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Friday, January 6, 2012
Chapter 11- Introduction to Teaching-Kauchak ,Eggen The School Curriculum in an Era of Standards and Accountability
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Chapter 11 raised a lot of questions in my mind, and many of them were left unanswered. After reading the chapter, I found there are a number of issues surrounding the formulation of curriculum, and a number of forces influencing it. Curriculum was defined in the text as everything the teachers teach and the students learn. There are four aspects of curriculum illustrated, these are the explicit curriculum, the implicit curriculum, the null curriculum, and the extra-curriculum. The text also points out that standards and accountability, the federal government, textbooks, as well as philosophy and teacher's professionalism all play a role in how a curriculum is formed state by state. These types of influence, and the fact that individual states have control over their curriculum, all raise questions on just how the curriculum is to be formed for the students. And how much room is left for creativity? I know teachers get creative, I see it in my children's Fiday folders every week. But with so many issues at hand, how does one put it all together in order to teach everybody adequately? It simply boggles my mind. And then there is the issue of national reform, which basically means taking the state control of educational standards, and making it uniform nationwide. I actually like the idea. I've lived in many states in the past 10 years, IL, FL, TN, TX, OH, CA, and finally Colorado and found the schools to have completely different expectations. What might have been considered good enough in one state was unacceptable on another. I had to homeschool my children for a time, because I found the school in a certain state have very low expectations, and then, when starting school in another, was glad I homeschooled, as my children were very much on top of that state's curriculum. So, from that perspective, I think a nationwide approach would eliminate these differences, and school districts would have same expectations throughout the country. Like the text pointed out, a nationwide curriculum would provide stability and coherence, thus eliminating confusion for the educators as well. All we'll have to worry about is how to make each lesson interesting and engaging.
ReplyDeleteVictoria,
DeleteI too like the idea of national standards; I suppose because I get excited about the common core. If a less interesting or inspiring set of standards were being suggested I guess I might have a different opinion. The text suggests that establishing national standards would “in effect result in a national curriculum. I don’t see how this would be the case. Presently standards are determined at the state level yet individual school districts and teachers still have considerable leeway in deciding what recourses and approaches are used. If done thoughtfully, adopting nationwide standards could continue to support such creative liberties, while providing the stability and coherence you mentioned.
It is pretty hard to believe that in each state they have different standards and that all states are not comparable to another states curriculum. I have seen this a lot even in state licensing in the medical field because many people have moved to Florida from other states and still have to go back to school for more credit hours or something I do not know why this occurs you would think that if you are and RN, Teacher, or any thing else in one state that it should be approved in another state same with elementary to high school whats good for one state should be good for all.
DeleteIt will be good to change to Common Core Standards across the nation for every grade. This will ensure continuity in learning. Students will truly not be left behind.
DeleteChapter Eleven, with all of its definitions and subdivisions pertaining to curriculum, provided a helpful way of mentally organizing the issues at hand. I particularly enjoyed the discussion of “implicit curriculum”. Though I’ve often thought of the culture and “feel” of the classroom as one of the most important things teachers and students work together on, I’ve never been able to ascribe it such a clear label. Creating a safe, structured, cooperative, supportive environment (wow, that’s a lot of adjectives), that makes space for the critical thinkers and questioners as well as the more docile and compliant students seems like really important and challenging work. It’s nice to see this work elevated to the status of “curriculum”.
ReplyDeleteThe information pertaining to explicit curriculum that strikes me, as almost funny is the “controversy” surrounding whole language vs. phonics and mathematical procedures vs. understanding. These controversies seem to be the business of educational ideologues, and politicians. In the classroom, I would think that the obvious answer to both of the issues is both-and.
Jared, You made some very good points in your post. I, too, feel the culture and feel of the classroom is high on my list. As to the controversial issues, it's amazing that the same issues have been controversial for years. The whole language vs. phonics has "in my life time" always been a issue. Different schools in my same town attended to those philosophies differently.
DeleteIn Chapter 11, it talks about the four types of curriculum, the explicit or formal curriculum, the implicit or hidden curriculum, the null or left out curriculum and the extra curriculum of activities beyond the core of formal studies. It also talked about the controversies over internet, character and moral education, reading and math and of course sex education. All of these are part of things you deal with as a teacher. I was shocked when reading about the “null” curriculum. It never occurred to me that teachers left things out that they were supposed to teach, but had no time for.
