We will, of course, begin the
semester by identifying what you believe are the most pressing
curriculum questions and issues to be considered. And we will apply all that we
read, talk about, and imagine to these important questions. Along the way, I am
![Text Box: Inspiring Quote:
[Curriculum’s] value to educational policy and practice is in helping those who make practical decisions see the issues involved in the most comprehensive light so that they may enhance their ability to thoughtfully weigh and appropriately select the best possible courses of action from the vast array of plausible alternatives. For instance, in the United States the national dialogue on education is now running very much in favor of policies requiring all students to learn the same things. Were such dialogue well informed by the full range of historical, philosophical, and sociocultural considerations that curriculum studies entails, however, policies promoting sameness might well be regarded quite differently. -- George Willis http://coe.asu.edu/edrev/reviews/rev47.htm](./ED502.03.syl_files/image003.gif)
hoping that this course will also enable you to:
- Comprehend social, cultural, philosophical, ethical, and
historic contexts of most conflicts and goals in contemporary curriculum
work.
- Be able to describe key ideas and trends in contemporary
curriculum theorizing.
- Understand your own professional efforts as an ongoing
construction of curriculum theory, and as an enactment of a personal
curriculum project.
- Develop a comfort with useful specialized terms and the density
of language that is common in the profession, so that it is no longer
“jargon,” and actually helps you to become more satisfied with your work,
and the communities you are helping to form.
(My) Guiding Questions/Issues:
- What have/are/will people have said/saying/say about
curriculum?
- What assumptions do people make because they don’t realize
there might be other options?
- How can our professional work be informed by curriculum
theorizing?
- Everything is curriculum. How can we compare/
share/partake/trade from informal and formal, designed and grass-roots,
institutionalized and spontaneous learning environments as
curriculum?
- Who gets to make decisions about curriculum and how does this
affect curricular experiences as well as the institutionalization of
curriculum?
Available
at our bookstore, and on-line.
Tyler, Ralph. reprint 1969. Basic
Principles of Curriculum and Instruction. University of Chicago Press; ISBN: 0226820319.
Kenway, Jane & Elizabeth
Bullen. 2001. Consuming Children: Education-Entertainment-Advertising.
Philadelphia: Open University Press. ISBN 0335202993.
Pinar, William (ed). 1999. Contemporary
Curriculum Discourses: Twenty Years of JCT. Peter Lang. ISBN 0820438820.
Appelbaum, Peter. 2002. Multicultural
and Diversity Education: A Reference Handbook. ISBN 1576072649.
Scott, Melissa. 2001. The Jazz. TOR Books. ISBN 0312875428.
Photocopies of other readings
will be distributed in class throughout the semester:
Apple, Michael.1971. The hidden
curriculum and the nature of conflict. Interchange, 2 (4), 27-40.
Dewey, John. 1929. My
pedagogic creed. Journal of the National Education Association, 18 (9),
291-295.
Eisner, Elliot. 1967.
Educational objectives – Help or hindrance? School Review, 75 (3),
250-260.
Grant, Carl & Sleeter,
Christine. Human relations, Multicultural education, & Education that is
multicultural and social reconstructionist. In Turning on Leanring: Five
approaches for multicultural teaching plans for race, class, gender, and
disability. Wiley.
Greene, Maxine. 1973. Doing
philosophy and building a world. In M. Greene, Teacher as stranger:
Educational philosophy for the modern age (3-25). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Grumet, Madeleine. 1988.
Pedagogy for patriarchy: The feminization of teaching. In M. Grumet, Bitter
milk: Women and teaching (31-58). Amherst, MA: The University of
Massachusetts Press.
Heubner, Dwayne. 1975. Poetry
and power: The politics of curricular development.” In W. Pinar (Ed.), Curriculum
theorizing: The reconceptualists (Chapter 16, 271-280). Berkeley, CA:
McCutcheon. Reprinted 2000 as Curriculum studies: The reconceptualization.
Troy, NY: Educator’s International Press.
Kliebard, Herbert. 1970. The
Tyler rationale. School Review, 78 (2), 259-272.
Macdonald, James. 1995. A
transcendental developmental ideology of education. In B. Macdonald (Ed.), Theory
as a prayerful act: The collected essays of James Macdonald (69-97).
