Curriculum Basics

If you don't know where you are going, any road with get you there. - Lewis Carroll

This blog identifies several basic curriculum terms and processes to help educators know the path or road to construct in their planning. These terms include
-- Defining the word “curriculum,” 
-- Identifying four key curriculum questions,
-- Describing what is meant by “scope and sequence,” and
-- Defining the term “spiral curriculum.” 

Curriculum is defined as a course or path of study. The curriculum of an organization answers the questions: what, why, to whom, and how to accomplish the learning goals of an organization or group. These four questions help us move along the teaching-learning pathway.
1. What should we teach?
2. Why should we teach this topic or topics?
3. Who will we be teaching?
4. How are we going teach?

 What should we teach? This a question about the content or subject matter to be taught.

“What” is interrelated with “why.” These two questions should be dealt with simultaneously. If they are not, we may find ourselves teaching content without reason or having reason without content for accomplishing our purposes.

Why teach this topic or topics? “Why” is a question for identifying objectives, or goals (intentions). Why addresses the rationale for teaching a topic.

Goals are generally understood to be general purpose statements that apply to a thematically grouped number of lessons or units. Objectives are typically defined as behaviors that can be identified as a result of a specific lesson.

Who will we be teaching? This question asks us to identify a specific group of learners. Are they children, youth, adults, or a multi-generational group? What are their cultural characteristics?  Do they have an advanced or beginning knowledge of the subject matter?

How are we going to teach? The “how” question asks about the methods, procedures, environment, and conditions by which we plan to teach. Will teaching-learning methods be directive or participatory? Will we be giving a lecture (information giving), leading a discussion (discovery learning), telling a story (imagination), or something else? Where will this teaching take place?

Curriculum planning also deals with “scope and sequence.” Scope and sequence refer to the “what” and “how” of teaching. They are part of the curriculum planning process.

Scope refers to topics that are to be taught; specifically, how basic or difficult will the content be from beginning to the mastery levels? Sequence is the order in which topics are to be taught over time.

Another component of is referred to as the “spiral curriculum.” The term “spiral curriculum” refers to concepts being repeated throughout the curriculum, repeated with increasing depth and complexity according to the prior knowledge and development level of the learners.

This presentation has been an introduction to several basic curriculum topics. These include defining curriculum, four curriculum questions, scope and sequence, and spiral curriculum.

These areas are key to planning teaching and learning experiences in any educational organization.

Following are references on which this material is based.

Bruner, Jerome. The Process of Education. Harvard, 1960 and The Spiral Curriculum

Tyler, Ralph W. Basic Principles of Curriculum and Instruction. University of Chicago Press, 1949

Ward, Ted. Curriculum: The Path to High-Worth Outcomes. Common Ground Journal. v10 n1 (Fall 2012) 43

This blog is also available as a YouTube video, click here.

 

The Seven Laws of Teaching

How would you begin your book about teaching if you were one of the most famous educators of your time…

If you were President of two major universities;
If you were State Superintendent of Education;
If you were founder of a major journal on education;

If you were Dr. John Milton Gregory (1822-1898)?

This author began with a quote from the Bible: Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old he will not depart from it. 

That is how the educational classic, The Seven Laws of Teaching (1886), begins.

John Milton Gregory was founder of the Michigan Journal of Education, Superintendent of Public Instruction for the State of Michigan, President of Kalamazoo College, and President of the University of Illinois.

What follows are Gregory’s “Seven Laws,” or rules, for teaching. Each one also has a brief explanation. The “Laws” are:
1. The Law of the Teacher
2. The Law of the Learner
3. The Law of the Language
4. The Law of the Lesson
5. The Law of the Teaching Process
6. The Law of the Learning Process
7. The Law of Application and Review

Here they are in greater detail.

The Law of the Teacher
“A teacher must be one who KNOWS the lesson or truth to be taught.”
Teachers are to have a firm and thorough grasp of the material that they plan to teach.

 The Law of the Learner
“A learner is one who ATTENDS with interest to the lesson given.”
There is no learning without attentiveness and interest.

The Law of the Language
“The language used is a MEDIUM between the teacher and learner and must be COMMON to both.”
The words used by teachers are to be understood by both teacher and learner in the same sense. The language must be clear and vivid to both alike.

The Law of the Lesson
“The lesson to be learned must be explained in the terms of what is already known by the learner — the UNKNOWN is to be explained by the KNOWN.“
Begin with what is already well-known or mastered about a topic, subject, concept, or skill. Then proceed to the unknown by single, easy, and natural steps, letting the known explain the unknown.

The Law of the Teaching Process
“Teaching is AROUSING and using the learner’s mind to form in it a desired thought, attitude, or skill.”
Use the learner’s own mind, exciting their self-activities. Keep their thoughts, as much as possible, ahead of your direct input, helping them discover that which is to be learned.

