Abstract This paper discusses several studies that have been carried out on evaluating and planning the secondary school curriculum. Among others, the author reviews one study on the relationships between universities and industries and another on the transition from primary to secondary school. The author also discusses a study on the various factors that will affect the content of secondary school curricula in the coming decade and another on the connection between investment in secondary education and economic growth. The author concludes from the reviewed literature that the secondary school curriculum needs revision in order better prepare students to enter the work world, and that today's world curriculum development involves many sectors of society including the business, corporate and industry sectors and the collaboration of educational institutions and community agencies.
Outline:
Purpose of the Study
Introduction
Curricular Changes in the Next Decade: What and Why?
Curricular Content in the Next Decade
Curricular Content: Influencers
Curricular Content: Development and Design
Summary and Conclusion
From the Paper "Content in the curriculum in secondary schools over the next decade is likely to have two focuses, which are curriculum for students bound for college and curriculum for students bound for vocational and career training. These are often referred to as 'college-track' programs and 'career-track' programs of curriculum. The former prepares the student to enter college and in the initiative of earning a degree while the latter is a curriculum program designed to prepare the student for a career immediately following graduation from high school. Technology learning will be a primary focus in the content of secondary school curriculum over the next decade as practically all business processes and functions involve some type of technology knowledge. Even for students who will not attend college, technology training is important in their preparation to enter the contemporary workforce."
Tags: global, employability, academic, government, requirement, inclusive, challenge, employment, career
Abstract The paper deals with American and French curricular education. The paper discusses the causes and influences upon the curriculum and their major movements.
Outline:
What are the major movements in the curriculum history?
What institution(s) (home, church, school, business, or government) influenced these changes? How has the view of learners changed over time?
Elementary Curricular History: French Education
What are the major movements in the curriculum history?
What institution(s) (home, church, school, business, or government) influenced these changes? How has the view of learners changed over time?
From the Paper "Despite its relatively short history, America has gone through many shifts in philosophy, from the extremities of curricular difference during the colonial period of upper-class British-style education versus lower-class apprenticeships, to the Common Schools of Horace Mann and their focus on commercial development, democracy, and assimilation, to the free spirited 60s, and the current stress upon remaining competitive internationally in America today. However, a much older nation, that of France, has similarly reflected a fusion of civic concerns with that of philosophy. In the 19th century, Hippolyte Carnot, minister of public instruction and religion before the revolution "sent a circular to all the rectors of the academies (administrative units of public instruction) exhorting them to enlist school teachers in the republican cause. Teachers should prepare manuals, modeled after the Catholic catechism, to teach children the rights and duties of citizens under the republic and 'guarding against ignorance.' This Rousseauian idea of forming man was to have a distinctly secular and republic base, which would supersede religious and local culture" (Chastain 2000). These ideals were later codified into French by the Ferry Laws in the 1880s"
Abstract This paper discusses the criteria needed before engaging in curricular reform. It expands on the methods for a successful evaluation of modifications. The paper also considers several factors to be examined in order to create a sense of the system as a whole. Namely, the views of the teacher, the expectations and worries of the students and the values of the institution (or central board) devising the curriculum.
From the Paper "There are different aspects that are important for change of education, and we have taken note of them. These aspects are generally thought to be very important for childhood education, but have an effect of all types of education if through no other process than the development of the child-student. The first component in this is the focus that has to be laid on the child and how the needs of the child for cognitive, social, emotional and physical needs can be met. This means that the educators who meet the child in early childhood have to be very well aware of the process of development of children and be capable enough to implement that knowledge in terms of teaching the child."
Abstract This paper explains that the rate of introduction of new technologies is increasing and changing the ways in which people communicate with others, interact with ideas to increase their knowledge base and to educate and entertain themselves; therefore, the schools must prepare students for a life of constant change and the ability to incorporate new technologies as a natural part of their play and learning. The author points out that, in addition to being prepared for the information age, particular emphasis should be given to social and environmental education, science, technology and modern languages. The paper stresses that many educational institutions are going to become more market-driven and responsive to the needs of their learners, particularly adult learners, in the coming years.
Table of Contents
What Curricular Changes in the Next 10 Years?
What will be its Content?
What will Influence this Content?
