¶ … Curriculum and Consciousness
The educational theorist Maxine Greene's essay upon "Curriculum and Consciousness" pairs two seemingly unlike notions. She discusses the need for a collective aim in the structure of a syllabus or formal curriculum design along with the individual nature of the student's consciousness that must be raised by the structure of a curriculum. Discipline and democracy must always be paired with a mixture of what the author calls "tension and a kind of ardor." This tension comes from the fact that the development of curricula must be individually-based enough so that it helps each child realize his or her own unique needs, yet the structure of learning must also have a collective aim to help students to realize their deep connection to and responsibility for not only their own individual learning experience but also for other human beings who share their educational world.
Thus a curriculum must be organized around group work, to make learning collective, and yet personalized enough to allow for individual learning paces and needs, according to Greene. But unfortunately, in the real world of many teacher's personal experiences, group work amongst students of varying abilities and needs is less perfectly realized in fact than it is in the ideal -- more competent students often take control of even the most democratic groups, and teachers have difficulty adequately supervising all children, to make sure that all children actively participate in the learning process of a group. Also, Greene's stress upon art as critical method of release for students, although inspiring in her passion, neglects to consider the fact that for some students, science and math rather than the humanities may be their ultimate modality of release and achieving a sense of competence. The presence of students who do not speak English as a first language, or who experience cognitive reading difficulties further temper one's idealism for Greene's stress upon a humanities and arts-based curriculum. True, being able to articulate oneself in a number of different languages, including imagery and creative forms of expression are important, but a school must also instill basic skills within a student's cognitive framework, before such subjects can be apprehended with full understanding in the classroom, much less be deployed creatively by students.
Human relations are vital. Teachers must trust each other, there must be norms that support productive criticism, and there must be techniques in place for combining and resolving disputes. Arrangements need to be in place that generates discussion for problem identification and decision making. These arrangements could be things such as normal team meetings amid teachers at the same grade level or department meetings within high schools and middle
Synthesize traditional and progressive education for today's students. Education digest. Vol. 68, Issue 7, 4-8. Retrieved January 17, 2011, from: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?hid=12&sid=90682ec6-64e1-4958-adc2-32dc1555fcc4%40sessionmgr13&vid=4&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&an=9317873 Cohen, L.M. & Gelbrich, J. (1999). Philosophical perspectives in education. Oregon State University, School of Education. Retrieved January 17, 2011, from: http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/ed416/PP2.html Moser, R.D. (1951, July). The educational philopophy of William T. Harris. Peabody Journal of education. Vol. 29, No. 1, 14-33 Retrieved January 17, 2011, from http://www. Jstor, org/stable/1489104 Nehring,
When dealing with students from a wide variety of cultures and levels of ability, enhanced self-consciousness on the part of all members of the classroom can promote tolerance within the learning environment. The awareness of the classroom's 'hidden' assumptions can foster greater self-consciousness and compassion regarding those who are less fluent in the norms of the hidden curriculum. The hidden curriculum of social assumptions thus is least harmful when it
Philosophy of Education The objective of this study is to articulate a personal philosophy of education noting specifics in belief in the areas of worldview foundations. The philosophic foundations will include metaphysical beliefs and epistemological beliefs. Relevant issues are inclusive of discipline, diversity, curriculum development, professional development and learning communities. Education as growth involves the direction of the activities of young learners and is determinant in the young learner's future. It is
Effect that changes in Society has had on the Curriculum The issues that are faced in the society on a daily basis dictate the learning needs that should be met by the curriculum. Educational programs, therefore, have to be reviewed consistently to access if they meet the needs, obligations, and responsibilities of child learning (Barnhardt, 2018). The objective is to equip them with the knowledge necessary for subsequent classes, careers, and
In the most recent study, conducted by Philliber Research Associates for the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving 188 children enrolled in 14 childcare centers were evaluated and findings report significant gains for children in the 'Creative Curriculum' classroom. These children "made statistically significant gains in the cognitive/language profile, motor profile, and self-help profile over what would be expected of children of the same age during the same amount of
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