PME 811 Blog e-Journal: Moving from the Dominant Education Culture to More Student Centered Culture: Entry #7
How can education be re-conceptualized to include Indigenous knowledge and education and how does this new conception promote innovation in teaching and learning?
"A conception of curriculum implies a particular purpose of education with appropriate content and organization" (Sowell, E.J., 2005, p.38).
Current Education Culture:
Academic/Rationalist Conception
- This conception continues to endure as the dominant and recurring curriculum conception across most Grades 1 to 12 curricula.
- Subject matter is the focus and acquiring an understanding of the core disciplines involves learning its content, conceptual frameworks and ways of thinking.
- Scholar Academic Ideology ~ The primary goal is to help students learn the accumulated knowledge of an academic discipline.
... A re-conceptualized mashup towards an Innovative Curriculum Conception that has been re-imagined and changed to include Indigenous Education and knowledge:
- The curricular conception mash up of self-actualization and social reconstructionist.
- The learner as the focus and education involves drawing out the experiences and capabilities of learners.
- A blend of learner centered and social reconstruction ideologies.
- Society and Culture as the focus where the purpose of education is to facilitate a new and more just society.
- A view of education from a social perspective and assume that truth and knowledge are defined by cultural assumptions.
"An ideology is a collection of ideas, a comprehensive vision, a way of looking at things or a worldview that embodies the way a person or a group of people believes the world should organize and function" (Schiro, M.S., 2013, p.8).
- progressive education
- open education
- child-centered education
- developmentally appropriate practice
References:
Schiro, M. S. (2013). Introduction to the curriculum ideologies. In M. S. Schiro, Curriculum theory: Conflicting visions and enduring concerns (2nd ed., pp. 1-13). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Sowell, E. J. (2005). Curriculum: An integrative introduction (3rd ed., pp. 37-51). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Hi Julie, this is my first time visiting your blog and I'm glad I did. I can see you're using learning from previous courses in your week-to-week reflections.
ReplyDeleteI agree that an academic curriculum conception is the most enduring and prevalent; in light of the fact that the 3 R's continue to be an important component to stakeholders, I can't see it disappearing! But I'd like to think that other, more student-centered designs have been gaining popularity over the last decade or two, particularly in subject realms such as social studies and science (K-7, at least).
My question for you is whether you have thought through of any concrete connections on how new conceptions will better include indigenous learning. No doubt, in many curricular areas and levels, students are more engaged through well-designed non-traditional approaches, but more is needed to invite and embrace indigenous knowledge. Another thought -- being you use the word "knowledge" -- do you think there's still a place for such knowledge to be passed through traditional classroom design? After all, storytelling has been a staple among indigenous cultures.
Looking forward to your thoughts :)
All the best as we head into the home stretch,
-Kevin