This Paper Examines The Curriculum Ideologies And The Future Implementation Of My Personal Philosophy Of Curriculum

The instructional setting for this task is my current classroom. I am a 5th/6th grade SS and ELA teacher. For the purpose of this paper, I have chosen to use the statistics of the fifth grade. I have a total of 15 students, 10 males and 5 females. 10 of these students qualify for SPED services, as they either have an IEP or a 504. Our classroom is located on the third floor of our building. The technology in our classroom includes a projector, document camera and almost 1:1 with iPads. 
 Our school is located in rural, central Indiana. We are a free public charter school. The charter is sponsored by Ball State University and is on the terms of a place based learning environment. A three-story concrete building from the 19 __’s, is centered between a cornfield, worn county road and a small post office.

A typical day of school is from 7:50-3:15, Monday-Friday. The building is in use much longer each day, as we are an important staple in our community. Prior to the first bell, staff members are busy preparing for the day ahead. Students have the opportunity to eat breakfast, and receive tutoring. After school, various extra curricular activities take place from academic clubs to sport team practices. This paper will examine the curriculum ideologies, the role and potential implications of each as it pertains to my instructional setting and the future implementation of my personal philosophy of curriculum.

The first ideology that I would like to evaluate and consider its potential role in my instructional setting is Social Reconstruction. It aims to rid society of the less than desirable aspects. In turn, it looks to redirect and form an ideal environment. A student is viewed as the product of society, with the possible ability to contribute to the betterment of society after a proper education. Learning is best described in this format as students going through this process-exposure to new information, mixing with their prior understanding of the topic, and from there deciding on assimilation or accommodation as the best way to commit it to memory. The teacher is responsible for preparing the learning environment, guiding, motivating and assessing the students along the way.

The aims of Social Reconstruction fit into my instructional setting at large in regards to the school charter. Place based learning focuses on students and the community coming together to create unique learning experiences. The desired result of place based education is for students to develop a foundation of understanding and respect for the uniqueness of their community. This in turn, helps build skills to recognize problems around them and look for appropriate solutions as members of the community.
 The next ideology to evaluate is, Social Efficiency. This idea focuses on preparing students to fulfill the needs of society. Both in their professional and personal realms. Learning requires practice. This practice is required to maintain and reach mastery.

he change in behavior is the desired result. The teachers role is to evaluate the community and determine its needs. Educators decide which behaviors will demonstrate these competencies, and create the learning environment that will produce the desired change. Who the student will transform into, is at the heart of this curriculum design. Reflecting on my instructional setting, Social Efficiency is an appropriate fit. This is evident when considering the student, society and pre-determined competencies heavily influence the additional learning resources selected for content support.

Scholar Academic is the third ideology to consider. The aims of this ideology is best said as to “learn the accumulated knowledge of our culture in relation to the academic disciplines.” ( )The student first begins as novice and will in time achieve the role as master in the area of the defined discipline. Curriculum should be formed to include a platform for students to__. The teacher must poses a deep understanding of their respective disciplines and be clear and appropriate communicators of this information. “Knowledge is loosely equivalent to intellect” and because of this __. In terms of evaluation, successful demonstration of the thinking process and behaviors are aligned to the discipline in question.

Learner Centered is the last ideology for evaluation and consideration. As in its name, it is central focus is on the learner. Its goal is to create meaning and growth for all who are involved in the given realm. Students are viewed and appreciated for their individuality not in comparison to the norms. They come to make meaning by interacting with the environment, as a result of responding to inclinations and impulses. Teachers consider the whole child, from interests to needs. They create a safe and stimulating environment to host given interactions, represent an honest role model and easily able to respond to a student in a way that shows understanding of the individual.

Learning is a natural occurrence that happens without being the main attraction. It comes from daily social interactions and the cognitive process that takes place to the response that follows. The responses move from concrete to abstract with time and exposure. Once this knowledge is deemed worthwhile, it is accommodated or assimilated to fit. The idea of knowledge is formed around the individual and the meaning they make of it. Evaluation is a process that is regularly done my both the teacher and the student and not necessarily in the traditional modes. Product evaluations that include portfolios are a popular method of this ideology.