Maria and 21st Century standards

 As more and more schools incorporate the new 21st century standards into their curriculum, my question is this:

How do you think these new 21st century standards will affect the curriculum that you apply in your classroom? Why do you take this position? Do you feel that future generations will profit from these new standards? Why? And finally.............have you noticed any changes in your district’s curriculum over the last few years? What are those changes and do they speak to the 21st century standards?

Nicole and the Sequencing of Curriculum

When it comes to creating a year-long curriculum there are many aspects to keep in mind. One is how well the curriculum flows and how well it is aligned to subsequent grade-level curricula. The following article(s) puts into perspective another reason why analyzing a curriculum and developing each part piece by piece is important. What are your thoughts and opinions about the “Sourdough” method and how well does it sum up everything we’ve talked about in class? Why is sequencing important when creating a curriculum?

https://www.tes.com/news/why-curriculum-sequencing-baking-sourdough-teaching-learning-schools 

https://www.teachwire.net/news/curriculum-sequencing-how-to-decide-what-to-teach-and-when 

 Arts in the Schools!! There are standards.  There are mandates.  Still, there are schools and school districts in New Jersey that do not have the required arts (either performing or fine) being taught in their schools.  The research is clear when it comes to social-emotional learning and the arts.  The research is clear, there is a correlation between English language arts and theatre.  The research is clear, there is a correlation between math and music programs.  The world can see the self-expression that comes through in a student's art product and the world realizes that dance is also physical exercise. 

School districts offer after-school activities or bring in artists in residence for a day or two, but that small gesture is not the same as having a full blown arts program, one that includes fine arts, theater arts, and dance) embedded into the school's curriculum. I believe that the funding is there, it just needs to be allocated.  Why is this not happening?  

Below are links to a few articles that may help you with your response.   

https://www.newjerseytitle1arts.org/

https://www.newjerseystage.com/articles/2021/09/10/arts-ed-nj-debuts-video-beyond-the-boundaries-arts-education-through-a-pandemic/

https://www.tapinto.net/towns/newark/sections/arts-and-entertainment/articles/nj-department-of-education-announces-statewide-student-art-project

https://www.schools.nyc.gov/learning/subjects/arts/celebrate-doe-arts

 Recently in the news,  there has been more coverage on the push for "parental control" in education. On election day, voters across the country, including in New Jersey, voted to elect board members who had promised to work toward greater "parental control" in school districts.  Even some who ran for governor vowed to allow more "parental control," like in Virginia and New Jersey. The reason for this is because certain people believe education needs a setback to the "basics" and that parent input could be the answer. If parents were to be given greater"parental control" what do think the future of our education system would look like? Do you think ur students would benefit from more "parental control" in education,  or would that hinder education, based on what we've learned in this class?  How much parental involvement do you think our education system needs?

Here are some recent articles about "parental control" and a study on too much parental involvement: 

https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/2021/11/05/school-board-parental-control-vote-nj-election-day/6282115001/ 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/youngkin-pledged-more-parental-control-of-education-but-changes-face-opposition/2021/11/03/fdc83a1a-3be8-11ec-8ee9-4f14a26749d1_story.html

https://news.stanford.edu/2021/03/11/study-reveals-impact-much-parental-involvement/

Altisha wants you to shed light on assessment.

 What is the role of formative and summative assessments when it comes to curriculum development? Do you believe that these assessments help those who are charged with developing new curriculum to enhance curriculum development?  In essence, What should we be doing with these assessments and how should we do it?   

Alvin Toffler (1980), a renowned futurist, had this to say about a redefined curriculum in an age of technology:   

"Nothing should be included in the required curriculum unless it can be strongly justified in terms of the future.  If this means scrapping a substantial part of our formal curriculum, so be it (p. 3).........(as cited in Wiles and Bondi, p. 170)

 Do you agree or disagree with this statement?   Explain.   How do you think John Dewey would react to this statement?   

Nicole is interested in knowing your thoughts on the importance of academic and hidden curriculum

 

Below you will find links to two interesting articles about curriculum, hidden curriculum, and the importance of each.    You may wish to read at least one of the articles and answer one of the following questions:  

1.    1. Why do you think having a well-rounded curriculum is important? Why do you think we should “treasure” the curriculum? What aspects of a curriculum do you think are most important to include?

2  2. What about the “hidden curriculum” do you think is important? Do you think certain aspects of the “hidden curriculum” should be incorporated into the written curriculum? Why or why not?

 

Article on “Why is Curriculum Important?”: https://www.classcraft.com/blog/why-is-curriculum-important/ 

Article on “Hidden Curriculum”: https://blog.teachmint.com/what-is-a-hidden-curriculum/