Final Response

Stephanie Marotto

Kansas University
 Abstract

This final response paper will be an overview and summarization of other papers

regarding curriculum development. It will analyze the arguments and theories of various

educators that support my take on what curriculum should look like. Curriculum today is

focused too much on testing. I think curriculum needs to be more meaningful and

purposeful so students can make good connections.

As new learning is inquired through new coursework, it is new understandings

and knowledge has emerged. Each theorist in the 20th century contributed various

ideas be applied to the current curriculum used by school districts. Though collecting

data is essential to frame instruction, testing should not be the primary focus

curriculums content. Regardless of developing understandings, my stance on our

curriculum needing to change to a more student based structure and less focus on

assessment preparation, remains.

John Dewey and Ralph Taylor Summarization

Ralph Tyler and John Dewey were educational theorists and reformers who

have contributed to the educational system in the 1900s. Tyler argued curriculum

objectives have to be based on what students need, and Dewey believed curriculum

needs to focus on childrens place in society. Though Tyler and Deweys theories of

what successful curriculum entails differed, both reformers recognized any curriculum

must focus on the interests of children.

Ralph Tyler

When Ralph Tyler was developing his theories, he asked these questions to

guide his thinking: What will be the purpose of the educational program? How can

students experiences further the purpose? Finally, how can education be evaluated? To

answer these questions, Tyler developed a linear with a starting and ending point for the

students and the curriculum. He stated the ultimate focus needs to be what we want

students to achieve and how we can make that happen. Tyler said once this question is
answered, curriculum developers can determine materials, content, instruction and

evaluation methods. When determining content for the curriculum, Tyler stated it is

essential to be mindful of students needs and make instruction meaningful (Flinders &

Thorton, 2012).

John Dewey

John Deweys theories of how curriculum needs to be created should focus on

childrens demands in society. How can we as teachers better prepare them to be

effective and meaningful members of society? Dewey stated children need to be in

command of themselves to prepare them for adulthood. Also, he indicated schools

need to become a social institution and have social-based activities, so education can

be a way of living. Therefore, it is teachers responsibility to prepare kids for negative

and positive situations that can occur outside of the classroom.

Change in Understanding

John Dewey and Ralph Tyler presented great ideas and arguments for their

theories. I agree with John Dewey on the idea of teachers jobs are to prepare students

for success in society. However, I do not think this should be the only focus of schooling

for students. Aside from proper social skills being taught in schools, students also need

to be knowledgeable of the subject matter. Times have changed since these theorists

and college is expected for certain careers. In regards to Ralph Tyler's ideas, I still

agree with having an end goal before developing a curriculum. There needs to be an

established understanding of what we want students to know. However, after learning

about William Doll's educational theories, I no longer agree with the linear system.
Instead, curriculum should incorporate recursion and build upon itself.

Personal Issues with the Curriculum

Since the passing of the No Child Left Behind Act, teachers must teach a

curriculum that is assessment focused. Teachers need to prepare students for success

on state assessments, because if the scores are not proficient, teachers can lose their

jobs. These requirements make it difficult for teachers feel is necessary for students to

be successful beyond the classrooms.

Stance development

The development on the stance of this issue of the curriculum not including

opportunities for real world connections comes from a special education teacher's

perspective. As a special education teacher, it is frustrating to see my students

constantly struggle in the classroom because they are pushed beyond their limits. Since

education is primarily focused on assessment preparation, students who really need

those real world connections are not provided them. Students I work with are grade

levels behind, but some of whom may never be caught up. For students needing

significant, cognitive support tend to be left behind. Therefore, every year failure is

experienced because they are not able to meet the requirements of what is taught. It

would be more beneficial for these students to receive a meaningful instruction that can

be used outside of the classroom.

Unfortunately, public school teachers are required to follow state and district

curriculums. However, teachers can create their own activities. In doing so, teachers

can create activities that adhere to the curriculum but have students create projects that
are real world based. Though it will be time consuming to plan, students are more likely

to be engaged and fun for all involved. But like Maxine Greene said, teachers need to

go beyond what is required of them to have an effective classroom environment and

instruction.

