on autonomous creation and negotiation of knowledge and meaning. Christians view curriculum as a reflection/ interpretation of God’s truth. They focus on responsibility. Their curriculum answers questions such as how do we foster students’ positive responses toward God, their fellow creatures, society, and themselves. They put emphasis on understanding and unfolding God’s revelation through experience, observation, conceptualization, and
E.D. Hirsch and John Dewey present two defined approaches to curriculum and pedagogy. In this essay, I will critically compare these two educational approaches by examining the strengths and weaknesses of Dewey’s applied learning curriculum and Hirsh’s core knowledge curriculum. I will also evaluate Hirsh’s more traditional, teacher-centred pedagogy in relation to Dewey’s more hands on approach to education. It will be shown that Dewey’s ideas are more educationally and socially valuable because they aim to enable collaboration, communal inquiry and coordination of interests. I will begin by explaining and critically evaluating Hirsch’s ideas, before explaining and defending Dewey’s alternative ideas.
Connected to this theme is the development of a shared, lived experience, where students and teacher are involved in an ongoing negotiation of curriculum. In the first 13 chapters, Paley’s central focus is to develop a learning community within the safety of the classroom. In the second half of her book, Paley illustrates how the combination of these two themes in turn offers an opportunity for what we call an opening up of the definition of curriculum. This review is an analysis of these three themes within the organizational framework of Paley’s book. The theme of children and teachers as co-creators of curriculum is established in the first chapter when Paley says, “Each year I wait to be reawakened by a Reeny … something to ponder deeply and expand upon extravagantly” (p.10). Reeny responds to this call by asserting herself early on as a curriculum leader in Paley’s classroom. Because children themselves are curriculum makers and leaders, curriculum cannot be imposed upon the learner. Ultimately, this opening up of the discussion of what curriculum means is established by Reeny in the last lines of the book when she announces: “But I’m thinking, why don’t you stay and we’ll talk about it. Don’t fly away. See we can keep talking about it, okay?” (p. 99). It is in Reeny’s utterance that we understand—the curriculum conversation must necessarily begin with students’
Marples, R. (2010). What should go on the curriculum? In Bailey, R. (Ed.), The philosophy of education: An introduction (pp 33-47). London: Bloomsbury
...m while having freedom to choose how to teach it. This allows the curriculum to become more personable. Teachers currently associate curriculum with government mandates. They believe that curriculum is what they are told to teach instead of what is desired to learn. Curriculum in the educational setting, according to Pinar, is intended to be used to teach us to think intellectually, sensitively, and with courage to prepare us to be individuals committed to other individuals.
A liberal arts core or curriculum is defined as the areas of study or learning that cultivate intellectual thinking and ideas rather than technical work or skills. By providing work within this curriculum students can achieve excellence throughout their college career. Although there is this aspect, a liberal arts core is often questioned if it is really necessary for a successful college career. This paper will discuss how and why a liberal arts curriculum is important as well as how this curriculum can lead to pursuing excellence during a college career as well as having success after college.
Definitions for curriculum are many and varied. Broad sweeping statements claim that curriculum is what is taught in various subjects and the amount of time given to each. While a more specific view is that curriculum are performance objectives for students that focus on specific skills or knowledge (Marsh, 2010). Marsh (2010, p. 93) defines curriculum as “an interrelated set of plans and experiences” that are completed at school. The curriculum used in education can have various interpretations, it may refer to the curriculum as a plan that encompasses all the learning that is planned and directed by the school. Cu...
While looking at different curriculums, there is a big importance of looking at the different methods of teaching students to grow faith development. To look at the effectiveness of the different curriculums when coming to teaching the grades from third through fifth grade I reviewed Concordia Publishing House’s “Growing in Christ- Middle Grades” compared to Faith Inkubator’s, “My Bible.” Looking at both of the curriculums, I used how they used the family, technology, and different ways of learning to show which was more effective in teaching students. I believe that Faith Inkubator’s “My Bible” is the more effective curriculum.
One of my most influential experiences took place with my very first class, ED 523 taught by Dr. Howe. In this course, I learned about the Understanding by Design (UbD) Framework created by Wiggins and McTighe. This framework focuses on a backward design approach that uses big ideas, essential questions, and authentic assessments to create and guide curriculum (Wiggins and McTighe, 2005). The design encourages educators to “start with the end in mind.” Along with UbD, I also learned about a calendar-based curriculum mapping process created by Heidi Hayes Jacobs. The curriculum map allows for educators to examine curriculum both horizontally in a course and also vertically over the student’s K-12 academic career (Jacobs, 1997).
Curriculum is the organized framework that explains the content that children are to learn, the processes through which children achieve the identified curricular goals, what teachers do to help children achieve these goals and the context in which teaching and learning occur. The best curriculum for early childhood teacher is developmentally appropriate curriculum that allows teachers to set-up an effective learning environment for children.
Curriculum directs the lesson of every teacher and helps us have a structured and systematic instruction. Curriculum is often referred to as reference material which tell us exactly what to do, when to do it and in what sequence. According to Ronald C. Doll ,1996 (as cited in Curriculum Overview), school curriculum is the process by which learners and students acquire knowledge and understanding, develop skills and change attitudes, appreciation and values under the guidance of that school.
Curriculum Differentiation One of the most urgent challenges teachers face today is creating a classroom environment where all students are simultaneously engaged in meaningful activities. Too many times students may either become lost as the teacher continues on with the lesson or the material may not be advanced enough, thus becoming boring for students. The implementation of curriculum differentiation is a sustainable solution to this prevalent dilemma. In some parts of the world, the teacher will come into the classroom, write the title of the lesson on the board, and ask one of the students to read aloud as the rest of the class listens. When the student finishes reading, the lesson is considered to be taught.
Curriculum of public schools cannot use God 's Word as its standard for truth. Christian schools can guide students through the deeper questions of faith and life by equipping students to recognize the Lordship of Christ in all subject areas and even more in teaching the processes that go along with responding and living in obedience to God 's call. The Christian educator can help to produce citizens that can be transforming as they influence the societies that the students will become a part of as they enter the "real"
According to Glatthorn, Boschee and Whitehead (2006, p.74), a curriculum theory is a set of related educational concepts that affords a systematic and illuminating perspective on curricular phenomena. In a simpler term, a curriculum theory is an academic discipline devoted to examining and shaping educational curricula (Wikipedia, curriculum theory). One that would be a proponent of a structured-oriented curriculum would be concerned primarily with analyzing the components of the curriculum and their interrelationships. They will tend to be descriptive and explanatory in intent whereas, one that is a proponent of a value-oriented curriculum would be concerned primarily with analyzing the values and assumptions of curriculum makers and their
A curriculum is a compilation of study materials that are used at all grade levels, classroom and homework assignments and a set of teacher guides. It could also include a list of prescribed methodology and guidelines of teaching and some material for the parents etc. It is generally determined by an external governing body. However, there are some cases where it may be developed by the schools and teachers themselves.
Designing curriculum, instruction, and assessments are steps teachers use to help them make sense of the concepts they teach and helps drive instruction. These steps can take on many different forms and drive a classroom in a plethora of ways. These steps, when developed properly, can help a teacher utilize each moment in the classroom and help students gain more insight to the standards they need to become proficient.