I came across this quote earlier tonight as I was looking for something else and it really spoke to me as I reflect upon curriculum development and myself.
"How we conceive of curriculum and curriculum making is important because our conceptions and ways of reasoning about curriculum reflect and shape how we see, think and talk about, study and act on the education made available to students. Our curriculum conceptions, ways of reasoning and practice cannot be value free or neutral. They necessarily reflect our assumptions about the world, even if those assumptions remain implicit and unexamined. Further, concern with conceptions is not "merely theoretical". Conceptions emerge from and enter into practice." Cornbleth (1990).
The fact that it speaks of ourselves as part of the curriculum is so true. I know as I develop I like to think of myself as totally impartial, but I am sure that at times my own biases creep in. After writing my entry on the lack of curriculum (formalized) in Nova Scotia it really bothered me that those three years might have just been for myself and not students.
Since the first AR project that we did in this Masters course I have seen the value (no pun intended) in embracing and recognizing my biases and working with them. A little of me goes into each lesson and that is why if one bombs I take it a little personally. I ask myself usually "What did I do wrong?" Not what went wrong. What did I do or "What can I do to make it better?" I am putting myself into what I am teaching. Therefore I am becoming part of the curriculum.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
2 comments:
Good points Todd.
You've captured the Action Research/ postmodern thought about education quite nicely with your quote.
Post a Comment