My stance on this curriculum issue of instruction being too much focus on testing

will never change. The only way my stance will alter is if the required mandates change.

Due to the vast amount of testing throughout a school year, we are not preparing for

students to be valuable members in society because the application process of learning

is lacking. Also, we limit our kids on understanding what they are capable of because

educators only look at their test scores.

In a given Colorado school year, students endure at least 6 weeks of testing

between mandated district and state assessments. Since the federal and state

government rely on testing for evaluating schools success and fund accordingly, it puts

a lot of pressure on teachers to best prepare students for these assessments. Since

assessment preparation is the focal point of instruction, teachers and students are not

given many opportunities for hands on activities and project-based learning.

The other issue with too much testing is educators rely too much on it for

understanding capabilities. Being a special educator, I constantly see students not doing

well on an assessment and the assumption is they are not capable. Since not one

student is the same, using only tests for measurements is limiting students.

Assessments should only be a piece of a bigger picture when measuring students

growth.
 Philosophy on Curriculum

Curriculum as a whole needs to be accessible and effective to all students,

regardless of any physical or cognitive limitations. As an adult, there are a lot of

expectations and demands. Therefore, curriculum needs to provide students chances to

make connections and critically think. After studying vary theorists, Maxine Greene,

William Doll and William Pinar, these three educators reinforce my personal curriculum

philosophy of learning needs to be real world based, less focused on testing and

accessible for all. Though this can be time consuming for teachers to plan, this

complimentary curriculum from teachers is essential for success.

William Doll proposed that for students to critically think and make connections,

curriculum needs to have richness, relations, recursion and rigor. Richness is the

curriculums depth to its layers of meanings, to its possibilities or interpretations

(2012). Deciding on the amount of richness is a group effort, and is to be determined by

both teachers and students. Having richness in the curriculum goes beyond test taking

and allows for connections as well as meaningful dialogue between students. For

consistency to occur in curriculum, there needs to be recursion. The old and new

curriculum needs to be continuous. Relations "focuses on the connections within the

curriculum" (2012). Finally, Rigor brings together relations, richness and recursion

together. Rigor would allow students to look for alternatives, relations, and connections

within their learning (2012).

Maxine Greene and William Pinar argued curriculum needs to be meaningful for

students. The complimentary curriculum needs to be implemented by teachers. Pinar

argued teachers need to re-conceptualize kids' education for them to build better
connections and see the purpose in their learning (2012). Both theorists said if the

curriculum has a good purpose, students can easily make connections and apply their

learning to real world situations.

Effective teachers need to go above and beyond the requirements of the

curriculum. Students need an education they can apply in their own lives outside of the

classroom. Planning a good lesson and appropriate materials is extremely time

consuming. Unfortunately, that is what's needed to make a good lesson into a

meaningful lesson. Maxine Greene stressed this point of doing everything it takes for

students to relate to the curriculum.

The students I work with really struggle and have demanding needs. The

additional support goes beyond the average student. Most kids on my special education

caseload are grade levels behind in more than one academic area, with lack of reading

fluency and accuracy causing the most impact. Also, the attention span of most of these

students is minimal. If I do not go beyond the minimum requirements, I as a teacher

would be failing my students.

Any text we work on is usually expository. My main goal with this group of

students is to close the gap. However, I want them to learn new, meaningful information

that can help them within their classroom. Also, for any content or skill we are learning, I

pose the question of when and how outside of the classroom can you use this? When

we will you add with regrouping? How can you read new, unfamiliar words? Why is it

important to write in complete sentences? I am always asking these kinds of questions

because I want my students to realize how important their education is outside of the

classroom.
 Conclusion

The curriculum needs to change because of how much it is focused on testing.

State and district mandates are too demanding for teachers and students. The

curriculum needs to change to a focus on student connections, critical thinking,

meaningful dialogue and real world applications.

Flinders, D. J. & Thornton, S. J. (2012). The curriculum studies reader.

New York, NY: Routledge.