Description:
Objectives:
- Distinguish between educational goals and objectives and examine why educational goals reflect changes in society. (APTS 1)
- Distinguish between subject-centered and student-centered curricula and identify instructional approaches that apply to both. (APTS
Assignments #1 / EDU-215 Foundations of Education Benchmark Assessment and Rubric
Prepare this assignment according to the instructions in "EDU-215 (I WILL POST THIS SEPRATELY)Foundations of Education Benchmark Assessment and Rubric.
Assignments #2 / Module 7 Journal: Facets of Educational Planning
Write a reflection journal of 400-500 words that addresses the following considerations regarding educational planning: Discuss the differences between student-centered and subject-centered curriculum as they impact instructional planning.
Topic Material:
Lecture Note
- Read Lecture 7.
Curricular Foundations in Education
Introduction
When educators talk about the purpose of education, they often use the terms goals and objectives. Clarifying the meaning of these terms is essential in communicating with other educators the level and the depth of purpose for any educational activity or endeavor. Goals are broad and objectives more specific, but both terms refer to a direction or an endpoint for what a teacher is trying to accomplish.
Goals and Objectives
Goals cannot be directly observed or evaluated. They are guidelines that speak to a desired competency level or theme in education. In the late 1940s, Ralph Tyler developed an outline of questions that help to formulate goals. They are still influential today:
What educational purpose should the school seek to attain?
What educational experiences can be provided to help attain these purposes?
How can these educational experiences be effectively organized?
How can we determine whether (and to what extent) the purposes have been attained? (as cited in Ornstein & Levine, 2006)
Objectives are specific and are usually written at three levels of instruction: subject/grade level, unit plan level, and lesson plan level. Objectives that are more general in nature may use terms like know, learn, understand, or comprehend. More specific characterizations may be discuss, describe in writing, state orally, or role play. These more specific words are skill-specific and are measurable.
To illustrate the difference between general and specific objectives, consider the following two examples:
[general] "Students will understand why American colonists wanted to separate from Great Britain in the 1770s."
[specific] "Students will describe in writing three reasons American colonists gave in favor of separation from Great Britain." (Ornstein & Levine, 2006, p. 398).
A look at educational goals throughout history will let one follow not only the trends in education, but also the historic stimuli that created those trends. For example, after the Soviet Union sent Sputnik into space, educational goals shifted heavily to include math and science goals for schools. The latest example of a trend one could identify as changing goal setting in education is the passing of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001. Since then, educational goals have become directed at standards and assessment results.
Organizing Curriculum
The types of curriculum organization used in American schools can be viewed from two perspectives, subject-centered and student-centered.
Subject-Centered Curriculum
Subject-centered curriculum is the more traditional and the most widely used approach to curriculum. It is based in liberal arts subjects and treats each as a specialized body of knowledge that needs to be passed on to the student. Perennialists use the classics to educate. Essentialists believe in concentrating on the three Rs. The back-to-basics curriculum some educators have called for in recent years has the same heavy emphasis on reading, writing, and math, but calls for testing and minimum standards. All three of these approaches use subject-centered curriculum.
Student-Centered Curriculum
Student-centered curriculum is in direct contrast to the subject-center curriculum. It emphasizes students' needs and interests and allows them to use their creativity within the learning process. Naturalists embrace this approach to curriculum organization as do progressive educators. While John Dewey, one of student-centered curriculum's advocates, believed in the overall concept, he was concerned that in its extreme form it did not give the student enough guidance. He encouraged balance between the importance of the subject and the student.
Curriculum and Instruction
Curriculum and instruction are interrelated. Instruction must be used to activate any curriculum. Therefore, it is appropriate to become familiar with different instructional approaches. Following is a brief consideration of some effective instructional approaches and their characteristics:
Individual Instruction
These approaches all provide one-on-one instruction. Students generally move at their own rate and with a sequence of skills to master.
Cooperative Learning
Designed to reduce competition in the classroom, this instructional approach emphasizes cooperation and group learning. Research (Ornstein & Levine, 2006) shows that cooperative learning builds positive personal identity, self-actualization, knowledge, and trust in one another, and wholesome relationships with a reduced amount of conflict.
Mastery Instruction
This approach requires that all students within the class or group master a skill or lesson before moving to the next lesson.
Critical Thinking
Allowing students to have, or rather guiding students to, intelligent problem-solving skills is the premise of this instructional approach. Those who purport using critical thinking believe that it is a skill that can be used across subject areas. The set of skills for critical thinking are the understanding of concepts like cause-effect relationships, part-to-whole and whole-to-part connections, and application of principles to real life situations.
Conclusion
A combination of well-thought goals and objectives, curriculum selection, and instructional approach selections are essential in planning effective lessons. The choices teachers make in this process reveals their educational philosophies.
References
No Child Left Behind Act , Public Law 107-110 (2001).
Ornstein, A. C., & Levine, D. U. (2006). Foundations of education (9thed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Textbook
1. Foundations of American Education
Read chapters 14-15.
Website
1. Education Resources Information Center
Explore the Education Resources Information Center website.
2. FedWorld
Explore the FedWorld website.
Additional Material
1. Optional: The War Against America's Public Schools
For additional information, the following is recommended: The War Against America's Public Schools, by G.W. Bracey (2002).
2. Optional: Excellence: Can We Be Equal and Excellent Too?
For additional information, the following is recommended: Excellence: Can We Be Equal and Excellent Too? by J.W. Gardner (1991).
3. Optional: The Basic School: A Community of Learning
For additional information, the following is recommended: The Basic School: A Community of Learning, by E.L. Boye (1995).
4. EDU-215 Foundations of Education Benchmark Assessment and Rubric
Review "EDU-215 Foundations of Education Benchmark Assessment and Rubric" in preparation for completing the Benchmark Assessment. All coursework will inform this assignment.
EDU215.v10Benchmark.docx