ReplyDeleteMitchell,
DeleteI too was surprised by the concept of null curriculum. I guess I thought teachers do their best to address everything on their "list" throughout the school year. I do understand that some issues are left out not only because of time, but also because of the fact that some factors are more controversial in nature, and may raise unnecessary tension in the classroom. After all, teachers do concentrate on having a sort of harmony in the class, to allow for adequate instruction.
I guess we are all quite surprised to hear that teachers leave out some concepts in learning. But wouldn't you think that the state would look into this and see how they might be able to make changes to better the curriculum and help the teacher get through all the curriculum instead of letting the teacher choose what they think is less important to learn?
DeleteIt is disappointing that teachers feel so pressured to meet the standardized testing stipulations, that they leave out curriculum. As our test stated, cause and effect is not taught when you leave out the purpose for the Civil War.
DeleteOn the subject of controversial subjects: I am so thankful that I went to a high-school that taught us thoroughly about sex education, family science and the importance of social involvement. All children need to learn what causes disease, pregnancy and how to prevent it. Hands-on volunteering teaches empathy, dedication and the rewards of giving back to the community.
Good post Mitchell.
Shana, I agree it is unfortunate teachers feel so pressured they leave out important events in curriculum. I too am thankful I went to a school which taught us sex ed and not just a light version. My parents had a talk with me before so I was prepared but there are things a parent I think leave out sometimes. That sex ed is still a controversial subject really surprises me. Isn't it best we teach the kids early and about safety? Unfortunately kids today are engaging in sex at very young ages. It's sad and shocking but at least with the proper education, disease and pregnancy can hopefully be prevented.
DeleteChapter 11 deals with many issues related to the curriculum in our school and what different types of curriculum that we may teach as new teachers. There are four different types of curriculum these are explicit, implicit, null, and extracurriculum. We have learned how we the teachers influence and explain our curriculum to our students are going to be in very different ways because we are all individuals and can teach the same subject in many different ways. Chapter 11 went over whom and what influences our daily school curriculum like the government textbooks, and our own personal thoughts and ideas as teachers. When looking at this chapter now puts my high school years in a better perspective to me because the teachers left out a lot of stuff that was vital information and this could have been clearly because they did not seem it to be that important of information or clearly they did not have enough time to teach everything that was important. We as teachers have a lot pending on us to be able to teach correctly and with all these stipulations and rules and governed laws it a no brainer why teaching is the way it is. Many people probably think from their past experiences as students that teaching looks like an easy profession but after taking this class you will understand that teachers have it hard and sometimes receive a bad name due to all the stress and demand to be able to make every student succeed.
ReplyDeleteWe as educators will have a great responsibility of deciding which information is vital to teach. It does make sense in retrospect that we did not cover everything in our textbooks in high school, simply because our time was limited. We will have many decisions to make and we'll have to rely on our best judgment.
DeleteChapter 11
ReplyDeleteCurriculum is what teachers teach, the courses, subject matter, and educational experiences. It is also the process used to select what is taught. Instruction includes the strategies we use to teach it. The components of curriculum are Explicit or stated, Implicit or unstated, Null or not covered, and Extra-Curriculum which include clubs, sports, plays, etc... Standards, The Federal Government, Text Books, and Philosophy and Professionalism are all forces that influence curriculum. The controversies listed were 21st century skills, Reading and Math, Sex Education, Moral and Character Education, Intelligent Design, Censorship, and Technology and Teaching.
Is there a better way for school districts to filter internet sites that would not obstruct the positive educational sites? What kind of issues related to Moral Education would come up in a classroom where the value of good character is needed?
There are serious issues with our History books removing important events in the history of our country that could be lost forever. 21st Century Skills are necessary and exciting things to teach our students in today's culture. In my own classroom I will have to make judgment calls to know which parts of curriculum should be Null in order to cover topics that take priority over others.
I found it interesting how the text pointed out that teachers have to be careful when selecting textbooks on subjects. I guess it makes sense that there are a lot of text books out there to pick from, and material for the curriculum will vary state to state. This is another reason for the school systems to be nationalized, and for the students to have access to the same type of reading materials as in other states.
Delete1. Analysis of the reading/issue.
ReplyDeleteThis chapter reiterates the huge responsibility teachers accept when they decide to teach children. Page 339 states: “Other than parents, teachers, through their actions in the classroom, serve as models of moral behavior and are probably the most powerful factor in developing caring and responsible young people.” Teachers are the ultimate decision maker of how their students learn. Standards are set into place, but the teacher decides how to present the information to their students. This role should not be taken lightly.
