Chapter 14

There are several demographic groups represented among our group with elementary, middle, and high school educators employed in several different school systems. What products does your school or school system employ to help teachers, as well as what level of involvement does the classroom teacher have in developing these products?

Chapter 12

In Chapter 12, the author describes Marzano’s position on grading as, “a single letter grade or a percentage score is not a good way to report achievement in any subject area, because it simply cannot present the level of detailed feedback necessary for effective learning. Do you agree or disagree with Marzano’s position on grading and why?

Chapter 11

Selecting instructional strategies is one of the final steps in planning for instruction. As teachers we derive our instructional strategies from a wide array of sources, such as the subject matter, the pupil, the community, and other teachers. What is your favorite instructional strategy that you have developed in your years of teaching, and what relevant factors led to the development of this strategy?

Chapter 10

As a future school leader, do you believe that the specification of instructional objectives is a desirable teaching tool? Why or why not?

Chapter 9

In Chapter 9 we examine the curriculum of elementary, middle, and high schools in terms past, present, and future. In a growing world of technology it is imperative we incorporate the advances of technology in our curriculum. As we read in the chapter, some schools are now replacing textbooks with laptops. As an administrator, how would you incorporate technology into the future curriculum goals for your school and how would you regulate the use of technology (i.e. computers and the Internet)?

Chapter 8

In chapter 8 we learned that a curriculum goal is a purpose or end stated in general terms without criteria of achievement. A curriculum objective is a purpose or end stated in specific, measurable terms. Do you believe it is necessary to write an educational philosophy in order to specify curriculum goals and objectives?

Chapter 7

In this chapter we learn about Needs Assessment as it pertains to curriculum development. There are several different factors that go into developing a curriculum effectively and this chapter sheds light on several categories. For instance, when discussing the levels of student needs of concern to a curriculum planner can be identified into the following categories: 1) human, 2) national, 3) state or regional, 4) community, 5) school, and 6) individual.
If you were asked to plan the curriculum at your school or within your school division, how would you take into account these needs when planning your curriculum, and what needs do you have as a region or community?

Chapter 6

Chapter six examines four philosophies of education—reconstructionism, progressivism, essentialism, and perennialism—with essentialism and progressivism considered to have particular significance to our schools. Throughout our country’s history, essentialism, with its focus on subject matter has been the prevailing philosophy. Progressivism, with the child’s needs and interests as its focus, has also had an impact on educational practices and programs.
With this in mind, clarify your own educational philosophy, with the understanding that your vision will most likely incorporate ideas from more than one philosophy.

Chapter 5

Curriculum development is seen as the process for making programmatic decisions and for revising the products of those decisions on the basis of continuous and subsequent evaluation. There are four models for curriculum development discussed throughout this chapter: The Tyler Model; The Taba Model; The Saylor, Alexander, and Lewis Model; and The Oliva Model. A model can give order to the process.

As an administrator, which model for curriculum development would you choose to utilize in your school and why?

Chapter 4

In today’s schools many teachers feel they have no say in curriculum development because of the Standards of Learning. Many veteran teachers state that they no longer have any control over what they teach, while younger teachers define the SOL’s as the curriculum. This perception seems to dampen morale and overtime can lessen the feeling of investment among faculty. Olivia states, “curriculum leaders must try to develop pride in the group as a team organization by promoting team morale…”

In a time where the SOL’s truly do dictate a large part of what we teach, how can we involve teachers more and make all stakeholders feel invested in the curriculum development process?

Chapter 2

As curriculum developers it is important to effect curricular change with the conditions of the educational environment. It is the responsibility of the curriculum workers to seek ways of making continuous improvement in the curriculum. This chapter gives us the following Axioms as guidelines to curriculum developers.

How are the environment of education and the need for curriculum change changing, and how can we apply these Axioms in our quest towards finding the appropriate curriculum for our schools?