Oct 11 Three Curricula All Schools Teach Reflection

For me the term curriculum initially meant a set of knowledge competencies/content to learn about. It encompasses the structured series of learning experiences or activities designed to enable students to achieve specific information and skills. Each grade has its own curriculum and it gets progressively more complex for the student as they traverse through the years. I like how the article addresses a lifelong lesson that should be understood as a young kid in school: that gratification and success is to be shared amongst each other and that it takes time to get them. It’s very difficult for an eager student to release all of their thoughts and answer all questions. If they take all of the opportunities, there won’t be any left for others. I remember back in math class in grade 6, a keen student sitting in front of me would raise his hand up and want to answer every question. He had that “oh pick me, please pick me” thought running through his head. At one point he got so excited he started standing on his chair with his hand raised! Of course the teacher told him to sit back down and that he was a bright student, but should let other students speak too (I still don’t know if he was showing off, or if he was like Hermione Granger who’s so eager to share). This way people like me also had opportunities to share my answers and it made me feel like “yes! I did/get it!”. Another interesting part that popped up was using some sort of a rewards/punishment system to reinforce/control behavior is present in all cultures. For the most part, students are habituated to satisfactions that are not a part of the learning process per se because a lot of emphasis is on the rewards/punishment structure. Grades is a common factor that gets tossed into the basket when it comes to student’s attitudes. Getting bonus marks for being nice or getting lots of points deducted from cheating are all responding to behaviors. Assessments, like tests, should reflect what the student understands about content material and apply competencies to different questions. So getting marks off for external factors isn’t a compatible way to remind students to stop doing what they're doing wrong. I believe speaking with the students on some issues and trying to see where they’re getting at is more efficient, than a stick hitting a bull. It is just the case that grades are so prevalent in students' school lives that changing them would make the students react more firmly, though often in a more panicking state. Now I can see that the curriculum is not solely based on knowledge/book smart skills, but also street smart skills, ways to communicate/interact/deal with difficult situations. It may also allow students to integrate teachings of ethics, values, and character development. We see clearly that the three core competencies for the BC curriculum are thinking, communicating, and personal/social. So it doesn't just focus on knowledge.