KSDE Mathematics Curriculum:
This resource provides information regarding revisions to the Kansas curriculum in mathematics. It states that the most recent state mathematics curriculum revisions took place in 1993, 1999, and 2003. The first revision stemmed from a Kansas State Board of Education motion for improvement in 1989 and served as a basis for future revisions.
If the revision cycle, as mentioned in the text, remained consistent, additional revisions would have occurred in 2009. The curriculum did not update at that time; rather, the state seems to be waiting for the Common Core Standards to conduct revisions to the state curriculum, which helps to explain the change in pattern.
<http://www.cvilleschools.com/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.ksde.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=9Of%252f53hRla8%253d%26tabid=1678%26mid=5716>
North Carolina Textbook Selection Guide for English Language Arts:
Chapter 5 says, “Textbooks are not in the place of primacy they once occupied, and they may no longer be the gatekeepers of knowledge” (58). Our generation has an abundance of resources to utilize for instruction.
In my perspective, textbooks should serve as a resource for instruction. And while a textbook may provide a foundation for our instruction, I struggle to see the textbook as a well-rounded, all-inclusive resource. We should try to find texts to match the district’s curriculum and vision for instruction; however, it’s impossible to find a single textbook to effectively accomplishes every goal.
The Department of Public Instruction for the state of North Carolina guide for textbook selection has a different view, as it discusses the concept. Page 2 reads, “The criteria for review can apply to materials for all aspects of the curriculum.” They want a textbook to serve as a resource for everything. I can’t help but question how effectively a single textbook can achieve this purpose.
<http://www.cvilleschools.com/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/curriculum/languagearts/middlegrades/2005textbookbrochure.pdf>
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
In the field of education, with national standards looming and accountability at an all-time high, school districts will soon face the responsibilities associated with updating curricula. Additionally, districts need to anticipate another significant shift: revisions to the systems of accountability they have grown accustomed to using.
What should districts do to prepare? Glatthorn and Jailall suggest retooling curriculum and instructional programs to ensure a greater focus on both accountability and learning. They state that the role of the principal is beginning to tilt, including an increased role in both curriculum development and the development of instructional leadership.
But with this increased focus on curriculum development, accountability, and instructional leadership, there are a number of other issues to consider. What should the revised curricula incorporate? How will this compare with previous curricula? Who will be responsible for developing the new curriculum in each course? How much focus should we place on testing?
In exploring these issues, I found varied perspectives. The Guardian, A British publication, discusses a lack of facts and other vital knowledge that was overlooked in previous national standards. An American blog discusses a decrease in creativity as we place a greater focus on meeting the grade.
Regardless of what our new national standards include, districts and building leaders will continually influence what we teach and how we teach it. If the standards require that we teach an array of facts, districts will need to evaluate the standards to develop specific benchmarks to target these standards. These will guide the teachers as they develop lessons to teach the benchmarks in an effective manner.
I anticipate that we may lose something in the area of creativity, but effective teachers can adjust their practices to provide students with an opportunity for enrichment. And as we adjust to the new standards, we'll learn to incorporate more opportunities to increase student creativity.
Article from a British publication:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/jan/20/national-curriculum-review-facts-and-vital-knowledge?commentpage=2#start-of-comments
Blog entry about NCLB vs. Creativity:
http://peterpappas.blogs.com/copy_paste/2010/07/as-nclb-narrows-the-curriculum-creativity-declines.html
What should districts do to prepare? Glatthorn and Jailall suggest retooling curriculum and instructional programs to ensure a greater focus on both accountability and learning. They state that the role of the principal is beginning to tilt, including an increased role in both curriculum development and the development of instructional leadership.
But with this increased focus on curriculum development, accountability, and instructional leadership, there are a number of other issues to consider. What should the revised curricula incorporate? How will this compare with previous curricula? Who will be responsible for developing the new curriculum in each course? How much focus should we place on testing?
In exploring these issues, I found varied perspectives. The Guardian, A British publication, discusses a lack of facts and other vital knowledge that was overlooked in previous national standards. An American blog discusses a decrease in creativity as we place a greater focus on meeting the grade.
Regardless of what our new national standards include, districts and building leaders will continually influence what we teach and how we teach it. If the standards require that we teach an array of facts, districts will need to evaluate the standards to develop specific benchmarks to target these standards. These will guide the teachers as they develop lessons to teach the benchmarks in an effective manner.
I anticipate that we may lose something in the area of creativity, but effective teachers can adjust their practices to provide students with an opportunity for enrichment. And as we adjust to the new standards, we'll learn to incorporate more opportunities to increase student creativity.
Article from a British publication:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/jan/20/national-curriculum-review-facts-and-vital-knowledge?commentpage=2#start-of-comments
Blog entry about NCLB vs. Creativity:
http://peterpappas.blogs.com/copy_paste/2010/07/as-nclb-narrows-the-curriculum-creativity-declines.html
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