This chapter describes areas that need reform and areas in which the curriculum could be altered in order to grow and expand with technology.
2. Questions and/or contradictions about the reading/issue. I didn’t have any questions.
3. How did the reading reflect you or allow you to look at an issue differently?
I do not think that the arts and recess should be cut out of the schedule due to time constraints. As our text suggests, there are ways to incorporate them into the lesson plan without spending less time on reading, writing and math.
4. Connecting the reading to you. Examples of your own experience:
I completely agree with the importance of extracurricular activities. When I was in high school, I was in a position where I had to work after school. I started working part time my freshman year in high school. I missed out on extracurricular activities. I did feel isolated from the school and my peers. I believe sports can promote self-esteem, a sense of belonging and responsibility.
I agree with you about the arts and recess being cut. I think that would be a bad idea in general. I remember being in elementary school and loving both of those activities a lot. I think it is important to have a balance between fun for students and teaching curriculum. Without art and recess school wouldn't be a very fun place to be and student would start lacking in other areas that really matter such as reading, math, science because they wouldn't be able to pay attention that long with out a break.
DeleteI found ch. 11 interesting in knowing and understanding the real responsibilities that come along with teaching. There are several different ways of learning and trying to fit in the curriculum into the standards that need to be met while teaching to different learners seems difficult. The federal government has a large impact on how things are done in schools. Dating back to 1958 when the federal government made math science and language high curriculum priorities to the most recent change in 2001 with No Child Left Behind. It all seems very stressful because as an educator you want to keep your students as first priority, however, you have to answer to so many higher ups. There are parents, administrators, and even the federal government mandating what is to be taught. This seems to be somewhat intimidating, but that is why being a teacher is a profession that comes with a lot of additional responsibilities.
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely right Lisa! There are so many facets of a teachers career that a teacher has to be accountable too. Despite mandates from the Federal Government and Districts, I think a teachers first priority and mandate goes to the student and their parents. I think the rest works itself out as you develop your lesson plans from the standards and adhere to the "must knows" of education curriculum. It does all seem overwhelming, I agree, and I am sure our first year will be stressful getting all these things lined out and aligning our teaching to standards, but in the end I think we'll wonder what the big deal was!
DeleteChapter 11 discusses curriculum. I was shocked at how much more there is to curriculum than I originally thought. First of all curriculum has four definitions: “the subject matter taught to students, a course of study or systematic arrangement of courses, the planned educational experiences offered by a school, the process teachers go through in selecting and organizing learning experiences for their students”. The terms curriculum and instruction are intertwined more than I thought they were. The book tries to define them separately but acknowledges that they “often overlap”. The book goes on to define the different types of curriculum such as explicit curriculum, integrated curriculum, implicit curriculum which is also called hidden or informal curriculum. This is the part of curriculum that delivers hidden messages by the teachers and school. The next kind of curriculum is called extracurriculum. We also call this extracurricular, and these are the activities that are beyond core studies. An example would be sports, drama, clubs, and more depending on what is offered at a certain school. The book explains that when students are involved in these they tend to have higher grades, less dropouts, lower substance abuse rates, less sexual activity among girls, increased self-esteem, and reduced rates of delinquent behavior. An unfortunate finding in the text is that low-ability students, members of minorities, and at-risk students are less likely to be among the participants in extracurricular activities.
ReplyDeleteOne point made in the chapter was about recess, or what the book called the missing fourth “R”. The text talks about how schools are cutting back more and more on recess. The text also explains that recess is found to be so useful to elementary students for creative play, free time, and emotional outlet. Psychologists are concerned that the cut back or lack of recess will prevent crucial developmental time needed for cognitive, social, and emotional development. In addition, the text said that lack of free-play time can lead to obesity, anxiety, and hyperactivity. The reason I chose to point out this particular topic is my daughter is in kindergarten, and they receive 1 recess a day after lunch for 15 minutes, and in addition there is no rest or nap time. The rest of the day is in the classroom, and in Wichita, kindergarten is all-day. The teachers feel they have so much to teach and get done in a school day that they just can’t afford the time of recess. I am highly concerned about this as my child is almost 6, and I see with my own children that you can only ask so much of children under a certain age before the wiggles take over and they just need to do what kids do! I am concerned that some hyperactivity in students could be worked out in recess and free-play time.
I really took the fourth "R" into consideration since I am involved in so many health classes. The future of America is only getting bigger; in more than one way. Kids need time to let loose on the playground and let out any extra energy that they have.
