A reflection on Curriculum Models
Curriculum Theory/Curriculum Application| September 29, 2008
A part of becoming well-versed with the major ideas and concepts in the areas of Curriculum Theory, Development and Application, I have come to understand the concept and execution of a Curriculum Model.
What is a Curriculum Model?
To explain the concept of a curriculum model, I need to start with an explanation of what a curriculum theory is. This is because a curriculum model serves as a bridge between a theory and the actual curriculum that is created based on it.
A curriculum theory lays the philosophical basis of the curriculum defining such aspects as how the student is viewed, what the role of the teacher is, the political and social context that motivates the specific curriculum to be developed, how learning is viewed, what is the significance of knowledge and so on. It defines the big ideas that make the curriculum relevant to education in a particular time and place.
Starting with the curriculum theory, we need to eventually arrive at a specific curriculum like one that explores Food with a group of 6-9 year olds in a class that lasts 14 weeks. To arrive at a curriculum so specific, there is a need for a framework that takes the philosophical ideas of the theory and translates them into implementation relevant concepts. For example, taking the ideas of the Child Centered curriculum theory that state the goal of curricula to develop the inner wisdom of children by honoring who they are, and then turning those ideas into implementable lesson plans would require a framework that identifies implementation concepts like self-reflection that would help learners get to know themselves better and so be able to guide their own learning.
A curriculum model lays a framework that translates a curriculum theory into implementable, actionable concepts that lend themselves well to the creation of a specific curriculum, unit plans and lesson plans.
What are some examples?
I came across three examples in my explorations of curricula — While these are not examples of exact models published by well-known authors, I provide them as examples of my understanding of curriculum models in general —
1. Scholar Academic + Social Efficiency driven curricula that are present at most preparatory public schools: This model of curriculum is based on the philosophy that students need to grow into experts in specific academic skills that enable them to take their place in today's industrialized socities. Driven by this kind of philosophy, the model that is at play includes concepts like emphasizing repetition and practice in order to build expertise. A model based on these theories would suggest ways in which repetition and practice can be included in any curriculum based on the theory.
2. Child Centered theory leads to an Emergent Curriculum: The Child Centered theory keeps the learning child at the front and center of education. One implementation model of this theory is an Emergent Curriculum that comes about by educators closely observing children, documenting their observations, reflecting back to the learners the observations made and suggesting possible learning actions based on the observations.
3. A Child Centered and Life Centered theory: This theory that I have conceptualized keeps the child and all of life around the child at the front and center of education. A curriculum model based on this theory includes concepts like creating space for self-reflection and ways to leverage student initiation.