Pinar, William. 1978. The
reconceptualization of curriculum studies. Journal of Curriculum Studies,
10 (3), 205-214.
Schwab, Joseph. 1969. The
practical: A language for curriculum. School Review, 78 (1), 1-23.
Wink, Joan. 2000. Critical
pedagogy: What in the world is it? In J. Wink, Critical pedagogy: Notes from
the real world (27-74). NY: Addison-Wesley Longman.
Your grade will be based on four parts:
Action/Research Project:
This is an individual semester-long project. Initially,
set up professional questions and goals. For the project, apply our course
readings and discussions to the initial questions and goals in order to develop
something that you want to do that will help you in your current or future
work. Reframe your questions and goals as necessary throughout the semester in
light of Dewey’s cycle of reflective thought. Keep a weekly record of how your
questions and goals are evolving, and the progress you are making on the
project. Checkpoints 2 & 3 and the final progress report will each be
graded assignments. Your mission is to find connections between every reading
and class experience and your initial or evolving questions and goals, to
describe these connections, to interpret each connection, and to examine the
implications of your interpretation for your professional practice. You should
also pursue outside-of-class experiences and resources that support and
challenge your work. You are required to report on these connections, your
analysis of the interpretations, and the implications you identify. Compare the
various approaches to curriculum theorizing that we examine throughout the
course, and challenge yourself to explore those approaches with which you are
least familiar and that are least accessible to you. The final goal of this
project is to identify two new projects that you will undertake next
year because of this course, and to begin planning how you will make sure that
you can do these proposed projects. Plans for these new projects will be part
of your final progress report.
Scholarly Creation. Choose one:
A.
Journal Article. You write an article to be submitted to a
journal in the field of curriculum studies (see links
below). The topic can be anything. Meet the requirements for a manuscript that
the journal has for submissions.
B. Creative Performance. You pursue a creative form of expression for
representing an area of concern or interest developed during this course.
Examples from past semesters: an interpretive dance, a painting, a documentary
video, a spoof video, an environmental studies lab in a school, a quilt, a
collection of storytelling performances, a novella, an interactive mask
exhibit. Along with your work, provide some written program/guide that helps
others understand what to look for in the work that you have created. If you need
to schedule class time, please do so as far in advance as possible.
C.
Proposal. You write a proposal for a curriculum project that
needs community or administrative support, and/or funding. Components:
description of purpose of the proposed program; explanation of the need for the
program; theoretical rationale using our course readings; time-line for
implementation; budget estimate; assessment plan based on our course readings.
D.
Outside-of-class discussion. You facilitate an ongoing,
outside-of-class discussion on curriculum.
(a) Internet option: You join a listserv (I have some suggestions)
during the first two weeks of the semester.
Find a way to become an active contributor, influencing the trends of
discussion and introducing new questions.
Print out records of your email and the resulting threads of discussion
that ensue. (b) Face-to-face option:
Facilitate a series of meetings on curriculum of current teachers and/or
administrators whom you recruit to participate. Take notes on the issues and ideas that are discussed, and
especially conflicts that arise regarding what is best for children, schools,
and families. Multiple meetings should
take place with the same people. By March 6, turn in a current portfolio of
your work for my guidance. On March 17, turn in a final portfolio documenting
your work with this project, and the experience of learning by leading. Carefully describe two or three new projects
that have grown out of your work in this assignment that you will begin to
implement in the next year.
Cultural Studies Inquiry. Choose
one:
A. Popular culture report. Interpret a popular culture experience or
artifact as curriculum in light of what we have read and discussed so
far. Facilitate an interactive experience in class (15-20 minutes).
B. Youth guide report. After being taught by a young person about what
you should know about a kids-culture experience, and sharing it with your
guide, you interpret your experiences as curriculum in light of what we
have read and discussed so far. Facilitate an interactive experience in class
(15-20 minutes).
