Educational Leadership and Cultural Foundations
ELC 615 FOUNDATIONS OF CURRICULUM
Course Syllabus: Spring 2005
Three credits
1.
For Whom Planned: Elective and required course in the Masters of School Administration, the Ed.S.
and Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, the Ph.D. in Cultural Foundations, and
other departments in the school of education or across the university.
2.
Instructor Information: Dr. Leila E. Villaverde, 246 Curry Building,
hours by appt., office: 334-3475, levillav@uncg.
3.
Course Purpose/Catalog Description: Historical,
cultural, and sociopolitical foundations of curriculum theory and practice.
Emphasis on ideological shifts in transformative practice, curriculum
development/analysis, and relations between curriculum, individual, and
society.
This course undertakes the study of curriculum foundations in ways that not only closely examines current curriculum structure and orientations, but also rethinks the nature of curriculum construction. As part of the overview in foundations, the course will equip students with skills (possibilities) to plan, evaluate, and implement curriculum. “Planning,” “evaluation,” and “implementation” are technical terms for thinking, conceptualizing, analyzing, and living. In this course curriculum is regarded as a portal for learning, teaching, and education. We will thoroughly think about and through curriculum, its content, purpose, aesthetic, and culture. Curriculum, the core of education, is to be situated as a life-long endeavor exercised on a daily basis in and out of school. The field of education, specifically curriculum is complicated by issues of politics, identity, power, and place, therefore the planning of curriculum must confront and engage, not neglect these issues. The orchestration and choreography of curriculum is a complex endeavor involving the whole being and society, past, present, and future, memory, and re-membrance. In this course the familiar will be questioned, critiqued, unfamiliarized, and deconstructed in search for further meaning on the structure and planning of education, as we know it. The focus of the course is to redefine/ transform the possibilities for education, practice, and learning through the analysis, critique and planning of curriculum. Critical questions are raised in regards to the level of engagement we demand from our students and ourselves. What do we expect/ demand from others that we don’t expect from ourselves or why do we lessen standards for ourselves, and therefore others? Interrogating these expectations is critical to the discourse of hope necessary to instigate change in our educational institutions. See yourself and students as more than receivers of knowledge, but rather as producers of it. In essence this course will prepare its students with critical tools in which to plan and analyze all that curriculum entails (beyond standards) and to socially and academically improve learning and school culture. The course is demanding on both intellectual and practical levels. Be prepared to think and rethink, question, and challenge, even what is most common or second nature. Most importantly maximize the opportunities that arise to implement and expand the ways in which we use education to produce change.
Also think about the following questions as you go through the
course: How was your consciousness constructed in terms of learning? When did
it take place? How successful were you? Why? What or who is privileged at the expense of others? What is the hidden
curriculum? Does curriculum take issues of race, gender, class, ability, sexual
orientation, culture, age, language, accessibility, and so on, into account in
its compilation of knowledge, competencies, and experiences? Does curriculum
limit itself to school? Does curriculum and its practice promote democracy or
reify power relations in society? What is the purpose and effectiveness of
standards and its exams in the practice of curriculum? How can programs address
these issues in broader terms? How are these issues managed, exercised,
challenged, instituted at the program level? Where is change made, where is it more viable, permanent? What does it
depend on, ...look further into the obvious and take risks to dream (imagine/
plan) and enact transformational pedagogical moments.
4.
5.
Course Goals and/or Objectives/Student Learning Outcomes:
1. To
analyze, question, deconstruct, and expand, the construction of curriculum,
carefully looking at purpose, vision, organization, structure, content,
context, and effectiveness.
2. To
develop an understanding of how curriculum, programs, education, and schooling
are socially, historically, politically, physiologically, and psychologically
constructed and practiced.
3. To
engage in active analysis and design of present and future curriculum through
experiential practice and theoretical discussion, as well as developing a fund
of knowledge on the various methods/ theories/ approaches to design and discern
which to implement.
4. To
further develop a critical and reflexive understanding of who we are as
educators, curriculum specialists, and what education has the potential to do/
be in this society.
5. To understand and promote a more active/ critical learner
participation in the educational process.
6.
Teaching Strategies: Lecture, class discussion, group work, conferences, student presentations, etc.
7.
Evaluation Methods and Guidelines for Assignments: *All assignments must be typed. Please use APA style for any type of
documentation and always exhibit the utmost degree of professionalism, and
uphold the academic integrity policy set forth by the university.
participation: It is imperative to be prepared, deal with the content, its
translation into practice, and your thoughts and feelings about the themes that
arise in the readings and class. Your participation is paramount, not only for
your grade, but for the success and benefit of the entire class. The presentation of your findings, questions,
comments each session is essential to the development of all our learning.
Please be respectful of other’s ideas, as well as when you challenge each
other’s ideas. Engage in an atmosphere
that is conducive to dialogue.
due 3.17
analysis of reading practices: This is an analysis of your limits, ignorance,
and reading practices based on Britzman’s article which you are to have read
(available on ereserves). Take this opportunity to assess yourself as a learner
(which impacts how you teach, supervise, lead, coordinate, and think about
curriculum). Take the questions posed in this article seriously as you deeply
think about your own thinking, learning, and what you bear to know. Think about what is normalcy, what is
acceptable/ expected to think about. Understand, analyze, and take up the study of limits, the study of
ignorance, and the study of reading practices. Deeply think about the nature of knowledge as it relates to curriculum
planning. Discuss how this analysis affects your thoughts on learning and what
is studied. Let the readings up to this
point in the course influence your thinking as well. Take a stand, express your
opinion, critically analyze, deconstruct what is being said based on what you
already know or don’t and/ or are struggling with. Cite class readings and any
other outside readings.
due 4.28
curriculum plan: In this paper you will plan a curriculum.