Who will be Involved in its Development and Design?
What Part will You Play in this Curriculum Development?
How will these Changes Impact You Personally?
From the Paper "An old saying suggests that, "one person can make a difference," but curriculum development is not an individual endeavor by any measure but rather a collective experience that requires careful consideration of who is going to need to learn what and for how long and why. The same market forces, though, that Adam Smith identified will play an increasing role in shaping what curriculum developments will emerge in the coming years. If an institution of higher learning fails to provide its adult students with a relevant curriculum that is delivered in a manner that is readily accessible to them, these students will likely continue to shop around until they find a school that meets their needs; it will be in this "invisible hand" capacity that I will help to shape curriculum development over the coming 10 years."
Abstract This study analyzes the effectiveness of preparing for college through three important strategies SAT testing, volunteer groups, and extra-curricular activities in high school education. By actively pursuing greater testing skills, SATs can help build an information base for college's tedious demands. Furthermore, one can also learn to work with the community through volunteer groups, which help to build a realistic and community based approach for a career one might pursue in college. The paper further discusses the foundation of extra-curricular activities often builds a well rounded education that gives me wider skills for college education. This study effectively prepares a student for college by learning SAT testing skills, volunteer groups, and extra-curricular activities at the high school.
Abstract The paper defines instructional levels and the teacher's challenge to meet the instructional levels of so many different learners. The paper then explains the term development levels that refers to students' cognitive, social and emotional characteristics and quantifies how a student's performance compares with others their own age and ability levels. The paper then looks at disabilities and explains that they should be an essential part of any curriculum discussion because they can impact a student's ability to learn certain material. Finally, the paper discusses reading levels and curricular goals that help teachers structure and focus their lessons.
Outline:
Instructional Levels
Development Levels
Disabilities
Reading Levels
Curricular Goals
From the Paper "According to Burns, VanDerHeyden, and Jiban (2007), instructional level refers to the level at which students find tasks challenging, but achievable. The instructional risk here is that students who are not challenged will not be interested in school work and will not have the opportunity to expand the scope of their intellectual powers. Yet students who cannot achieve assigned tasks often feel great frustration that leads them to negative attitudes toward schooling."
Abstract This paper examines how, considering the increasing use of drugs among today's youth, drug testing in schools has become necessary. It looks at how the ramifications of using these drugs are detrimental to both the individual and society as a whole and how drug testing is meant to protect students from the harmful effects and has been shown to deter drug use in a large percentage of those on whom it has been practiced. It shows how the procedures themselves are non-invasive and result in no side effects and how the United States Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of these evaluations. It also evaluates how the random drug testing of students involved in extra curricular activities is a positive and beneficial policy and should be mandatory in schools.
From the Paper "The argument that testing is an invasion of privacy and infringes on civil rights is easily discredited. The process of a urinalysis test goes as follows: "a faculty monitor waits outside the closed restroom stall for the student to produce a sample and must listen for the normal sounds of urination to guard against tampered specimens and ensure an accurate chain of custody" (Kozlowski 34). This is considered to be a negligible intrusion of privacy. These tests are compared to standard head lice checks. Katherine Ford, the director of the Florida Drug Free America Foundation says, ?No one claims it is a violation of a child's civil rights to have their head checked for lice."
This paper discusses sport as presented in Hughes's novel, "Tom Brown's School Days", which was written in 1857, and is the story of young Tom Brown, a student at the public school called Rugby School.
Abstract This paper explains that the schoolboys at Rugby, as might be expected, play rugby football, which is quite different from American football. The author points out that competitive games are a large part of their schooling at Rugby, but they do not take the place of schooling; they are extra-curricular activities meant to tax the body as well as the mind and to keep the boys hale and healthy. The paper concludes that, today, sports in college are "big business?; whereas, in Tom Brown's day, sports were about the pride of the school and learning lessons that could be used later in life, such as teamwork and leadership skills.
From the Paper "The book was extremely popular when it was published in 1857. Hughes essentially recreated the life he knew playing Victorian sports atschool, and readers identified with his writing ? especially young men. No one had ever written a story like this before, although several "university" novels followed "Tom Brown's" success. Hughes followed up his wildly successful book with another, "Tom Brown at Oxford," which was not nearly as popular, since so many other authors had written similar novels by the time it came out in 1861."
