You are here: Home / Archives for Curriculum

Framing Our Children’s Future

December 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment

It seems like everyone has a solution to one of the biggest problems our nation faces: our decaying education system. From changing class content to lengthening the school day, one thing that nearly all parents, educators and administrators agree on is that our education system is in serious need of reform. One of the most encouraging concepts is that of curriculum framework.

At its core, curriculum framework is simply a set of standards or guidelines that are used to define the curriculum and content for a group of students. The goal of this framework is a pre-defined outcome. In other words, curriculum framework is designed to be outcome specific.

Educators, administrators and parents could work together to create a list of clearly defined outcomes for their students. The standard should be set high and the ensuing curriculum and content should be developed to allow students to meet these goals. This system is drastically different from our current educational system that focuses primarily on the content as opposed to the outcome.

Under this system, all students would be held to the same standards. This means no group of students will have an advantage. All students will need to perform equally well. While opponents of this system believe it does not take disabilities into consideration, proponents drive home the fact that students that met these high goals are better prepared to compete on a global scale.

It is equally important to note that a framework concept has been adapted by some states, but not in the truest sense. States have used the framework concept to meet academic standards instead of other, more constructive, objectives.

Developing a curriculum framework that sets high, but achievable, objectives for our students may be the most effective way to prepare our children for competition on the global scale and change the face of our education system.

Filed Under: Parental Involvement Tagged With: , ,

Math Wars

December 25, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Math Wars-a funny phrase for a pretty serious issue facing today’s educators. Broken down, the Math Wars amount to a difference in teaching philosophy: should we teach our children math skills based on fixed processes or formulas or should we teach them via an inquiry approach utilizing real life problems? Both sides make strong arguments, making Math Wars one of the leading education reform issues.

Reform supporters often cite the growing research that seems to indicate that students who utilize problem solving skills or inquiry based solving for mathematics excel in conceptual understanding of mathematic principals as well as calculations. They believe that their reform methodology only fails when ill prepared educators teach it. These reformers believe that standard or traditional math education should be completely abandoned.

The other side is equally adamant about sticking to traditional mathematics. They believe that without first providing students with a strong basis in computational math (addition, subtractions and so on), students will be unable to understand more advanced mathematics. They stress practice exercises and memorization first.

Perhaps the strongest argument for not reforming today’s mathematics curriculum is how wide spread it is. The process of math education has not seen any big changes. The way today’s students learns math is much like the way previous generations have been taught. Still, simply because traditional math education is the norm doesn’t mean it is the best method. Today’s educators are still faced with the dilemma originally presented by 1989′s Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics. The Math Wars the publication started is likely to remain an ongoing concern for educators and parents.

Unfortunately this issue is one that is unlikely to be solved by compromise. The two opposing are too different. The Math Wars are likely to continue for the foreseeable future, leaving parents and educators with little choice in their method of teaching mathematics.

Filed Under: Student Rights Tagged With: , ,

How To Structure A School

December 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Throughout the history of the United States educational system, much of the control over curriculum has resided in the hands of local school districts. That changed radically with the passing of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act in 2002. This act forced states to take a more active role in the way that their schools developed and implemented content and curriculum. Still, there is a great deal of flexibility that still resides in at the local level. In most cases, schools need simply to follow guidelines developed at the state level.

Throughout the country, most schools follow the same basic curriculum, with allowances for differences in demographics and needs of the student population.

Math: Most states require a minimum of two years of mathematics. This may include algebra, pre-calculus, geometry and statistics. Some areas also offer calculus.
Science: Most states require a minimum of two years of science classes. This may include physics, chemistry and biology.
English: Most states require four years of English. Typical classes include oral languages, compositions, humanities and literature.
Social Sciences: Most states require three years of social sciences including a variety of history course, economics and government.]
Physical Education: Most states require at least one year of gym.
Health: Many states have a health course requirement. Human sexuality, nutrition, anatomy or drug awareness are examples of health courses offered by some states.

The above requirements apply primarily to students on course for graduation. Some states or school districts may offer different choices to a certain degree, but the above-mentioned classes are pretty standard across the country.

It is important to note that in spite of the flexibility offered by the federal government, most states have opted to follow very similar curriculum. This works in favor of students who move mid way through their school careers. This may change as the governement looks at a variety of reform measures.

Filed Under: Education History Tagged With: , ,

Can Holistic Education Concepts Boost School Reform Efforts?

November 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Students of Nan Hua High School gathering in t...
Image via Wikipedia

Although education reform is a deeply divided subject, the majority of people who have an opinion on the matter can agree on the simple fact that problems with the education system must be fixed. The disagreement occurs during discussions about how that objective should be achieved.

Recently, there has been some curiosity about holistic educational systems. These methods bring an emphasis on a multi-faceted approach that attends to not only a student’s physical self, but also their mental and spiritual sides. Although many holistic approaches are tied to specific religions, there are others not affiliated with religious denominations. So, this does not demonstrate that a school curriculum must include a religious aspect, but rather provides a suggestion that perhaps a closer look should be taken at the benefits of fostering the learning process by focusing on the student as a whole, rather than focusing on specific segments and ignoring others.

In addition to focusing on proven educational standards, holistic schools also nurture the spiritual and mental aspects, which ultimately leads to an interconnected attitude that is absent in many traditional schooling methods. Polls have indicated that some of the factors which help to determine a child’s success in school are a strong relationship with parents, a bright attitude towards the future, and the motivation to take care of oneself for a lifetime. These are all aspects which can be developed through a holistic education curriculum.

Although there is no guaranteed way to solve all problems with the education system, the method of holistic education deserves a close examination. Religion does not have to play a role in encouraging students to pay attention to the needs of their whole self, without conforming to requirements that force them to rely on rote repetition to ultimately achieve high test scores or the approval of their parents and teachers.

Filed Under: Government Rulings Tagged With: , , ,