Class
participation and contributions:
Merely showing up to class is not enough. Curriculum
theory is challenging in many ways, so we really have to rely on each other: to
talk about the ideas we are working with; to ask questions when
we do not understand (and this should be happening often); to help others
to further develop their thoughts by asking them to elaborate on something they
have said, or to give an example of what they mean; to be patient when
someone else is still not sure what they mean or believe; and thus to wait
for others and not to insist on controlling the conversation. If we are to
establish a community of learners, then we cannot miss any classes; everyone
else is counting on your comments and questions to contribute to their own
understanding. We also cannot afford for any one person to feel uncomfortable
about the expectations or the atmosphere in the community, so you must share
concerns, and speak your mind, both when things are going well (let us know!)
and when things are going not so well (so that we can work on it for the rest
of the course!).
Your
grade will be determined as follows:
|
Action/Resarch
Project |
45% |
|
Scholarly
Creation |
25 |
|
Cultural
Studies Inquiry |
15 |
|
Participation
beyond contributions |
15 |
|
|
100% |
Contact Information/Office
Hours:
|
312A Taylor Hall |
215-572-4476 Monday & Thursday 2-3:30, & by appointment |
|
(especially before and after class) |
Tentative Schedule:
Date |
Topic(s) |
Read before this day: |
In-class assignment |
Assignment Due today: |
|
Jan 16 |
Welcome! |
Course
catalog |
Survey |
Registration
for course Course
Agenda Developed by Students on first night |
|
23 |
The
rational model. Outcomes, concepts. From Bobbit to Standards |
Ralph
Tyler |
Dewey; Framing
project |
Initial
action/research project ideas (1 page) |
|
30 |
Historical
Moments |
Eisner,
Kliebard, Grumet, |
|
|
|
Feb 6 |
Historical
Moments |
Schwab,
Pinar, Greene |
Apple,
MacDonald |
What
could/should school be/do? How could/should/would we structure institutions?
Who could/should/would decide these things? |
|
13 |
Multicultural
& Diversity Education |
Appelbaum
Chapters 1-3 |
Case
study tour (chapter 4); Wink |
Bring
an example of a lesson or unit you have taught, experienced, or observed, to
be redesigned. |
|
20 |
Disability
studies, diversity studies; trans/global |
Appelbaum Chapters 5-7;
Jastrzębska/Keith handout |
Action/Research
Checkpoint 1 |
|
|
27 |
Cultural
Studies, Popular Culture Studies |
Webquest;
Kenway & Bullen intro, Ch. 1-2 |
|
|
|
Mar 6 |
Cultural
Studies: Power, ideology, |
Kenway
& Bullen Ch. 3-5; Start reading Scott for 3/27 |
Interactive
Experiences |
Popular
culture report |
Spring
Vacation 
|
20 |
Power/knowledge;
practices; technologies of power and morality; commodification & cultural
resources |
Kenway
& Bullen Ch. 6-7 |
Interactive
Experiences |
Action/Research
Checkpoint 2; Youth guide report |
|
27 |
Technoculture
& Cyberculture |
Scott |
Remaining
Interactive Experiences |
Ideas
for 4/3 topics |
|
Apr 3 |
Youth
cultural studies; x-games and videoculture; multitasking; virtual worlds |
Review
readings for action/research project |
Remaining
presentations; student-initiated topics |
|
|
10 |
Post-modern,
Post-colonial, Post-feminist, Post-post |
Pinar,
pt. 1 planning for 4/24 |
|
Action/Research Checkpoint
3 |
|
17 |
Contemporary
Politics of Curriculum; Curriculum Theory fads and trends |
Pinar,
pt. 2 planning for 4/24 |
Decisions
about final progress report |
Project
progress report materials for workshop; Scholarly Creation Due |
|
24 |
Self-scheduled |
|
|
Action/Research
Intensive Work week |
|
May 1 |
Festival
of Curriculum |
|
|
Action/Research
Progress Report |
Helpful Links
Pennsylvania
Department of Education http://www.pde.state.pa.us/
See especially Curriculum
and Instruction, including the State Standards.
UNESCO Task
Force on Education for the 21rst Century http://www.unesco.org/delors/
At Arcadia, we encourage an global/international
approach.
Terrorism and War-time
in Children’s Literature http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/healingus.html
A teacher’s webpage.
Cabinet Warrooms
Education. http://www.iwm.org.uk/education/edu-cab/schoolsNC1.htm
Resources from the Imperial War Museum, Britain.
