Indigenous
Curriculum
 The
idea of an indigenous curriculum was a product
of a vision to make curriculum relevant and
responsive to the needs and context of indigenous
people. It links the curriculum with the society’s
culture and history.
 It values the importance of integrating indigenous
knowledge systems of the people to the existing
curriculum.
Framework for linking indigenous
knowledge with the curriculum:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Construct knowledge
Use of Instructional Strategies
Integrate contents and activities
Utilize community’s cultural, material, and human
resources
Indigenous curriculum may consider using
and implementing the following strategies at
the school level:
1.
Integrating contents and activities that reflect the
learners’ culture, history, traditions, and
indigenous knowledge in the curriculum.
2.
Using the local language as the medium of
instruction for several subjects like Math, Science,
Social Studies, Physical Education, Music, Values
Education, and home economics and Livelihood
Education.
Indigenous curriculum may consider
using and implementing the following
strategies at the school level:
3.
4.
5.
Involving community folks and local teachers in
the development of the curriculum
Developing local instructional materials and
learning outside the classroom by utilizing various
community resources that are available for
conducting observations and investigations
Using instructional strategies that are relevant to
indigenous learning system.
Indigenous Curriculum is founded on the way of life,
traditions, worldview, culture, and spirituality of the
people, and it’s a pathway of education that
recognize wisdom embedded in indigenous
knowledge.
In an indigenous curriculum, the first frame of
reference for developing a curriculum must be the
community, its environment, its history, and its people.
(Pawilen 2006; 2013)
BRAIN
BASED
EDUCATION
Caine
and Caine (1997)
Considered curriculum and
instruction from a brain-based
approach.
They
begin with brain-mind
learning principles derived from
brain research findings and apply
these principles in the classroom
and in designing a curriculum.
PRINCIPLES:
1)
2)
3)
4)
The brain is a whole system and includes
physiology, emotions, imaginations, and
predispositions. All of these must be
considered as a whole.
The brain develops in relation to interaction
to interactions with the environment and
with others.
A quality of being human is the search for
personal meaning
People create meaning through perceiving
certain patterns of understanding.
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
Emotions are critical to the patterns people
perceiving.
The brain processes information into both parts
and wholes at the same time.
Learning includes both focused attention and
peripheral input.
Learning is both unconscious and conscious.
Information (meaningful and fragmented) is
organized differently in memory.
10)
11)
12)
Learning is developmental.
The brain makes optimal number of connections in
supportive but challenging environment
perceptions of threat inhibiting learning.
Every brain is unique in its organization.
Caine and Caine 1991
 Cited
studies showing that the brain learns best
when it works to solve problems or accomplished
specific tasks instead of merely absorbing isolated
bits of information and that the brain’s primary
function is to seek patterns in new learning.
Sylwester (19950
 Pointed
out that classrooms in the future
may focus more on drawing out existing
abilities rather than on precisely
measuring one’s success with imposed
categorical systems, and emphasizing the
individual, personal solutions of an
environmental challenge over the
efficient group manipulation of the
symbols that merely represent the
solution.