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For my curriculum synthesis project, I completed a power point presentation defining the inquiry: What is curriculum? In order to best answer this question, I explored the seven dimensions of curriculum. This exploration allowed me to identify the key components of each of these dimensions while utilizing multimedia tools to highlight these components. Following review of these dimensions, I synthesized what I learned about curriculum from this course.
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A M Y S T R A N G ET E 8 1 8
C U R R I C U LU M S Y N T H E S I S P R O J E C TFA L L 2 0 1 0
What is Curriculum?
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
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
Curriculum Synthesis Project: Definition
Elliot Eisner defines three types of curricula that are found in school (1994).
These include the following:
1. Explicit Curriculum Material that is specifically
chosen to be taught in schools
2. Implicit Curriculum Material that is
unintentionally taught in schools
3. Null Curriculum Material that is not taught
in schools
Curriculum Synthesis Project: Definition
Democratic Equality
• The goal of education is to prepare students to become democratic citizens who contribute to the public good of society.
Social Efficiency
• The goal of education is to prepare students so that they can participate and be successful in the workforce.
Social Mobility
• The goal of education is to prepare students to compete for desirable social positions in society.
• 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.
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:
1. Students don’t have a connection to the curricular material
2. Students are not motivated by the curriculum
These problems stem from the lack of a connection between the student’s mind and the curriculum.
Curriculum Synthesis Project: Definition
In order to get a clear understanding of what curriculum entails, consideration of the seven dimensions of curriculum is necessary.
The 7 Key Dimensions of Curriculum
Dimensions of Curricu
lum
1. Philosophical
2. Historical
3. Political
4. Ethical / Moral
5. Cultural
6. Global
7. Technological
1. Philosophical Dimension
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.
Curriculum Synthesis Project: Definition
“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
1. Philosophical Dimension (Cont.)
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.
2. Historical Dimension
A few key views/events influenced the educational system and it’s curriculum during the 19th and 20th Centuries.
Horace Mann:
Education should be
available for all students
Herbert Kliebard: American
curriculum is a “potpourri”
of approaches
David Labaree: The
conflicting goals in
education need to be
addressed by reordering
their priority
Sputnik: Increase in
US curricular focus on math and science
A Nation at Risk: Led movement
toward standardizati
on, high stakes
testing, and common core curriculum
Curriculum Synthesis Project: Definition
(Mann, 1884; Kliebard, 1998; Lararee, 2010; & TE 818, 10/13)
2. Historical Dimension (Cont.)
“A Nation at Risk” results:
Increase graduation
requirements
Increase standards
and expectations
Increase the amount of time
dedicated to instruction
Increase the preparation
of the teachers
Increase leadership and fiscal support
“A Nation At Risk” (1983) examined and drew conclusions about the educational system and its curriculum.
The recommendations of this study are summarized
below:
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:
1. Legislature mandates the time spent in school
2. Textbook adoption3. State approval of charters /
curriculum4. 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:
1. Students, parents, teachers, and principals aren’t involved in the curricular / educational decision making process
2. Other administrators make the decisions 3. There is no involvement of the
community or social activists4. There needs to be understanding of the
system to change the system
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.
Classroom rituals: Display what
values are
important to the
teacher
Teacher demeano
r: Gestures, facial
expressions, tone of voice
Teacher charact
er: Disposit
ion, attitude
s, values
Curriculum Synthesis Project: Definition
5. Cultural Dimension
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
Curriculum Synthesis Project: Definition
“We do not really see through our eyes and hear
through our ears, but through our
beliefs.”
- Lisa Delpit
6. Global Dimension
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
Focus on what is worth
teaching
Prepare global
citizens
Cultivate diverse talents
Decrease high stakes
testing
Increase tools for teachers
Increase subject choice
Curriculum Synthesis Project: Definition
• Therefore, there needs to be implementation of the following fixes:
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:
1. The high cost for technological tools2. The lack of evidence supporting the
claim that the utilization of technology improves academic performance
3. 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
Curriculum Synthesis Project: Definition
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.
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.
Curriculum Synthesis Project:
Summary
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
THE END
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.
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.