CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION 67001-11160
CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION 77001-11197
FUNDAMENTALS OF CURRICULUM
Spring, 2003; Mondays; 4:30-7, 104 Merrill Hall
Professor Henderson
404 White Hall, 330/672-0631, jhenders@kent.edu
General Objectives
The course is designed to introduce you to the fundamentals of curriculum theory
and practice through three (overlapping) lenses, general orientations, or paradigms:
1. standardized management/curriculum implementation
2. practical reasoning/curriculum enactment
3. practical wisdom/curriculum transformation
You will learn that each paradigm highlights a different set of curriculum
fundamentals, and you will be asked to demonstrate your understanding of the first two
paradigms through a critique of a specific curriculum decision. This critique can be an
individual or collaborative case study. You have the professional freedom to
demonstrate your understanding of the first two paradigms through an alternative project
that you design.
The focus of the practical wisdom paradigm is on educating for “democratic”
conduct. Central to this “good” conduct is the exercise of freedom-through-judgment.
Educating-for-judgment is facilitated through a 3S curriculum—through teaching for
specific subject matter understanding in the context of “democratic” self and social
learning. You will create an illustrative 3S unit design that will set the stage for the final
section of the course.
The course concludes with a focus on transformative curriculum leadership. This
curriculum leadership is the collaborative effort to facilitate curriculum judgment for the
“democratic good life” through interrelated curriculum development, professional
development, organizational development, and community development activities. By
undertaking this multi-faceted transformative process (an effort that begins with
visionary, risk-taking teachers, administrators, and other curriculum stakeholders),
schools and other educational work settings gradually become sites of “democratic”
freedom. The final course topic addresses the complicated developmental and political
relationship between the three curriculum paradigms, and you will participate in a
“dramatization” of this relationship.
Though a particular view of curriculum practice in societies with democratic ideals
informs this course, the ultimate learning goal is to facilitate your understanding of
curriculum fundamentals.
Required Reading
Henderson, J. G., & Hawthorne, R. D. (2000). Transformative curriculum leadership (2nd
edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall. (HH)
Miller, R. (Ed.). (1995). Educational freedom for a democratic society: A critique of
national goals, standards, and curriculum. Brandon, VT: Resource Center for
Redesigning Education. (M)
Walker, D. F. (2003). Fundamentals of curriculum: Passion and professionalism (2nd
edition). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. (W)
Course Requirements/Evaluation
1. Read the required course texts and participate in the class discussions. Two
unexcused absences will result in an automatic grade reduction.
2. Complete a case critique of a specific curriculum decision. Your work will be
evaluated in accordance with a rubric based on the Walker text. It represents
45% of your course grade. You can demonstrate your understanding of the first
two paradigms through an alternative project guided by an individualized rubric.
The case critique or alternative project is due March 10th. If you create an
alternative project, you must clearly demonstrate that you have studied the
Walker text.
3. Create a transformative curriculum leadership (TCL) action plan for a specific
educational setting. Your work will be evaluated in accordance with a rubric
based on the Henderson and Hawthorne and Miller texts. As an alternative,
complete a personally relevant curriculum fundamentals project. This project will
be evaluated in accordance with an individualized rubric. The leadership action
plan or alternative project is due at the last class, May 5th. It represents 45% of
your course grade. If you choose the alternative project, you must demonstrate
that you have read the course’s final two texts.
Students who are not officially registered for a course by published university deadlines
are not eligible to attend class sessions or to receive credit or a grade for the course.
Course Schedule
Date
1/13
1/27
2/3
2/10
2/17
2/24
3/3
3/10
3/17
3/31
4/7
4/14
4/21
4/28
5/5
Topics
Course overview.
Curriculum definitions, traditions and theories.
Case study rubric.
Curriculum reform and study.
The management paradigm: curriculum implementation.
The practical reasoning paradigm: curriculum enactment
and its improvement.
The practical reasoning paradigm: curriculum enactment
and its improvement.
Case collaborations/presentations.
Case presentations.
The practical wisdom paradigm: 3S design workshop.
3S design presentations.
Transformative curriculum leadership and rubric.
Transformative curriculum leadership.
Process drama on paradigmatic tensions.
Transformative curriculum leadership presentations.
Transformative curriculum leadership presentations.
(Final exam schedule: 5:45-8 PM)
Background Reading
W, 1-3
W, 4-5
W, 6-7
W: 8-9
Assignment Due
M, pp. 1-85; HH, 1
M, pp. 86-276
HH, 2-4
HH, 5-6
Assignment Due
CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION 67001-20537
FUNDAMENTALS OF CURRICULUM
Spring, 2003; Mondays; 7:30-10, Room 120 Kent Roosevelt High School
Professor Henderson
404 White Hall, 330/672-0631, jhenders@kent.edu
General Objectives
The course is designed to introduce you to the fundamentals of curriculum theory
and practice through three (overlapping) lenses, general orientations, or paradigms:
1. standardized management/curriculum implementation
2. practical reasoning/curriculum enactment
3. practical wisdom/curriculum transformation
You will learn that each paradigm highlights a different set of curriculum
fundamentals, and you will be asked to demonstrate your understanding of all three
paradigms through an individual or collaborative project that you design.
