Curriculum Analysis as Seen Through

¶ … curriculum analysis as seen through the philosophies of a public school curriculum.

In the typical public school curriculum there are several inherent educational philosophies. The first philosophy is that every child can learn. The school curriculum is laid out in such a manner that in each subject the steps build upon one another with the belief that every child is capable of learning grade level material if it is presented in a way that can be easily grasped and then understood.

The second philosophy to the public school's typical curriculum is that a teacher should be the provider of access to information rather than be the source of information. This can be seen in the teaching editions of each of the textbooks used, in which there are suggested activities for the teacher to use that will enhance and encourage the retention of textbook information.

One of the things that has come about in recent years is the philosophy that hands on education is as important as reading education can be. Years ago the curriculum provided lectures and reading lessons however, there was little interactive or hands on teaching involved. Today's public school curriculum has many more hands on, interactive styled lessons than curriculums of the past have had (Sample Educational Philosophy Statements (accessed 4-26-07) (http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/ed416/sample.html).

In addition the curriculum philosophy uses many more examples of current events than has been used in previous generations. The philosophy is that students learn best when they can relate it to current real life events.

Equally important to self-discovery is having the opportunity to study things that are meaningful and relevant to one's life and interests. Developing a curriculum around student interests fosters intrinsic motivation and stimulates the passion to learn. One way to take learning in a direction relevant to student interest is to invite student dialogue about the lessons and units of study. Given the opportunity for input, students generate ideas and set goals that make for much richer activities than I could have created or imagined myself. When students have ownership in the curriculum, they are motivated to work hard and master the skills necessary to reach their goals (Sample Educational Philosophy Statements (accessed 4-26-07) (http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/ed416/sample.html)."

The philosophical footprints being used today can help one gain a better understanding of the school's curricular policies in several ways.

The first and most important philosophy is that every child can learn. Today's educators have been taught that children have different learning styles and that if these styles are identified and addressed than every child with rare exception is capable of learning.