DeleteI am right there with you Nisa. When I thought of curriculum I thought of "textbook and lesson plans with goals". Wow, so much more to it. Everything we do in a classroom can be considered curriculum. I saddened that the fourth "R" seems to be going by the wayside. With childhood obesity on a the rise, why would schools want to remove physical activity from a classroom? Kids today are so set on playing video games and sitting in front of computers and TVs. they don't get outside as much. I remember I hardly spent anytime inside, I loved being outdoors. And we even had an Atari ;) I too think that hyperactivity in the classroom can be decreased by allowing children time outside to "let go" of that pent up anxiety.
DeleteWhen reading about schools cutting recess it makes me kind of mad because I think kids need recess to learn how to play and to get a break from the class room. I agree with you on how some children need recess to get out there energy so they can make it through out the day. I just know when you ask kids what there favorite thing about school is they say recess.
DeleteYou are right. There are so many definitions of the word curriculum. So many different ways to define it and use it. Curriculum and instruction do mean the same things in a lot of ways. You bring up recess. I think that it is a very important part of schooling. Every age group needs a break from school work during the day. I'm 34 years old and I need my breaks from school work all the time. Not neccessarily recess, but I have to stop and do something else. Lately its been work. To much work though, which is making me fall behind, but I am catching up. You described everything well in your blog so I chose it to reply to. Good thoughts. Good job.
DeleteI really enjoyed reading chapter 11 mainly because of the detail on how curriculum can be used to further students education. Obviously this is what the main goal is, but I liked the section over implicit curriculum because I have experienced many hidden teachings and morals though my past teachers. The section over extracurricular was very important to me since I am looking to coach as well as teach. When it comes to null curriculum, it was surprising to read that textbooks should not be the basis of the class, but interaction and different teaching styles should be used to engage the students.
ReplyDeleteChapter 11 to me was the heart of what we as educators are meant to do – educate. And how do we do that? Curriculum. It was interesting to read about the various curriculum types and how they differ. When I thought of the word curriculum I originally thought of a lesson plan with a certain goal. After reading this chapter, curriculum is more than the textbooks, it is everything a teacher teaches whether it is explicit (that found in a textbook and other formal educational experiences) or extracurriculum (that which extends beyond the classroom and a student’s formal study such as associations, sports and the like). In actuality, everything we do in the classroom can be considered curriculum.
ReplyDeleteI will say that I am surprised in today’s age, there is still controversy regarding teaching certain subjects in school, such as sexual education, censorship and morals and values. One would think we could move past and allow the education of some of these issues. I will agree on the controversy of teaching the underrepresentation of women and minorities. To me, I do not believe women and minorities are unrepresented anymore. It seems this is one area where we have improved on over the years. I do understand it is all in how these topics are presented and taught, but again there are some issues we need to move forward on and teach. We are the ones preparing our youth for what lies ahead and why should we sugarcoat or skirt issues that are hot topics even in politics. We need to help our youth understand these issues so they can make informed decisions when asked. I am not saying we teach them what is right or wrong but explain the differences and allow them to choose for themselves where they stand. I guess that would be my question, why is it we are still limited on what we can or can’t teach to students and I somewhat can answer my own question with it is because of the forces that influence the curriculum such as the federal government, our own philosophies, standards and accountability and the textbooks themselves.
All in all, this was yet again another informative chapter challenging me to think deeper and outside the box.
I was also suprised that there is still controversy regarding teaching certain subjects in schools. I agree that we shouldn't have to sugarcoat issues in the world that need to be talked or learned about.
DeleteChapter 11 is mainly about curriculum and its 4 parts within the curriculum. The explicit, the Immplicit, the null curriculum, and the Extracurriculum. In the past when I heard the term "curriculum," I had no idea that it involved so much. I never really thought about it, but the Null Curriculum was interesting to me. There is always so much to cover, that it would be impossible to cover every detail of every subject. As for the "The missing 4th R" I'm not sure I agree with cutting out recess. I feel like every elementary aged child needs that break to refresh, wake up and run off some energy. Its hard for an adult to sit too long, let alone a small child!
ReplyDeleteI couldn’t agree more with you about “The missing 4th R” concept. I also think recess is a very important time in an elementary student’s day. I agree that it provides a wake-up call for the students and it lets them run off some energy that they may have built up from being stuck in school all day. For me personally I just can’t imagine being in elementary school and not being able to have Recess time. I know for a fact that I would not be able to concentrate very well on my class work if I did not have that outlet to release my energy on the playground.
