Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Curriculum: Let it be your guide
Adults need organization and the ability to measure success. I agree with Dewey that Curriculum is for the teacher. Montessori schools and other creative based schools seem to increase the creativity of a child and give the child more control on his education. There should be a balance between the two. The Child needs to feel like he contributes to his own educational path, but the curriculum should be there as a guide, like a sherpa on a mountain. You know you need to get to the top, but some paths are more easily travelled. Other more zealous mountain climbers might want to go straight up without scaffolds, and the sherpa (teacher w/curriculum) should be flexible enough to guide all types of climbers (learners). We seem to talk about this in every course. Flexibility is the key to a teacher's success and also these days, to a teacher's survival. A child could care less what information you are delivering and what standard it covers in the world of No Child Left Behind. However, if it is fun and interesting, the child will learn something.
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I believe everyone can admit that your favorite teacher was usually the one that was one of the hardest, that challeneged you, but that you learned the most from.
I think those teachers fit the mold of "making learning fun." They expect a lot out of their students but are willing to go the extra mile to make sure that the students are understanding the material enough for it to "create an experience" in their mind, one which they can draw from in the future.
I believe that standardized test scores have squashed much of the creativity that once existed in the classroom. Lesson plans have to be approved well in advance and leave no room for spontinuity and creative exploration. Students in the early childhood education system do not understand the importance of the No Child Left Behind Act, nor do they care. They go to school to see their friends, see their teacher, make art projects and occassionally learn something new to share at the dinner table with their families. For me, my goal in kindergarten was to loose teeth as often as possible because my teacher would make us "tooth" necklaces that made you feel special and you could wear around all day. I don't remember any other lessons when I was four, just the experiences that were positive in my memory.
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