What is Curriculum?

1. What is Curriculum? Amy Strange TE 818 Curriculum Synthesis Project Fall 2010

2. Curriculum Synthesis Project: Objectives • Exploration of the following: • Define curriculum • Types of curricula • Goals of curriculum • Problems with the curriculum • The 7 dimensions of curriculum • Synthesis of curriculum • Prior view of curriculum • New view of curriculum • Summary • References

3. Curriculum Synthesis Project: Definition • What is curriculum? • According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary (n.d.), curriculum is defined as the following: • the courses offered by an educational institution • a set of courses constituting an area of specialization

4. Curriculum Synthesis Project: Definition • Elliot Eisner defines three types of curricula that are found in school (1994). • These include the following: • Explicit Curriculum • Material that is specifically chosen to be taught in schools • Implicit Curriculum • Material that is unintentionally taught in schools • Null Curriculum • Material that is not taught in schools

5. Curriculum Synthesis Project: Definition • David Labaree has identified the following competing goals of the curriculum (1997). • Labaree concludes that these 3 competing goals cannot all be fulfilled at the same time. Therefore, a balancing act is required.

6. Curriculum Synthesis Project: Definition • According to John Dewey (1990), there are a few key problems with the educational curriculum. • Two of these problems include the following: • Students don’t have a connection to the curricular material • Students are not motivated by the curriculum • These problems stem from the lack of a connection between the student’s mind and the curriculum.

7. Curriculum Synthesis Project: Definition In order to get a clear understanding of what curriculum entails, consideration of the seven dimensions of curriculum is necessary.

8. The 7 Key Dimensions of Curriculum

9. Curriculum Synthesis Project: Definition 1. Philosophical Dimension “The American dream that we were all raised on is a simple, but powerful one—if you work hard and play by the rules you should be given a chance to go as far as your God-given ability will take you.” – Bill Clinton Hochschild & Scovronick (2003) claim that one of the goals of the educational system is to create equal opportunities for the development of democratic citizens. They argue, however, that not all students are afforded the same educational opportunities due to their race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Variance in these areas are embedded into the structure of the educational system which squelches any attempts to create equal opportunities for students.

10. A citizen’s financial and political background shapes their access to educational opportunities (Hochschild& Scovronick, 2003). • Therefore, the climate that a student is raised in shapes their success in school. • The climate that a student is raised in is also what dictates, shapes, and impacts the following: • state wide differences in educational opportunities • district wide differences in educational opportunities • school wide differences in educational opportunities • class wide differences in educational opportunities • The result is a perpetual cycle of the old adage: • The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. 1. Philosophical Dimension (Cont.)

11. Curriculum Synthesis Project: Definition 2. Historical Dimension (Mann, 1884; Kliebard, 1998; Lararee, 2010; & TE 818, 10/13) A few key views/events influenced the educational system and it’s curriculum during the 19th and 20th Centuries.

12. “A Nation At Risk” (1983) examined and drew conclusions about the educational system and its curriculum. • The recommendations of this study are summarized below: 2. Historical Dimension (Cont.)

13. Curriculum Synthesis Project: Definition 3. Political Dimension • Philips & Hawthorne (1978) and Apple (1991) argue that: • Curriculum design, development, and evaluation are all political behaviors. • The state holds responsibility for education through the following: • Legislature mandates the time spent in school • Textbook adoption • State approval of charters / curriculum • State certification • Although the state is responsible for making educational decisions, individuals at the local level have a greater understanding of curricular issues. • Therefore, there are the following problems with this system: • Students, parents, teachers, and principals aren’t involved in the curricular / educational decision making process • Other administrators make the decisions • There is no involvement of the community or social activists • There needs to be understanding of the system to change the system

14. Curriculum Synthesis Project: Definition 4. Ethical / Moral Dimension • David Hansen (1995) claims that all teaching and curriculum is a moral act. • In fact, he claims that there are moral messages in the classroom, that teachers are unaware of, which are as important as the formal curriculum.

15. Curriculum Synthesis Project: Definition 5. Cultural Dimension “We do not really see through our eyes and hear through our ears, but through our beliefs.” - Lisa Delpit • Lisa Delpit (1988) claims that there is a “culture of power” that encompasses the following: • Those in power are least aware of the existence of the culture of power • The rules of the culture of power are not explicitly taught to minority students • As a result, minority students fail • Cultural literacy is the possession of basic skills that all people have in order to succeed in modern world (Hirsch, 1988). • Hirsch states the following: • These basic skills are referred to as a set of “background knowledge” • There has been a decline in the acquisition of background knowledge • This decline impacts the cultural literacy and success of our students in adulthood