Tags: women, victorian, extra-curricular, morals, business
Abstract This paper provides an analysis of curriculum trends in America's public and private schools over the next decade and notes that the trend in the past has been to modify the curriculum in an effort to learn and do the right things. The paper includes a summary of the research in the conclusion.
Background and Overview
What Curricular Changes Will We See and Why?
What Will be the Content of the Curriculum in the Next 10 Years
What and Who Will Influence Content?
Who Will be Involved in its Development and Design
What Part will you Play in Curriculum Development in the Next 10 Years
How will These Changes Impact you Personally
From the Paper "In spite of initiatives such as the Eight-Year Study and student-centered learning, public schools in American have remained deeply entrenched in traditional teaching; nevertheless, because the need is so great, renewed efforts to reconceptualize teaching in order to improve learning continue to emerge (Gross, 1997). What subjects should be taught in our schools, by what means, to whom, under what circumstances, and with what objective in mind? According to Reid (1999), these are the fundamental questions of curriculum that continue to be debated by politicians, administrators, educators, and, not least, the public at large; however, just what is curriculum? "It is a multitude of encounters between teachers (practitioners) and students (clients) in circumstances of great individuality, where outcomes are seldom predictable" (Reid, 1999, p. 3). In addition, a curriculum is also, by necessity, an institution. This is possible because both educators and the public alike have a firm conception of curriculum as institution, which includes concepts of "gradedness" (what it means to be a fifth grader), concepts of "subjectness" (what it means to study fifth-grade geography), and so forth (Reid, 1993). "
Abstract The paper critically analyzes cross-curricular approaches to teaching the foundation subjects and religious education (RE), alongside standard subject-based approaches.
From the Paper "Whilst it is important to gain an understanding of the definitions of the approaches considered, It is equally important to recognise how developments in primary teaching have influenced current thinking. The introduction of the National Curriculum saw the subject areas subdivided, and allotted differing degrees of status depending upon whether they were core or foundation subjects. The introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy (NNS) and National Literacy Strategy (NLS), resulted in OFSTED relaxing the requirement to report on the foundation subjects (Barnes, 2007: 15). This resulted in children receiving limited access to the learning of foundation subjects and RE. The report All Our Futures (National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education (NACCCE) 1999) has prompted considerable discussion on the place of creativity in the modern primary curriculum. "
Abstract The paper discusses the benefits of random screening for athletes in high schools, the proven efficacy of a drug-screening program and the fact that drug testing facilitates early detection of drug abuse. The paper then focuses on the arguments against drug testing, including the privacy concern of the student, the financial cost of the tests and the loss of trust between students and teachers or parents. The paper further relates that drug testing is less effective as a deterrent compared with other interventions, it may result in false positives and may force students to take drugs that are not easy to detect but are more dangerous. The paper therefore concludes that a more promising alternative is to increase students' awareness of the dangers of drug abuse by means of after school educational programs, counseling sessions and most importantly, promoting their participation in extra-curricular activities.
Outline:
Drug Testing Benefits
Cons of Drug Testing
From the Paper "Drug use among school students is a concerning issue for everybody including the students, parents, teachers and the society at large. As per the results of the 2006 Monitoring the Future (MTF) study almost 31.5% of high school seniors reported using marijuana at least once in the last one year while 18.3% reported to have used it within the last one month. [BJS] The abuse of prescription drugs was found to be on the rise with 15.4% of high school students reporting use within the last one year. The 2007 MTF study also revealed a decline in the perceived harmfulness of using MDMA (ecstasy) among high schoolers with an increase in its use from 2.4 to 3.5 % among 10th graders and 3 to 4.5% among 12th graders. [NIDA] Even alarming is the self reported fact that 25% of high schoolers gained access to drugs within the school property. However, the perceived dangers of drug abuse have not changed much from 1987 as is evident from the MTF graph. [BJS]"
Abstract In this article, the writer discusses that as the immigrant population in the U.S. continues not only to rise but to diversify, the educational system, and indeed, the nation has in many contexts attempted to enforce a degree of cultural uniformity inclined to either assimilate or exclude incoming cultures. The writer first considers the need for a greater accommodation of multicultural social and community interests in the universities. Subsequently, the writer draws a connection between considerations of multicultural education as they are related to the institution of multicultural extra-curricular interests. The writer then draws on these considerations in a discussion on technology orientation, social networking and includes some recommendations relating to these avenues for multicultural socialization.
