The Teacher and the Curriculum
Chapter 1, Walker and
Soltis
What is curriculum?
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It is not a separate thing written down.
It’s the content or objectives for which
schools hold students accountable.
It’s a set of instructional strategies teachers
plan to use.
It’s expected ends or expected means.
It’s a plan for or report of educational events.
Curriculum as Teacher work
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Time and Resources
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Authority to make curricular decisions
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Schedule with Planning Time
Teacher as expert
Curriculum analysis
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Teacher as researcher
Curriculum is:
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A social creation
A collective design
Political
Biased
The Aims of Education
Chapter 2
Walker and Soltis
Philosophy
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All educational questions are rooted in philosophy
and all philosophy has implications for education.
Philosophies are clusters of ideas that reflect the
general intentions of the program of instruction and
emphasize what is good and important.
Philosophy is the cornerstone when building the
curricular program in the secondary school.
Without understanding the philosophy, your
curriculum becomes vulnerable to externally
imposed or societal pressures.
The Ideal
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Plato 428-328 bce
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Rousseau 1712-1788
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Well ordered balance, harmony, just state
Individual Freedom
Dewey 1859- 1952
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Good of Society and Individual
Progressive vs Traditional
Progressive
Traditional
Favors change
Suspicious of change
History is dynamic
History is inheritance
Youth is innocent & good
Adult as wise judge
Freedom is most important Tradition through
disciplines brings order
Experimentation is the test Disciplines provide train
Individuals must learn to
think for themselves
Keep prevailing views
Department Presentation B1.1
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Name your department
What is the aim or mission of your
department?
How do you want your department to be
known?
What message do you want to convey?
A2 Philosophy Paper 522
A2 Philosophy Paper 322
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Pick an Educational theorist
Follow the outline on the assignment sheet