Without curriculum there would be no focus or purpose in education. Curriculum is a stable aspect in the dynamics of education, and requires knowledge of its history, behaviors, and social complexities in order to be a benefit. Moreover, there is no one way to design curriculum, but undoubtedly requires finessing and scrutinizing to ensure it works with the school’s statement of purpose. This paper analyzes the curriculum of Clement Middle School in Redlands California including its curriculum approaches and philosophies, as well as its historical, psychological, and social foundations. Lastly, an interpretation of the school’s mission statement is discussed and evaluated to consider its reflection on classroom and campus practices.
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2). After a close examination of Clement Middle School’s curriculum map, the courses that make up its curricula is a combination of behavioral, humanistic, and system approaches; where, “they emphasis one approach in some situations, and advocate other approaches in other situations” (Ornstein & Hunkins, 2013, p. 2). Therefore, by having a designed curriculum in place, instructors have the liberty to adhere to it strictly, or make adjustments according to their own personal philosophies or styles of teaching. Ornstein & Hunkins 2013 confirm, “to guarantee curriculum continuity, integration, and unity across subjects and grade levels, teacher must be actively involved in the curriculum” (p. 21). Clement Middle School incorporates the behavioral approach in their curriculum by ensuring their core subjects; math, English, science, and social studies have a “blueprint” to follow. “Goals and objectives are specified, content and activities are sequenced to coincide with the learning objectives, and learning outcomes are evaluated in relation to the goals and objectives” (Ornstein & Hunkins, 2013, p. …show more content…
Most teachers on campus follow the notion that students learn better in a collaborative environment. Many classrooms have desk arrangements in groups and “encourage group-learning activities rather than competitive individual learning” (Ornstein & Hunkins, 2013, p. 40). Furthermore, with the use of technology in each classroom, interest and accessibility to real-world situations shine bright with the visions of John Dewey, where he “saw the teacher as the ‘leader of group activities’ and allowed students to analyze and interpret data and to draw their own conclusions (Ornstein & Hunkins, 2013, p.
2). After a close examination of Clement Middle School’s curriculum map, the courses that make up its curricula is a combination of behavioral, humanistic, and system approaches; where, “they emphasis one approach in some situations, and advocate other approaches in other situations” (Ornstein & Hunkins, 2013, p. 2). Therefore, by having a designed curriculum in place, instructors have the liberty to adhere to it strictly, or make adjustments according to their own personal philosophies or styles of teaching. Ornstein & Hunkins 2013 confirm, “to guarantee curriculum continuity, integration, and unity across subjects and grade levels, teacher must be actively involved in the curriculum” (p. 21). Clement Middle School incorporates the behavioral approach in their curriculum by ensuring their core subjects; math, English, science, and social studies have a “blueprint” to follow. “Goals and objectives are specified, content and activities are sequenced to coincide with the learning objectives, and learning outcomes are evaluated in relation to the goals and objectives” (Ornstein & Hunkins, 2013, p. …show more content…
Most teachers on campus follow the notion that students learn better in a collaborative environment. Many classrooms have desk arrangements in groups and “encourage group-learning activities rather than competitive individual learning” (Ornstein & Hunkins, 2013, p. 40). Furthermore, with the use of technology in each classroom, interest and accessibility to real-world situations shine bright with the visions of John Dewey, where he “saw the teacher as the ‘leader of group activities’ and allowed students to analyze and interpret data and to draw their own conclusions (Ornstein & Hunkins, 2013, p.