Conceptions of Curriculum
(Eisner & Vallance, 1974)

Social-
Reconstructionist
- prepare for
change and reform
society

Self-Actualized
- needs & interests
of learners

Academic Rationalism
- academic disciplines
- subject matter

Cognitive
Processes
- develop intellectual
processes through
subject matter

Technological
- make learning
systematic &
efficient

Philosophical Foundations
(Ornstein, 1990/1991)

Curricula Designs

Sources of Curriculum Design

Science

Society

Moral Doctrine

Knowledge

The Learner

Design Dimensions and Considerations

Subject Centered Designs

Correlation Design

Process Design

Broad Fields Design

Discipline Design

Subject Design

Problem Centered Designs

No Child Left Behind (United States)
- based on conformity
- focused on STEM disciplines
- significant drop out rate in some areas of the US
- role of the teacher is diminished or devalued
-heavy direct instruction by teacher

Learner Centered Designs

Winnipeg Seven Oaks School Division
- leveraging student voice
- hearing
- interacting
- guiding

Inquiry Based learning
-Pose questions
-Find resources
-Interpret information
-Interpret findings

Indigenizing Curriculum
- Experiential Learning, incorporating environment and the environment's story
- restorative principles
- practical application with classroom circles
- knowledge sharing

Finland Schools
- broad approach; no standardized testing
- no drop out rate
- individualization of teaching & learning
- teachers given support and status within the education system

Components of Design
- beliefs about people, what and how they should learn and how that knowledge should be used

Conceptual
Frameworks

Horizontal Organization

Vertical Organization

Perrenialism
- cultivate intellect
- educaete the
rational person

Realism

Essentialism
- teacher is the
authority
- educate the competent
person

Idealism

Progressivism
- based on student
interest
- teacher is a guide for
inquiry & problem
solving

Pragmatism

Reconstructionism
- to improve & reconstruct
society
- teacher is agent of
change & reform

Experiential Education (EXE)
- Belgium

High/Scope (H/S)
- USA

Reggio Emilia (R/E)
- Italy

Swedish National Curriculum for Preschool
(Lfpo) - Sweden

Te Whariki (TW)
- New Zealand

Scope
- breadth & depth
of content

Articulation

Sequence
- fosters cumulative &
continuous learning

Psychological approach

Logical Approach

Balance
- curriculum advances personal,
social & intellectual goals

Integration
- links all types of knowledge &
experiences within the plan

Continuity
- vertical repetition of
components

Child-Centered Design

Experience-Centered
Design

Radical Design

Humanistic Design

Life-situations
Design

Reconstructionist
Design

References for Module 2:
Eisner, E., & Vallance, E. (1974). Five conceptions of curriculum: Their roots and implications for curriculum planning. In E. W. Eisner & E. Vallance (eds.), Conflicting Conceptions of Curriculum (pp. 1-18). Berkeley, CA: McCutchan.

Ornstein, A.C. (1990-1991). Philosophy as a basis for curriculum decisions. High School Journal, 74(2), pp. 102-109.

Ornstein, A.C., & Hunkins, F.P. (2013). Curriculum Design. In Curriculum: Foundations, Principles, and Issues (pp. 149-173). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Samuelsson, I.P., Sheridan, S., & Williams, P. (2006). Five preschool curricula - comparative perspective. International Journal of Early Childhood 11(1), pp. 11-30.

Sowell, E. (2005). Sections from Chapter 3, 4, 5. In Curriculum: An Integrative Introduction (3rd ed.). (pp. 52-61, 81-85, 103-106). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Standardized-Testing

Curricularists

Franklin Bobbitt

Ralph Tyler

James Popham

Form over content
- emphasis on deliverables
and efficiency

Planning

Backwards Design
- forces a consideration of how
performances (outcomes) will be achieved, measured and taught
- places assessment up front and requires it to be planned prior to beginning learning activities

-Allows to identify Big Ideas and desired results
-Determines appropriate evidence to collect
-Creates concentrated and specific learning events

Choosing topics students
are interested in
- a student's prior knowledge
affects their learning and
interpretation of new material

Pre-Assessment

Instruction

"Walk to Academics"
(Group similarly
levelled learners
together)

Assessment
- Purpose
- Measurement
- Interpretation
- Use

Student Self-
Assessment

Colleague Collaboration
- can assist in reducing bias

Teacher Reflections

High quality assessments are practical
and efficient

Oral Assessments

Rubrics
- provide clear targets and guidance
- transparency of assessment
- explicit criteria

Alternative Assessments (required the active construction of meaning)

- performance assessment
- portfolios
- exhibitions
- demonstrations
- journals

- prior knowledge or learning?

Dynamic & On-going Assessment

Fairness

Reliability

Maximizing outputs
with a minimum of inputs

Benefits:
-Fosters self-monitoring and self-regulated learning
-assists learning by motivation and understanding through engagement in the assessment process

Benefits:
-Develops communication skills
-More inclusive (ex. students with Dyslexia)
-Encourages critical thinking

Pros:
-Track student progress
-Allows for efficiently targeted RTI
-Can encourage well-rounded education

Cons:
-Stressful for students and teachers
-Unfairly tests students
-Causes teachers to "teach to the test"
-Not all students can process material at the same rate, or can test fairly the same way

References for Module 3:
C. (2013, March 11). The Power of Student Voice to Enhance Teacher Practice. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmXM1jT8j54

Canadian Education Association. (2014, January 30). A Teacher's P.O.V. on Starting Inquiry-Based Learning in the Classroom [Video File}. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/85470752

Castellon, A. (2017, May 28). A call to personal research: Indigenizing your curriculum. Canadian Journal for Teacher Research. Retrieved from https://www.teacherresearch.ca/detail/post/a-call-to-personal-research-indigenizing-your-curriculum

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.

McMIllan, J.H. (2014). The Role of assessment in teaching. In Classroom Assessment: Principles and Practice for Effective Standards-Based Instruction (pp. 1-20). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

McMillan, J.H. (2014). High-quality classroom assessment. In Classroom Assessment: Principles and Practice for Effective Standards-Based Instruction (pp. 57-64, 74-88). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Robinson, K. (2013, May 10). How to escape education's death valley. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_how_to_escape_education_s_death_valley

Shepard, L. (2000, October). The role of assessment in a learning culture. Educational Researcher 29(7), 4-14.