Anti-War Curriculum. http://www.aamovement.net/news/curriculum.html
Asian-American Movement E-Zine Website
Gulf War
Curriculum Guide. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/teach/gulfguide/
On-line supplement to PBS Frontline program.
JCT The Journal
of Curriculum Theorizing. http://www.jctbergamo.com
State-of-the-art , cutting edge work in curriculum
theory and classroom practice.
Journal of Critical Inquiry into Curriculum and
Instruction. Excellent journal designed for graduate students in curriculum, no
website.
Journal of Curriculum Studies. Free
trial copy: http://lucia.catchword.com/vl=35714107/cl=23/nw=1/rpsv/catchword/tandf/00220272/contp1-1.htm
Canadian
website: http://www.edu.uwo.ca/jcs/
International journal of curriculum theory, with a
broad range of topics and types of articles.
Pedagogy,
Culture & Society http://www.triangle.co.uk/cus/
New journal in educational theory
Curriculum
Inquiry http://fcis.oise.utoronto.ca/~ci/
Classic journal of curriculum theory.
LSU
Curriculum Theory Project http://asterix.ednet.lsu.edu/~lsuctp/
Often has resources, and information of help to
graduate students specializing in curriculum theory.
Curriculum
Theory and Practice http://www.infed.org/biblio/b-curric.htm
Mark Smith’s categorization of curriculum approaches
to informal learning.
Nailing Jello to the
Wall: Pinpointing Aspects of State-of-the-Art Curriculum Theorizing, by
Handel Kashope Wright http://www.aera.net/pubs/er/arts/29-05/wright01.htm Recent article in Educational Researcher,
which prompted some interesting responses.
History
of Education, entry on Ralph Tyler http://fcis.oise.utoronto.ca/~daniel_schugurensky/assignment1/1949tyler.html
The man to whom we all owe our commonsense notion of
curriculum development.
Jim
Sears’s Syllabus, Turning Points in Contemporary Curriculum Theory http://www.jtsears.com/sylT111.htm
You can compare our course to this one.
TIP: Theory
into Practice, database on learning theories http://tip.psychology.org/
For those of us who need a psychological theory to
back up our opinions.
A Brief History of Theater
of the Oppressed http://www.inmotionmagazine.com/theater.html
For those of use who want a transformative social
action perspective to inform our work.
Issues in
Freirian Pedagogy. http://nlu.nl.edu/ace/Resources/Documents/FreireIssues.html
One of many website devoted to Freire and critical
pedagogy. A brief intro by Tome Heaney.
Center
for the Study of Technology and Society -- Education page http://www.tecsoc.org/edu/edu.htm
Do we know where we are going? Where we have been?
The Three Little Pigs
in a Post-modern World, http://www.mtsu.edu/~itconf/proceed98/drader.html
By Dennis and Jan Rader. One approach to
understanding postmodern curriculum theory
Postmodern
Curriculum Research and Alternative Forms of Data Presentation http://www.quasar.ualberta.ca/cpin/cpinfolder/papers/slattery.htm
By Patrick Slattery. A friendly introduction to
Patrick’s ideas.
Rap (in) the
Academy: Academic work, education, and cultural studies http://www3.uakron.edu/edfound/people/weaver/weaver_rap.pdf
By John Weaver and Toby Daspit. Why are educator’s
afraid of popular and postmodern culture?
A Dictionary of
Postmodern Terms http://www.california.com/~rathbone/lexicon.htm
On-line dictionary to help you turn jargon into
theory
Between
my masks are shadows dancing an unquiet self. A clandestine outlier, I tear
at the masks, struggling to make visible the diverse locations from which
my voice and identity derive. --Diane Dubose Brunner
Cultural
Studies Central http://www.culturalstudies.net/index.html
Name says it all
Popcultures.com
http://www.popcultures.com/
Another useful site that can direct you to other
places.
Campaign
for Meaningful Student Involvement
Resources for the empowerment of students in schools who are working against meaninglessness
and hopelessness in education.
John Dewey’s Democracy
and Education
http://www.worldwideschool.org/library/books/socl/education/DemocracyandEducation/toc.html
The Classic work in its entirety
APA
Cheatsheet http://wtfaculty.wtamu.edu/~rbrammer.ess/edpd5529/admin/APA_sheet.htm
Good guide when you are not sure how to
cite/reference things in your papers.