16. Curriculum Synthesis Project: Definition 6. Global Dimension • Therefore, there needs to be implementation of the following fixes: • The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was spawned due to the inability of the United States to keep up with the accomplishments of competitive nations. • Zhao (2007) claims, however, that NCLB will not help prepare students for a life in a globalized and technological world. • The attempted fixes as a result of NCLB were the wrong fixes; they killed creativity. • Creativity is what leads to scientific innovations • Creativity is needed in order to remain competitive in the world market

17. Curriculum Synthesis Project: Definition 7. Technological Dimension • Technology is referred to as the tools which people use for communication and information purposes (TE 818, Nov 17). • This includes technology used for educative purposes. Including the following: • Computers • Laptops • Computer software / programs • There is a debate about the use of technology in schools. • This debate includes the following viewpoints: • The high cost for technological tools • The lack of evidence supporting the claim that the utilization of technology improves academic performance • The increase in instructional options with using technology • This debate involves the following groups: • Techno-phobes: against technology • Techno-utopians: for technology • Techno-realists: middle ground

18. Curriculum Synthesis Project: Synthesis • Prior to my increased understanding of the seven dimensions of curriculum, my knowledge about the complexity of curriculum was inadequate. • My prior view of curriculum encompassed: • A lack of understanding of the degree to which philosophical, political, and cultural variables impact students from different races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic classes. • An invalid assumption that teachers have a say in choosing the content of the curriculum that they teach. • A misguided understanding of why teachers focus on rote memorization of facts, and teaching to the test. • Misunderstanding about the role of Sputnik in shaping the change in focus of the United States curriculum. • Incorrect knowledge about the role of the United States educational system / curriculum in the context of a global economy.

19. Curriculum Synthesis Project: Synthesis • After learning about the seven dimensions of curriculum, I have amended some of my views about the curriculum in the United States educational system. • My altered view(s) about the curriculum include: • Students from all races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic classes should be provided equal opportunities to receive a high-quality education. This includes ensuring that they are provided the background knowledge necessary to be successful. • Concepts from the implicit & null curriculum should be included in the explicit curriculum. • Teachers should be aware of how their values & morals are modeled in the classroom. • Curricular content should be driven by the knowledge of individuals at all educational levels. This includes educational professionals, teachers, administrators, parents, and students. • Teaching methodologies should not focus on teaching to the test, and rote memorization. Rather, it should focus on fostering understanding and creativity. • The educational system should shift their focus to increasing their students’ understanding of multiculturalism so that they can become global citizens. • Although teaching methods should not be antiquated, there is not a necessity for teachers / schools to get expensive technological items.

20. I have reviewed the following in hopes of defining the question: “What is curriculum?” • Define curriculum • Types of curricula • Goals of curriculum • Problems with the curriculum • The 7 dimensions of curriculum • Synthesis of curriculum • Prior view of curriculum • New view of curriculum Curriculum Synthesis Project: Summary

21. The end

22. Curriculum Synthesis Project: References Apple, M. (1991). Conservative agendas and progressive possibilities: Understanding the wider politics of the curriculum and teaching. Education and Urban Society, 23(3), 279-291. “Curriculum” (n.d). Retrieved from: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curriculum. Delpit, L. (1988). The silenced dialogue: Power and pedagogy in educating other people’s children. Harvard Educational Review, 58(3), 280-298. Dewey, J. (1990). The child and the curriculum. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. Eisner, E. (1994). The educational imagination: On the design and evaluation of school programs. (3rd Edition). New York: Macmillian College Publishing Company. Hansen, D.T. (1995). Teaching and the moral life of classrooms. Journal for a Just and Caring Education, 2, 59-74. Hirsch, E.D. (1988). Cultural literacy. (Preface and Chapter 1). New York: Vintage Books. Hochschild, J., & Scovronick, N., (2003). The American dream and the public schools. Oxford: University Press.

23. Curriculum Synthesis Project: References Kliebard, H. (1998). Effort to reconstruct the modern American curriculum. In Landon E. Beyer and Michael W. Apple (Eds.), The Curriculum: Problems, Politics, and Possibilities. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press. Mann, H. (1848). 12th annual report on education in the State of Massachusetts. Massachusetts State Board of Education. Labaree, D. (2010). Educational formalism and the language of goals in American education, educational reform, and educational history. Educational Research, 4, 41-60. Labaree, D. (1997). Public goods, private goods: The American struggle over educational goals. American Educational Research Journal, 34(1), 39-81. Phillips, J. A. & Hawthorne, R. (1978). Political dimensions of curriculum decision making. Educational Leadership, 2, 362-366. TE 818 Lecture. November 17 Class Section: Lesson # 11 – Technological Dimensions of the Curriculum. TE 818 Lecture. October 13 Class Session: Lesson # 6 - Historical Dimensions of the Curriculum, Part 2. U.S. Department of Education. (1983). A Nation At Risk. A report by the National Commission on Excellence in Education. Zhao, Y. (2007). Education in the flat world: Implications of globalization on education. Edge Magazine (Phi Delta Kappa International), 2(4). 1-19.