The standardized management paradigm stresses curriculum decision-making for
test improvement, while the practical reasoning paradigm emphasizes “empowered”
curriculum problem solving. The focus of the practical wisdom paradigm is on
educating for “democratic” conduct. Central to this “good” conduct is the exercise of
freedom-through-judgment. Educating-for-judgment is facilitated through a 3S
curriculum—through teaching for specific subject matter understanding in the context of
“democratic” self and social learning. You will create an illustrative 3S unit design that
will set the stage for the final section of the course.
The course concludes with a focus on transformative curriculum leadership. This
curriculum leadership is the collaborative effort to facilitate curriculum judgment for the
“democratic good life” through interrelated curriculum development, professional
development, organizational development, and community development activities. By
undertaking this multi-faceted transformative process (an effort that begins with
visionary, risk-taking teachers, administrators, and other curriculum stakeholders),
schools and other educational work settings gradually become sites of “democratic”
freedom.
Though a particular view of curriculum practice in societies with democratic ideals
informs this course, the ultimate learning goal is to facilitate your understanding of
curriculum fundamentals.
Required Reading
Author. (2000). Reference guide to continuous improvement planning for Ohio school
districts. Columbus, OH: Ohio Department of Education. (CIP)
Henderson, J. G., & Hawthorne, R. D. (2000). Transformative curriculum leadership (2nd
edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall. (HH)
Walker, D. F. (2003). Fundamentals of curriculum: Passion and professionalism (2nd
edition). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. (W)
Course Requirements/Evaluation
1. Read the required course texts and participate in the class discussions. Two
unexcused absences will result in an automatic grade reduction.
2. B-level commitment: Demonstrate your understanding of the three
paradigms through a project guided by an individualized rubric. Your project
will be evaluated in accordance with the rubric you have created.
3. A-level commitment: In addition to requirement #2, create a curriculum
collaboration action plan for a specific work setting. This plan will be
evaluated in accordance with an individualized rubric.
Students who are not officially registered for a course by published university deadlines
are not eligible to attend class sessions or to receive credit or a grade for the course.
Course Schedule
Date
Topics
Background Reading
1/13
Course overview.
1/27
Curriculum definitions, traditions and theories.
W, 1-3
2/3
Curriculum reform and study.
W, 4-5
2/10
The management paradigm: curriculum implementation.
CIP
2/17
Class collaborations.
2/24
The practical reasoning paradigm: curriculum enactment
and its improvement.
3/3
Class collaborations.
3/10
The practical wisdom paradigm: 3S design workshop.
HH, 1
3/17
Transformative curriculum leadership.
HH, 2-6
3/31
Class collaborations.
4/7
Class presentations.
4/14
Class presentations.
4/21
Class presentations.
4/28
Class presentations.
W: 6-9
C&I 67002-18928
C&I 77002-18929
TEACHER LEADERSHIP
Wednesday, 4:30-7, 104 Merrill Hall
Professor Henderson, 404 White Hall, 330-672-0631, jhenders@kent.edu
Course Overview
This course is designed to support collaborative inquiry into teacher leadership. Six
foundational topics will inform our collegial study: developmental humanism,
spirituality, curriculum vision, arts of inquiry, constructivism, school reform. We will
share discussion leader responsibilities during this phase of the course.
Our attention then shifts from foundational study to application. We will discuss the
creation and/or critique of specific teacher leadership projects. This project work, which
can be individual or collaborative, must be informed by current literature on educational
leadership and by relevant contextual considerations.
Foundational Texts
Conger, J. A. (1994). Spirit at work: Discovering the spirituality in leadership. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass. (CO)
Cuban, L. (2003). Why is it so hard to get good schools? New York: Teachers College
Press. (CU)
Doll, W. E., & Gough, N. (2002). Curriculum visions. New York: Peter Lang. (D)
Henderson, J. G. (2001). Reflective teaching: Professional artistry through inquiry. Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall. (H)
Kegan, R. (1994). In over our heads: The mental demands of modern life. Cambridge,
MA: Harvard University Press. (K)
Lambert, L., Walker, D., Zimmerman, D. P., Cooper, J. E., Lambert, M. D., Gardner, M.
E., & Szabo, M. (2002). The constructivist leader. (2nd ed.). New York: Teachers
College Press (L)
Course Evaluation
“B-level” commitment to our study group: Read all six foundational books and actively
participate in all class discussions.
“A-level” commitment to our study group: Read all six foundational books, serve as
discussion leader, actively participate in all class discussions, and create/critique a
teacher leadership project. Your creative and/or critical project work must be informed
by a minimum of six current educational leadership sources.
Course Schedule
Date
Topic
Reading
1/15
Course overview and deliberations.
1/22
Developmental humanism in teacher leadership.
K, 1-5
1/29
Developmental humanism in teacher leadership.
K, 6-Epilogue
2/5
Spirituality in teacher leadership.
CO, Entire text
2/12
Curriculum vision in teacher leadership.
D, Intro-5
2/19
Curriculum vision in teacher leadership.
D, 6-Endpage
2/26
Arts of inquiry in teacher leadership.
H, Entire text
3/5
Constructivism in teacher leadership.
L, 1-5
3/12
Constructivism in teacher leadership.
L, 6-Epilogue
3/19
Teacher leadership in school reform.
CU, Entire text
3/26
Spring Recess.
4/2
Project presentations.
4/9
Project presentations.
4/16
Project presentations.
4/23
Project presentations.
4/30
Project presentations.
5/7
Project presentations.