C2005 Curriculum Analysis

A study conducted in 2003 by Ofsted that involved England, Denmark and Finland, showed England’s national curriculum compared to the other two countries was:

Educational Systems Need Change In the anthology Identity a Reader for Writers by John Scenters- Zapico, Cathy Davidson, in her writing “Project Classroom Makeover”, discusses how the educational system needs a big upgrade. She also talks about how so many people in today’s society seem so disinterested in school. Davidson uses rhetorical devices such as ethos, pathos, and logos to get her message across to the intended audience of teachers, that the way schools are teaching needs to change.

As we see here they’re many relations to the JROTC curriculum starting with the Appendix Mandatory Core Service Learning Chapter 8 Making a difference with service learning Lessons 1-3 which is where we made sure our project fell under its criteria. then we have Unit 3 Foundations for Success Chapter 10 Lesson 2 goals and goal setting in this lesson we learned how to create a goal and how to plan to accomplish the goal by following the SPAM (specific, positive, attainable and measurable) method. Next we noticed that the project related to the Unit 5 Geography, Map Skills and Environmental Awareness Chapter 3 Lesson 1 Local Environmental Issues and lesson 2 Global Environmental Issues which can be found on the Hard Bound books, here we saw

The United States Military Academy at West Point, New York is an accredited institution for higher learning and a federal academy that trains undergraduates to becoming commissioned officers in the United States Army. If offers students, referred to as Cadets, a Bachelor of Science degree in thirteen different majors that include economics, mechanical engineering, law, foreign languages, mathematics and history.1 Each major implements a curriculum that develops on the aspects and principles of real world situations but focuses primarily on how one will operate within the Army’s spectrum of operations. West Point, as it is commonly referred to, trains Cadets to become effective and efficient not only in their baccalaureate studies but also as

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” Mandela, N (n.d.)

The components of high-quality mathematics instruction are a standards-based curriculum and evidence-based instructional strategies. A standards-based curriculum is the content and skills that students should learn. Evidence-based instructional strategies are teaching strategies that are backed by research proving them to be effective.

When my guidance counselor and I had the first conversation about college, I knew that a liberal arts curriculum was the right way to go. It would give me the ideal environment to nourish my curiosity and intellectual drive to learn about philosophy and art. Then I realised how important practising visual arts is for me. Therefore, I was on a quest to find a liberal arts college which actively encouraged the growth of my creative drives as much as other subjects.

When planning the content and the teaching methods to be employed in the delivery of this course, it has to be borne in mind that a great number of teenaged mothers have not completed high school. Therefore, the course has to be presented in a simple manner. According to De Young (2009), if the learner cannot comprehend the written material, the materials are of little value and result in non-compliance. In addition the fact that they are teenagers means to make the course effective the course need to be presented in a dynamic “colorful” way to attract the attention and which will make an impression. Use of audio visual aids, power point presentations, some handouts, use worksheets, quizzes, group discussions, and some practical exercises would be beneficial in teaching the class. I would also include a guest speaker such as expert in midwifery and even any new mother who have gone through the same experience. I will also make use of digital imagery to show teenagers what a fetus looks like at certain stages, etc.

I find a lot of value in having a standard curriculum that is implemented statewide. I think it will be difficult to plan a uniform curriculum for a student with a disability. I think individual lesson plans should be developed to best suit the student. I understand that, and agree, that there should be shared expectations for student performance, so that no child is left behind. In my opinion, the objective of Common Core State Standards “to offer rigor and depth to a curriculum to better prepare students in the United States for college and careers for the future” (Vaughn, Bos, & Schumm, 2014, p. 306) is a great idea but has failed to be implemented successfully. When I was a student, I had the option of graduating early, when I arrived in

Eight years ago, when I was employed as a teacher at BYLC, it was only in its second year of operation. Therefore, I played and integral part in developing an alternative curriculum that would successfully engage our students and also enable us to receive full accreditation as a secondary school. Since the introduction of the Australian Curriculum (AC), I re-developed our programs and they have again been approved during an accreditation review.

Curriculum was developed the late 80s out of an aim to make learning more balanced and

Curriculum is a term often highlighted during discourse about education and most commonly understood as a policy with overt leaning outcomes for teachers to apply and achieve. Ornstein and Hunkins (1998), as cited by Selvaraj (2010), defined curriculum based on two lenses; micro and macro, which identify the term as both policy towards certain goals and what students experience with consideration for relevant theories and principles central to its development and implementation. However, Wilson (n.d.) argued that curriculum is not restricted to certain individuals, subjects and environments, since teaching and learning can also occur beyond the scope of official curriculum (Ebert & Culyer, as cited in Marsh, Clarke & Pittaway, 2014). I believe this interpretation is the closest to the true nature of curriculum, or education, as there are more complex layers to curriculum than just a written guideline. For example, not one curriculum is similar to another because it is subjected to influences from continuum number of factors, such as politics and economy. Hence, it is wise to conclude that curriculum could not be defined based on a singular perspective due to its dependability on context.

Prospective student teachers were required to choose a curriculum document from either the primary or secondary school sector for evaluation. They were required to conduct such an evaluation using the Daniel Stufflebeam’s CIPP (Context, Input, Process and Product) Model. The CIPP Model would be used to determine the usefulness of the curriculum in meeting the needs of the Trinidad and Tobago society. Based on possible weaknesses found in the document, prospective teachers were to offer appropriate alternatives to improve the document’s content and implementation.

During the Apartheid era, teachers had to under went changes within the education systems and teaching methods. As the National party introduce the idea of the Bantu Education act of 1953. This act would in its basic forms classify each race into their own future careers. The non-white or black students would have all their classes taught in Afrikaans. This new form of segregation also enforced segregation within schools. This act did not only impact the students but as well as the black teacher’s as the government had the power to decrease their salaries. In the year of 1953 a dramatic drop of teacher trainees as the amount of black teachers to started to decrease. The government also started taking the funds from non-white schools and placed

South Africa endured one of the worst colonialisation any country could have went through, whereby the Apartheid regime objectively disregarded the economic participation of the black over to those of the white population. However, the new democratic government would thereby be challenged with effectively having to deal with the challenges in which the past government had left behind. Therefore, in effectively trying to deal with the issues, alternative approaches have to be implemented in order to deliver on the challenges of the public. On the contrary, this essay will critically compare and discuss the liberal and free market, as well as the state interventionist approach as alternative solutions in dealing with current issues of social security, the health and school systems. Which would be able to transform current developmental challenges facing South Africa. In summary, the essay will thereby state which approach can transform South Africa in effectively dealing with developmental challenges currently facing South Africa.