Book - Curriculum Planning: Integrating Multiculturalism, Constructivism and Education Reform

 3 Themes in book are interralated.  As read book, learning about decisions, think about efffect decision has on goals of multiculturalism and constructivism.

Chapter 1: An Introduction to Curriculum Development

-pg. 2 authentic assessment, curriculum alignment, nongraded primary curriculum, site-based decision making, alternative testing, performance evaluation, research-based teaching, educational technology, and valued outcomes.

-pg. 3 - why teachers say reforms won't work. Have seen many of these people in action.  How to get those teachers on board?

Quotes

1.  “Even with reform efforts close to and involving teachers from local schools, a major part of the net results appears to be added work and stress for teachers seeking to cope with matters that do not support their teaching.” -John Goodlad, 1997 - pg. 4  How can we institute reforms which do support teaching without teachers viewing it as just extra work thus causing them more stress?
2. "Students are naturally inquisitive; however, they do not always put a voice to their inquisitiveness." - Hawke, Hawke, Boles, 2004 - pg. 7 - How can teachers help students do this?
3. "The curriculum is the primary vehicle for achieving the goals and objectives of the school." - Thompson and Gregg, 1997 - pg. 7  Need to know what the goals and objectives of the school are first before developing/revising curriculum.
4. "If we are to achieve equality, we must broaden our conceptions of curriculum to include the entire culture of the school - not just the subject matter content." - Gay, 1990 - pg. 9
5.  “Curriculum definitions are important because they convey educators' perceptions and, in turn, these perceptions affect how the curriculum is used.” (book - Henson, pg. 9) 

6. "If an unfriendly foreign power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre educational performance that exists today, we might well view it as an act of war. - A Nation at Risk - pg. 15 

7.   "It is not the sciences but the arts that contribute most to the development of positive personal traits: social behavior, self-discipline, self-motivation, self-esteem and social interaction." - pg. 31

Chapter Topics

1. The Interrelated Themes  - Definitions

    

   -Constructivism - Belief that learning occurs only when the learner ties newly acquired info to previously gained understandings.  Schema theory

    

   -Multiculturalims - Establishing and maintaining a classroom climate where students with many differences in background, potential, and challenges learn to work with their classmates and learn to appreciate their uniqueness.

    

   -Education Reform - Systematic approaches at the national, state, or local level to make significant improvements in education.

    →Good education reform uses practices or activities that help all students meet the goals of constructivist and multiculturalist. (pg. 5)

    

   →Connection of themes - constructivist / multiculturalism/ educational reform: (pg. 5-7)

    

   a.  All students can and will learn -  If don't believe that then unwittingly will lower expectations for students perceived as less capable and provide less assistance.

    

   b.  Cooperation - Practices/Activities - small group assignments, student disclosure - pulls together ideas and conclusions (Lev Vygotsky - small group discussions - negotiating understanding)

    

    

   c.  student-centered approaches - problem solving, assessment (authentic assessment, self-assessment - ongoing) - assessment to improve curriculum, teaching and learning.

    

    

    

   d.  Expansion of learning areana - Partnerships with teachers, administrators, parents, and other community members.

    

2. The Importance of Curriculum
   1. Defining Curriculum

       

      -Dead vs live curricula

       

      1. A Program of Studies - early application
      2. A Document - the improvement of instruction
      3. Planned Experiences - all the experinces children have under the guidance of teachers - change in emphasis from content to experiences - shift from subject-centered to student-centered - Marsh & Willis (2003) "...an interrelated set of plans and experiences that a student undertakes under the guidance of the school."
      4. Social Implications - "If we are to achieve equality, we must broaden our conceeptions of curriculum to include the entire culture of the school - not just the subject matter content." - Gay, 1990
      5. As an End - as a means unto to an end or an end unto itself.  ?????
      6. Short and Long Definitions
      7. Live or Dead - curriculum definitions are important because they convey educators' perceptions and, in turn, these perceptions affect how the curriculum is used.
   2. Interpreting Curriculum - Ornstein & Hunkins (2004) view this wide array of definitions of curriculum as healthy because many educators work with curricula in diversified ways, and each definition brings a unique perspective to the field. (list page 9-10)
3. The Hidden Curriculum

    

   -unplanned curriculum

    

   -taught implicitly, rather than explicitly, by the school experience

    

   -sends messages to our students on what they ought to be doing and even how they should be thinking.

    

   -socialization process that comes from school itself, as a community, is a significant part of the hidden curriculum. (cooperation vs competition)

    

   -planned and unplaned

    

    

   1. Impact on Multicultural Education

       

      -school climate, social relationships among individuals and groups, values and attidudes held by both students and faculty, presses on student conduct, unspoken expectations, and unwritten codes of conduct.

       

       

4. A Need for Reform
   1. Early Attempts at Education Reform - Some believe that recent wave of reform had its origin in research.  In fact, the 80's and 90's reforms were born in a climate of politics.
   2. The Impact of a Nation at Risk 1983 - by National Commission on Excellence in Education - Sec. of Ed. Bell dissatisified with performance of American students on standardized achievement tests.  As a result, reform initiatives in every state within 1 year.
      1. Misleading Test-Score Interpretations
      2. Narrow Views of Reform Reports
      3. Flawed Overal Purposes
      4. Educationally Unsound Recommendations
      5. High-Stakes Testing
   3. The Legacy of A Nation at Risk: No Child Left Behind - online database
      1. Excessive Demands on Schools
   4. Positive Outcomes of Education Reform

       

      -Teachers becoming more involved with research

       

      -Importance of education in public mind

       

      -Some states increased financial support

       

      -Increased parent support

       

      -Broader teacher attention to curriculum across grade levels/content areas

       

      1. Parental Involvement
      2. Administrator Involvement
      3. Advances in Teacher Education
      4. Identifying True Weaknesses
         1. Failure to Use Research  - NCLB requires scientifically based curriculum and instruction
         2. Action Research - example quote from principal who engaged stakeholders, 'Power with is stronger than power over."

             

            7 Step Model

             

            1.  Define the problem

             

            2.  Proposing a method

             

            3.  Data Collection

             

            4.  Data Analysis

             

            5.  Reporting Results

             

            6.  Action Planning

             

            7.  Evaluation

             

         3. An Emphasis on Constructivism - Elementary and secondary curricula are dynamically changing as a result of 3 key educational forces:

             

            1.  omnipresent use of evolving technologies

             

            2.  acute focus on the value of diversity

             

            3.  professional emphasis on constructivist principles.