DeleteIn Chapter 11 it was interesting to read about the different curriculum in schools. I had only heard about extra curriculum which involves sports and clubs. When reading about the textbooks and how the U.S. spends more than 4 billion per year in them seems crazy.I think schools should still teach sex education because I thin kit is important for kids to hear about it and as we all know not every kid is going to hear about it at home. I also think it is important to keep recess in schools because young kids can't go all day in a class room.
ReplyDeleteOne question I would have is if schools could cut the textbook cost by using the internet more.
When looking back at the extra curricular activities and how most low ability or minorities don't usually participate is something that needs to be looked at because sports help keep kids out of trouble.
In my own experience working at elementary or with at risk students I wish there was a way to get them more involved in school. Also, I have seen a lot of class time without text books that is why I wonder if you could spend less on them.
Chapter 11 was a very interesting read and it talked about a number of different subjects regarding school curriculum and the standards that are expected to be met. The one subject that was covered in this chapter that stood out in my mind was the topic of Recess in elementary schools. In recent years many schools around the country have cut back on Recess time in schools and I think this trend should be broke. As the text explained, Recess presents a number of benefits to students including social, cognitive, and emotional development. Recess presents kids with the opportunity to participate in physical activity during the day. This allows them to get a mental break from school and be able to relax and have fun for a period of time. In recent years state assessments have taken time away from Recess and I believe it is imperative that Recess and time allowed for physical education should not be taken away from students. Lack of free play in school has shown to increase the likelihood of childhood problems such as obesity and anxiety. The text also explained how Recess can be connected to fewer behavioral problems in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteSad to say that I work in a district that has no math curriculum.While there are math books, they aren't used much as the teachers think they are ineffective. When my middle school math teacher husband started teaching in the district, the books in his classroom were algebra and pre-algebra. His students didn't know either of these and he bought, with approval, books that he had used in previous districts and were appropriate for his level of students. What a waste of book money!!! So, our teachers, at the elementary level anyway, use the internet and whatever other source they can find to teach the concepts. I haven't been here that long to know the details of how this all happened.
ReplyDeleteAs for recess, we are outside unless it's below 20 degrees or pouring rain! When our kids have to stay inside, it only creates problems for all of us. As I am on duty four out of five days, I do wish they would change that rule as it gets pretty cold even if it is for only fifteen minutes!
"Curriculum is defined in a variety of ways, such as the subject matter taught to students, a systematic arrangement of courses, the planned educational experiences offered by a school, and experiences offered by a school". It could be defined in a large number of other ways and basically comes down to what a teacher wants to teach or in some cases is told to teach. I think as long as a teachers students are doing well and learning what they need to a teacher should be aloud to use whatever methods they choose. If its not broke don't fix it, right? I know with all the teachers I have learned under pretty much every one does it different. I had some teachers in the military that were incredibly brilliant. Most of the time they didn't use books or lesson plans. They had all the information in their heads and they taught it well. Chapter 11 was interesting because of reading about the same differences I've seen from teachers over the year. No way is neccessarily better than the other. It's just what each teacher finds effective.
ReplyDeleteWhen you are a teacher, there is an abundance of information that is exchanged in your classroom. I’d like to dissect a few different types of information. Explicit curriculum is the “formal curriculum” taught in the classroom. This information comes from the student’s books, state standards, and the curriculum guidelines. Students take part in lessons, activities, tests, and assignments. As a teacher, this is the important factual information that the students need to be knowledgeable about. When teachers us an integrated curriculum, they take one topic and use multiple subjects to teach about that topic. An example would be to do an oral presentation (language arts) over the greenhouse effect (science) and to produce a PowerPoint as visual aide(computer science). This combines three various disciplines to raise the efficiency of learning. For the students, using different parts of the brain (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic) helps reach more students with more effectiveness. For teachers, integrating studies helps cover more of the curriculum and promotes interest in students. The implicit curriculum in the classroom can be described as the unstated education children receive from the environment and management of the classroom. This information is a reflection of how organized, effective, consistent and routine the teacher is. For students, this information is just as important as the core curriculum. They learn self-management, social, communication, emotional, cognitive, and decision-making skills, which are all important for a healthy life. For teachers, it is important not to forget about the implicit information you are giving the children. They pick up on the most subtle techniques and you can have a major impact on the growth of the children.
ReplyDelete