After doing the readings for this module it was immediately clear to me how little I know about what goes into creating curriculum. I had never heard of conceptions of curriculums before completing these readings. As I read and began to understand the conceptions more, I could not help but think of specific examples from my own practices or examples from colleagues that I know. I feel as though I understand where some of my colleagues with differing opinions are coming from more after learning about these conceptions.
As I read, I kept asking myself, “where do I fit? What do I believe about curriculum?” Do I lean more towards the humanistic approach, the self-actualization approach, or the social reconstructionist approach? I feel as though I draw from all three of these approaches. Eisner and Vallance explain that the self-actualization approach to curriculum, “conceptualizes education as a liberating force, a means of helping the individual discover things for himself” (pp. 9). I want my students to obtain critical thinking and problem-solving skills. McNeil explains that the humanistic approach believes that, “the function of the curriculum is to provide each learner with intrinsically rewarding experiences that contribute to personal liberation and development” (pp. 5). I want my students to have an individualized educational experience that helps them become the best version of themselves. Sowell says that social reconstruction curriculum should, “prepare people for living in an unstable and changing world” (pp. 41). I want students to learn about the world, be able to function in it, and to have a desire to make it a better place. I didn’t really think about how the values that I hold about education impact how I interact with, and interpret curriculum and that the values of the people who created the curriculum impacts how it is laid out and designed. After reading Al-Mousa’s thesis (2013), I notice that the approaches that I seem to relate to fall between two different strands, “individual” and “society” (Al-Mousa, pp. 33). When viewing the table that Al-Mousa has created, I can’t help but wonder, what do I value most as a teacher? And what do I believe the purpose of curriculum is? This is something I will continue to think about for the remainder of this course. I believe that some conceptions of curriculum are considered to be mainstream and have stood the test of time because of what we value as a society and what society expects of education. I think that curriculum is created as a means to solve a problem or to uphold a societal value. Our society values technology, individualism, and western culture. I think that our society also expects schools to create valuable members of society who can problem solve and who can make the world a better place. The information that I have learned from this module will impact how I move forward and collaborate with colleagues who may not hold the same curricular values that I do. When analyzing how I currently plan, instruct and assess, these curriculum conceptions will serve as a framework to help me understand why I teach/assess what I teach/assess and how I teach/assess it. This knowledge will then guide my planning. References Eisner, E., & Vallance, E. (Eds.). (1974). Five conceptions of the curriculum: Their roots and implications for curriculum planning. Conflicting conceptions of curriculum, 1-18. Berkeley, CA: McCutchan Publishing. McNeil, J. D. (2009). Contemporary curriculum in thought and action (7th ed.), 1, 3-14, 27-39, 52-60, 71-74. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley. . Ornstein, A. C., & Hunkins, F. P. (2013). Curriculum: Foundations, principles, and issues (6th ed.), 1-8. Boston, MA: Pearson. Schiro, M. S. (2013). Introduction to the curriculum ideologies. Curriculum theory: Conflicting visions and enduring concerns (2nd ed.), 1-13. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Sowell, E. J. (2005). Curriculum: An integrative introduction (3rd ed.), 37-51. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Al Mousa, N. (2013). An examination of cad use in two interior design programs from the perspectives of curriculum and instructors, pp. 21-37 (Master’s Thesis).
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Here is my digital about me video. Please bear with me as I get back into using my brain after recently having a baby. |
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