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Great opportinity for teachers. Selling this 30 year old business due to ill health. Interested parties tel: 0034 664 563 944
Hi,
I was wondering if anyone has ever rented an Edukit from the ROM?
Any reviews? Looking to rent one for the Pulleys and Gears unit, just nervous to rent as it is costly.
thanks!
Introduction
This year, I have taken on a new role in the education field and am working as a learning coach for a 7-12 school in the Canadian Arctic. I am also taking a Masters of Education and have been learning about conceptions of curriculum, educational philosophies, curricular designs, planning, instruction and evaluation, and how th...See MoreIntroduction
This year, I have taken on a new role in the education field and am working as a learning coach for a 7-12 school in the Canadian Arctic. I am also taking a Masters of Education and have been learning about conceptions of curriculum, educational philosophies, curricular designs, planning, instruction and evaluation, and how they all weave together.
Background Information
"According to McNeil (1996), conceptions of curriculum are based upon questions investigating "what should be taught? To whom? When and How?"" (Al-Mousa, 2013). Over time there have been four main conceptions, they include Academia, Technology, Society, and Individual. Individual and Academia fall under a traditional philosophy of education, and Society and Technology fall under a contemporary philosophy.
Traditional Philosophy---Academia---Perennialism---Realism---Subject Matter Design
Traditional Philosophy---Individual---Essentialism---Idealism---Learner Centered Design
Contemporary Philosophy---Society---Reconstructionalism and Progressivism---Pragmatism---Problem Centered or Society/ Culture Based Designs
Contemporary Philosophy---Technology---Technology based design
I have found that by having a deeper understanding of the different conceptions of curriculum and how they relate to the design of planning instruction and assessment, I am better prepared to have meaningful conversations with my colleagues. Being able to break down and understand the individual components of curriculum will lead to targeted planning, instruction, and assessment. This way teachers will be able to set goals and decide for themselves what direction they want to see their teaching go in. Are they going to stay with more of a traditional philosophy or will they turn towards the contemporary philosophy. I believe that my job is to help guide this process in order to figure out what will work best for individual classes and students.
At my current school we fall somewhere between traditional and contemporary. We struggle with the legacy of residential schools, and need to be mindful of the experience that we are providing our students. In many ways we are heading towards the curriculum designs of problem centered and learner centered. We are trying to put some of the onus back on the students and make the learning experience more of a community than a rigid subject centered design. This does not mean that we forget about the core subjects or never do tests or exams. This means that we look at how our students learn and how we can design a program that best suites where they are academically and how to help them grow.
My views
I believe that our students need to be challenged with critical thinking and problem solving skills. By breaking down a program into planning, instruction, and assessment, with a focus on learner and problem design, teachers can begin to look at specific needs in the class and ways they can be addressed. Through reviewing the different philosophies and how they connected, teachers can begin to self-assess their own teaching practices and whether they are truly working to meet the needs of their students. While many of these issues can be addressed by working with grade teams, subject teams, or the learning coach some of these issues stem from territorial policies that are not as easily changed at the school level. As a learning coach, I hope to make my colleagues aware of the different designs and how they are connected their own philosophies of teaching.
Something to Think About
While I believe that our school should begin focusing more on learner and problem based curriculum design, I am wondering how others in the learning coach field feel about this at the high school level. While students in high school are working towards credits in order to move towards post-secondary education, should the traditional philosophy be the main focus or is society moving towards the contemporary philosophy? Are we ready to make a change at the high school level and are we willing to change our thoughts of what high school should look like?
References:
• Al Mousa, N. (2013). An examination of cad use in two interior design programs from the perspective of curriculum and instructors, pp. 21-37 (Master's Thesis)
• Hayes, D. (2003) Making learning an effect of schooling: aligning curriculum, assessment and pedagogy, Discourse: studies in the cultural politics of education, 24(2), 225-245
• Hill, A. M. (1994). Perspectives on philosophical shifts in vocational education: From realism to pragmatism and reconstructionism. Journal of Vocational and Technical Education, 10(2), 37-45.
• Hubball, H., & Burt, H. (2004). An Integrated Approach to Developing and Implementing Learning-centred Curricula. International Journal for Academic Development, (9)1, pp. 51-65.
• McMillan, J. H. (2014). Classroom assessment: Principles and practice for effective standards-based instruction (6th ed., pp. 1-20, 57-64,74-88). Boston, MA: Pearson.
• McNeil, J. D. (2006). Contemporary curriculum in thought and action (6th ed., pp. 1-13, 24-34, 44-51, 60-73). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
• Ornstein, A. C. (1990/1991). Philosophy as a basis for curriculum decisions. The High School Journal, 74, 102-109.
• Ornstein, A. C., & Hunkins, F. P. (2013). Curriculum: Foundations, principles, and issues (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson. Read Chapter 6, pp. 149-173.
• Sowell, E. J. (2005). Curriculum: An integrative introduction (3rd ed., pp. 52-54, 55-61, 81-85,103-106). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
• Shepard, L. A. (2000). The role of assessment in a learning culture. Educational Researcher, 29(7), 4-14. doi:10.3102/0013189X029007004
Videos:
• A Teacher's P.O.V. on Starting Inquiry-based Learning in the Classroom.
http://vimeo.com/85470752
• The Power of Student Voice to Enhance Teacher Practice.
https://vimeo.com/61528845
• Imagine Student Success Ursula Franklin Academy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKp0TElK1O0
• John Ralston Saul: Where is the Standardized Testing Trend Taking Us?
http://vimeo.com/28412154
• Sir Ken Robinson: How to Escape Education's Death Valley.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX78iKhInsc
• Mitra, S. (2010, July). Sugata Mitra: The child-driven education [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/sugata_mitra_the_child_driven_education
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