The Law of the Learning Process
“Learning is THINKING and BEHAVING into one's own UNDERSTANDING and ABILITIES a new idea or skill.”
This requires learners to reproduce in thought or action the lesson being learned—thinking it out in its parts, proofs, connections, and applications until they can express it in their own language or behaviors.

The Law of Application and Review
“The test and proof of teaching done is a finishing and fastening process that requires RE-VIEWING, RE-THINKING, RE-KNOWING, and RE-PRODUCING of the material taught.”
Review in order to reproduce correctly the old, deepening its impression with new thoughts, correcting false views or behaviors, and completing correctly what was taught and learned.

Summary and conclusion
You have been introduced to the “Seven Laws.” These “Laws” give us a way of thinking about education. They help us look at teaching and learning from seven different, but interrelated, perspectives – i.e., teacher, learner, language, lesson, teaching process, learning process, and review and application.

Each of the laws is developed in detail in Gregory’s book. You can find a free downloadable copy by clicking on “Free ebooks…” in our Virtual Resource Center. The book is also available in print by clicking “Recommended books to purchase,” also in the above Virtual Resource Center. This blog can also be viewed on our YouTube channel by clicking here

The Bible: A Beginning Introduction

This blog contains a summary of the message of the Bible, description of how the Bible is organized, and suggestions for Bible reading.

If someone who had never seen or read a Bible asked you, “What’s that book about?,” what would you say?

The Bible is about redemption (deliverance) through Jesus Christ. One early Christian leader described four states of Redemptive history (Augustine, 354-430 AD).

·       Creation: able to sin, able not to sin (posse peccare, posse non peccare)

·       Fall: not able not to sin (non posse non peccare)

·       Redemption: able not to sin (posse non peccare) – again

·       Consummation: not able to sin (non posse peccare) 

Another way to identify the purpose of the Bible is to see what the Bible says about itself. Note the following verses.

·       “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11).

·       “When you received the word of God… you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe” (1 Thess. 2:13).

·       “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that the man (person) of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16, 17).

·       “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing the soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). 

The Bible is a library of different types of literature, rather than a single book (Greek biblia—books [plural]).

•        66 Books total

•        Old Testament: 39 books

•        New Testament: 27 books

Old Testament Structure

New Testament Structure

The Bible is meant to be read and if you are interested, you may want to begin by reading selected passages or having a daily reading or listening plan or even starting with any place that looks interesting.

1. Selected passages to consider could be the following five Bible books.

•        Genesis: early history

•        Psalms: poetry

•        Mark: life and ministry of Jesus

•        Acts: early church

•        1 Peter: letter to churches 

2. A daily reading or listening plan is helpful for many. The following link is an example of one plan. You can read the Bible in a year with a printed plan like this.

My wife and I listen to the Bible each morning with the Daily Audio Bible.

3. You could also begin with any topic that is of personal interest. Think of a topic and Google it with the word “Bible” in the search line (e.g., faith, hope, joy, temptation, encouragement).

This blog has contained beginning thoughts about introducing the Bible. The purpose of the Bible is to tell the story of redemption through Jesus Christ. This is called “redemptive history.” The Bible is a book containing 66 books that are divided into the Old and New Testaments. You are encouraged to read the Bible for yourself and decide how its message applies to you.

To learn more, you will find free e-books, videos, and articles as well as recommendations for purchasing books and other products in the Virtual Resource Center at the top of this site.

If looking for a Study Bible, click here.

Church and School Education (CASE) Resources is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

To view this presentation on my Youtube channel, click here.

For a free e-book, The Beginner's Guide to the Bible, click here.

 

Prayer at the Beginning of a New School Year

God of new beginnings, we pray for the start of a new school year.

We pray for our teachers. We thank you for the heart that each of them has to invest in the lives of young people and pray that they are encouraged in their work. At a time when so many teachers are burning out, we pray for renewed strength and energy. May the teachers of our community know how deeply you love them and desire for them to experience the fullness of life in you.

We pray for our school administrators. We pray for wisdom for the decisions that they must make to guide the schools of our community. We pray for healthy relationships between faculty and administration.

We pray for school staff members, paid and volunteer. We pray for the important logistical work they do to ensure good education. We thank you for their selfless service and ask you give them strength and perspective in the work they do..

May the administrators and staff of our schools know how deeply you love them and desire for them to experience the fullness of life in you.

We pray for students. We pray for the students who are starting school for the first time and for those at new schools. Calm their nerves, and soothe their fears. For students who feel left out and alone, we pray for a welcome embrace. We pray for the many pressures our students will face - pressure to conform and pressure to perform.

May the students of our community know how deeply you love them and desire for them to experience the fullness of life in you.

We thank you for the gift of knowledge and the opportunity to better understand your world and who we are within it. We join our prayers with those around our communities and pray a canopy of support, protection, and love over the teachers, students, and schools in our community.

We pray all these things in the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

This prayer is a slightly modified version of that used by Pastor Nate Schipper on Sunday, August 28,2022 at Fellowship Church, Holland, Michigan. He edited it from a group called Movement West Michigan.