Utilizing previous knowledge and readings conceptualize a curriculum that
carefully addresses the necessities you see fit for the specific population,
age, grade, subject matter, school, community, gender, class, race, ability,
language, culture, and any other social, emotional, physical, or cognitive
factor relevant. Thoughtfully articulate
what you would like to see as part of curriculum and why. Why is this necessary? Connect your ideas to
broader social conversations. Explore places in society where curriculum exists
(yet might otherwise be neglected) and be creative in what you analyze/ extract
for pedagogical potential. Make connections meaningful/ relevant beyond the
walls of the class, building, or institution. Take student/ teacher/ administrator interests seriously, investigate
interdisciplinary connections, talk to your colleagues. In this you must discover/ investigate,
discuss, contextualize, and plan curriculum. Take into consideration what resources are needed or available. Make
this project feasible, real, applicable. The end product should be a curriculum
plan/ conceptualization, replete with purpose/ rationale, vision, guidelines/
framework, duration, learning experiences/events, sequence, staff development/
discussions (if needed), time, space, support, reflections (how would this be
beneficial/ necessary) resources, funds, staff, students, equipment,
references, and so on... Frame this design within a theoretical framework based
on class and outside readings. Contextualize the potential learning, why would
this work, how. Again don’t limit
yourself by what is familiar, look for the subversive presence of difference,
change, transformation within alternative spaces.
You must
be creative, critical, thorough, and challenging in how knowledge is
constructed and produced, how learning is/ is not positioned as a life-long
endeavor. Closely look at the situations
that you are in now for additional information, examine the students, the
curriculum, the community, the school in order to assess how education is
practiced and what you would want to do differently. Critically analyze these situations. Fully
think through your ideas and theorize how they would be practiced, as well as
your significance/ place/ influence/ philosophy in this process.
This paper should reflect the knowledge you have acquired/dealt with during the semester, therefore it must involve the student, teacher, director, or administrator as a whole person, not an empty vessel to be filled with knowledge or a robotic authority. Document all sources/ references/ cited work appropriately (APA style); you must have multiple references.
grading rubric:
4.0= A
3.0= B
2.0= C
1.0= D
0.0= F
8.
Required Text(s)/Readings/References:
Slattery,
P. (1995). Curriculum Development in a
Postmodern Era. NY:
*Selected
articles will be available online through ereserves.
9.
Topical Outline:
*readings
are to be read prior to the class in which they will be discussed
jan 13: introduction, overview, syllabus, curriculum planning,
imagination, pedagogy, theory, practice, analysis, inquiry, purpose, discussion
jan 20: discuss orientations and intentions, (Bolotin Joseph et al
articles, “Conceptualizing Curriculum” and “Understanding Curriculum as
Culture), (Schubert article, “Paradigms in Curriculum”)
jan 27: Watkins (article, “Black Curriculum Orientations”), (Vallance
article, “Hiding the Hidden Curriculum”), CD preface, intro (recommended), and
ch.1 (required)
feb 3: CD ch.2, (Eisner article, “Curriculum Ideologies”), (Walker &
Soltis article, “Conceptualizing Curriculum Phenomena”)
feb 10: (Purpel and Ryan article, “It Comes With the Territory”) and
(Greene article, “The Humanities and Emancipatory Possibility”)
feb 17: (Eisner article, “Dimensions of Curriculum Planning”), (Henderson
and Hawthorne article, “Transformative Curriculum Design and Planning”)
feb 24: EM intro and ch.1, (Britzman article, “Is There a Queer
Pedagogy? Or, Stop Reading Straight”)
mar 3: CD ch.3, (Giroux article, “ Dialectics and the Development of
Curriculum Theory)
mar 10: no class, spring break
mar 17: reading analysis due, CD ch. 4 + 5, EM ch.2
mar 24: EM ch.3, (Smith article, “Identity, Self, and Other in the Conduct
of Pedagogical Action”)
mar 31: EM ch.4, CD ch.6
apr 7:
apr 14: EM ch.5, CD ch.7
apr 21: CD ch.9 and ch.11, 5 moral persuasions and becoming a transformative
leader (hand out)
apr 28: final paper due, CD ch.12 and ch.13
*schedule
is subject to change
10. Other
Information: attendance/ tardy policy: Your attendance and participation are paramount in your
success for this course. Not only do you
miss out in case of an absence, but so does the entire class as each person’s
participation contributes to the learning that takes place each session. Be present, on time, and prepared. If any
problems arise, please feel free to discuss them with the professor.
special needs: please notify me
of any special needs in order to best suit your learning experience
11. Recommended
Text(s) and/or
Journal
of Curriculum Theorizing
Harvard
Educational Review
American
Educational Research Journal
Curriculum
Inquiry
Taboo:
The Journal of Culture and Education
Teachers
College Record