From the Paper "Categories of diversity to be considered are ethnicity, socioeconomic background and geographical origin, all of which today are presences establishing a multicultural makeup subsisting under far too uniform a curricular outlook. This introduces a theme which will emerge as recurrent in other contexts of the present discussion, that a foundational need elicited by the diversity of our overall student body calls for a similar diversity in our overall preparatory and continuing education of faculty. With regard to Boyer's approach to the subject, we can see that there is a demand for a greater cultural openness in our schools, where an impression of cultural openness as reflected in the makeup of the staff invokes a greater sense of culturally expressive freedom amongst students. At present, the overwhelming reflection of Caucasian ethnicity at faculty and administrative levels of our universities does not go unnoticed by students, as this condition serves to highlight the isolation and resultant reluctance toward expressive freedom experienced by those of ethnic difference. And quite certainly, the presence of a more diverse faculty body should help to facilitate a ready relationship between student groups and faculty advisors of common multicultural interests. This is yet another way in which the university needs to directly provoke a meaningful relationship between curricular and extra-curricular aspects of campus life."
Abstract This paper debates the advantages and disadvantages of home schooling and public school education. This work focuses on both the pros and cons of home schooling and public compulsory education. Some of the main points of contention between home school advocates and public school advocates are related to socialization, cultural and moral issues, curricular issues, individualized learning issues, and of course focused and class size and school safety concerns. The paper asks: Does a home school setting offer enough curricular diversity?; Does a home school setting offer enough socio-cultural diversity?
From the Paper "Choosing the type of education your child will utilize is a very personal decision and is often debated on a philosophical, psychological and sadly even on an economic level. (Zellman1998 pp. 370-308). Because the decision is so personal and the perceived risks, sacrifices and rewards are so large many people both before and after the fact build very strong and vocal cases for the decision they have or will make for their child. In some cases this very vocal and powerful case for one or the other system can be seen as a demonstration that the other choices are less valid and or less beneficial to the child."
Abstract This paper reviews extant literature on youth violence, its extra-curricular motivations, its inappropriateness in a curricular setting, the role of television, gangs and drugs, and alcohol in creating a culture of youth violence that stems from unsupervised time, and the polemical argument between advocates and opponents of the zero-tolerance policy as it is presented as a way of reducing school violence in terms of both actual effect and perception.
Introduction
Literature Review
Areas for Further Research
Conclusion
From the Paper "This policy is restricted by nature to within the walls of the institution, but unfortunately, the root of school violence may not be in the school setting itself. In fact, most students do not spend most of their time in the school setting: most students spend up to eight percent of their time away from school, with their school hours making up only a small minority of their total time. Therefore, although the root of school violence may lie in what students are doing during this unsupervised time, during their supervised time at school, a zero-tolerance policy can target behavior at its ends rather than its means and keep the time that students do spend at school safe, with the assumption being that students will be shocked into line by a set of policies that monitors their time at school strictly enough to deter them from even playacting or fantasizing along themes that suggest violent behavior within the school itself. The zero-tolerance policy differs from school to school, but predominantly, the policy seeks to cut down on a youth culture that
too often expresses itself anti-social activities such as gang violence and drugs instead of more productive, future-looking activities."
Reviews work on corruption of community & medical system by creation of diseases, expansion of health service sector and the curricularization of health education.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 1 source, 1997, $ 47.95
From the Paper "The Careless Society: Community and Its Counterfeits, by John McKnight, is a collection of lectures and articles written from 1972 to 1992 by the author. McKnight is the director of the Community Studies Program at the Center for Urban Affairs and Policy Research at Northwestern University. He uses his experience working in communities and at the center as the basis for most of the book. The work is not a scholarly text, but a series of observations and opinions based on McKnight's experiences which he supports by examples, studies, and anecdotes.
The problems he addresses include street crime, poverty, ill health, and the despair people face when they feel powerless and alone. McKnight criticizes the social service industry for many of the items on this list. He suggests that providing.."
