An Overview of CurriculumCurriculum As Self

Curriculum as ComplexityECS 210

Dr. Carol Fulton

OverviewWhat is Curriculum?What are Different Kinds of Curriculum?What is Curriculum as Self?What is Curriculum As Complexity?What Are the Implications?What Does This Look Like in the Classroom?

What is Curriculum?Some Definitions“The range of experiences both direct and

indirect, concerned in unfolding the abilities of the individual.”

“A series of consciously directed training experiences that the schools use for completing and perfecting the individual.”

(Wiles and Bondi. 2011)

More Definitions“Curriculum is all the learning of the students

which is planned by and directed by the school to attain educational goals.” (Taba, 1962)

Curriculum is the collective story we tell our children about the past, present and future, (Grumet, 1981)

Curriculum is the story we tell about the world we want for the future and the people we want to be. (Bomer and Bomer, 1999)

Wide Range of DefinitionsWhy so many definitions?Curriculum as product – (noun) The Ministry

documents

Curriculum as currere – “to run the course” (verb)“The Latin infinitive form of curriculum means to run the course, or . . . the running of the course— provides a strategy for students of curriculum to study the relations between academic knowledge and life history in the interest of self-understanding and social reconstruction (Pinar, 20014)

What Determines Curriculum?Values of Society

Values of Curriculum Developers

Values of Community

Values of Teacher

What are YOUR values? How will they influence what and how you teach?

Values relate to the 3 most important philosophical questions: What is good? What is true? What is real?

What is the source of what we teach? ( The good - axiology)

How do we teach? (The true - epistemology)

What content should we teach? (The real - ontology).

Kinds of CurriculumOvert, explicit, or written curriculumHidden or covert curriculumSocietal curriculumNull curriculumCurriculum in useReceived curriculumPhantom curriculumElectronic curriculum

Curriculum as SelfWho you are as a person determines what

curriculum will be enacted in your classroom. “Know thy self.”

Why did you want to become a teacher?What are you passionate about?What are the values of our family?What are the values of your community?What do you believe is the purpose of education?What do you believe about how people learn

best?What influenced your beliefs?

Curriculum as Complexity

Curriculum is everything

We Are Part of Complex, Nested, Interconnected

Systems

Ecological

Economic Political

Social

Biological, psychologicalHistorical

Everything We Do Affects and is Affected By UsComplex systems

are nested within other systems. Changes in one system can affect other systems. Small changes can have huge effects or vice versa.

Views of SystemsOld View

• Control

• “Make things happen” attitude

• Leader in charge

• Top-down authority

• Learning viewed as product

New View

• Ambiguity

• Attitude that is both visionary and responsive to unpredictable events

• Teachers and students are co-creators

• Emergence

• Learning viewed as process and adapting to change

ImplicationsA willingness to be confusedA willingness to let goA willingness to be open to

possibilitiesA willingness to engage in respectful

dialogue and listen to each otherA willingness to take action

What Does it Look Like in the Classroom?Ethic of Caring,

respectChoiceFreedom with

responsibilityEngagement with

relevant issuesPossibly doing PBL

and SL