INTRODUCTION

Let's begin Chapter 7 by trying to understand the broad notion of curriculum. The textbook distinguishes between curriculum-as-taught and the curriculum-as-tested. Sergiovanni and Starrat also explore how teaching can promote "authentic learning" which in turn is reflected in "authentic assessments".

Curriculum (cur·ric·u·lum (k?-rik'y?-l?m) n., pl. cur·ric·u·la (-l?) or cur·ric·u·lums) is defined as 1. all the courses of study offered by an educational institution. 2. A group of related courses, often in a special field of study: eg. the engineering curriculum. n. A common term these days is Curriculum Differentiation.

What does this term mean in modern schools. Here is a great site which clearly defines the term.http://wilmette.nttc.org/wilmette/CDpage/definition.html

Here is another site http://tcla.gseis.ucla.edu/rights/features/7/ppt/curriculum/

Brophy and Alleman (1991) identify 4 Primary principles for learning to take place. They are:

1. The activity must be developmentally related to an important program goal.
2. The activity must be sufficiently difficult to "stretch" the student.
3. The activity must be feasible (within the constraints such as time, apace and type of student.
4. The benefits must justify it costs.

Here is an example of a mathematics curriculum: Elementary Level Performance Expectations for the Norroistown Area School District. You can see as one progresses from Kindergarten to Grade 8 that the activities are sufficiently difficult to "stretch" students. Can you determine if the activity is feasible in terms of time and space?

Now let's turn to thoughts from a book which introduces readers to some of the teaching models that have been developed, polished, and studied during the modern era of educational research. The authors (Bruce R. Joyce and Emily F. Calhoun, Creating Learning Experiences: The Role of Instructional Theory and Research)hope that teachers, teaching centers, school districts, and developers of curriculums and instructional materials will study these models and discover modes of teaching that have great power for learners. Here are some of the all inclusive models of teaching and learning found in Chapter 2 of their book:The Families of Teaching Models.

• Information-Processing Models
• Social Models
• Personal Models
• Behavioral Systems Models

For more detailed information on these models look here http://www.ascd.org/readingroom/books/joyce96book.html#chap2