Appropriateness Summary

Part I of the article “Resolving the Tension Between Academic Rigor and Developmental Appropriateness” touches on the purpose of middle schools. Middle schools were made to specifically address the needs of young adolescents, including physical, cognitive, and psychosocial. At this age, young adolescents should be learning materials that are developmentally appropriate in middle school, just before transitioning into a high-schooler. In order for educators to provide students with such, they must successfully be able to combine, yet differentiate developmental and academic instruction. The first idea in this article addresses the eight challenges that middle schools face. As identified in Turning Points, they include creating a community for …show more content…
According to This We Believe, a “challenging curriculum” is exemplified through the teacher by helping students examine values, assumptions, basic principles, and alternative points of view. The teacher explains and helps the students to understand why and how things happen. An “exploratory curriculum” is known to be an attitude rather than an approach. Teachers help students to discover their abilities, talents, values, and most importantly, what they can do to benefit in their society. An “integrative curriculum” revolves around the questions students ask, rather than a predetermined body of content. Teachers are able to help students make sense of their lives and what is going on in the world around …show more content…
Though making knowledge relevant is an exhausting process, being able to differentiate and adjust so that all students are able to gain knowledge takes much trial and error. According to This We Believe, teachers must capitalize on the skills, abilities, and prior knowledge that young adolescents possess. Teachers must use multiple intelligences, involve students’ individual learning styles, and recognize the kinesthetic need to learn through doing. The approach that teachers take on educating young adolescents has implications of the student being more engaged in learning these developmentally appropriate skills. This We Believe mentions that by a students’ learning experience focusing on the interests of that student, in accordance to the knowledge they already possess, the learning process will progress more smoothly. All in all, both Part I and II of “Resolving the Tension Between Academic Rigor and Developmental Appropriateness” exemplify the academic rigor that middle schools are faced with and how they struggle to include the developmental appropriateness that is needed. Middle schools were made specifically to assist young adolescents to get a better understanding of life during this age. Not only should they receive that academic instruction, but developmental as well. Young adolescents are learning to take the school subject matter