STEPPINGSTONES

CHAPTER 1: SETTING OUT ON THE CURRICULUM PATH

Even so, teachers do teach content and use strategies that enrich the lives of students. Their
programs, when carefully planned, do help their students grow toward responsible maturity and
commitment. They do nurture the insights and gifts of students so that those students learn to
balance independence with personal and communal responsibility. True, some students' lives
seem to display little of their influence. But they do affect the lives of many students positively,
often more than they realize. (p. 1)

Is a Neutral Curriculum
Possible?

Philosopher Mary Warnock disputes the two reasons given by those who advocate neutrality in
teaching (p. 1):

You must avoid indoctrination.

Warnock shows that usually this term is applied only to ideas with which advocates of neutrality
disagree. In fact, by aiming for a neutral curriculum, they indoctrinate students into thinking that
values are either important or can be chosen at will. (p. 2)

Students must draw their own conclusions from their own explorations and
constructions.
But learning would be too complex if students were to investigate everything fully. Often
they cannot understand-let alone assess-all evidence. If indoctrination means giving views
without complete reasons, then most education of younger children involves indoctrination.
(p. 3)

Teachers must present various positions fairly and leave students free to reach their own
conclusions. (p. 3)

With a supposedly objective curriculum students may:

Accept society's domii1ant materialistic, self-centered values without much thought (p.
3)
Learn to believe that objective concepts and styles are more important than values (p.
3)
Take for granted that the structures and patterns of our culture are neutral (p. 4)
Conclude that they may choose whatever values and commitments they prefer (p. 4)
Adopt a dualistic view of the world where Christian faith is a private concern that has
little to do with the warp and woof of life in society (p. 4)

Making Curriculum Decisions

Teachers do not choose curriculum alone.
Governments publish curriculum guides that are thought of as the formal or the prescribed
curriculum. (p. 4)

The Underlying Basis for Making

Curriculum Decisions

Planning groups need to ask several key questions throughout a curriculum development process
(p. 6):
What are the overall aims of schooling?
How can schooling help humanity work toward a more just and compassionate society?
What ought to be done in the curriculum? What is the right thing to do?
How can the curriculum lead students to discover meaning? How can it connect with
their daily experiences? How can it link believing, thinking, and doing? How can it make
them both more discerning and more committed to a principled way of life?

Teaching for Commitment in Christian Schools

Thiessen shows that every child is necessarily initiated into a particular religious (or irreligious)
tradition. He argues that it is not only desirable but essential that schools deliberately initiate
children into a stable, secure, and coherent tradition. (p. 9)

Christian schoolteachers need to remember three key points as they formulate their classroom
curriculum (p. 10):

They confidently initiate their students into their cultural and Christian heritage.
- Using a supposedly neutral curriculum to which they add a course in religious studies
and occasional value discussions is not sufficient.

They encourage their students to grow in normal rational responsibility.

- That is, they help them to think critically and discerningly, and to recognize that such
thinking always takes place within the bounds of faith commitments. Allowing for
genuine and honest response is particularly important.

They teach with commitment since they want to teach for commitment.
- Their commitment affects how they make decisions in the classroom, how they structure
learning, how they assess learning-and how they plan their curriculum.

What is Curriculum?

4 common definitions of Curriculum (p. 11):

Curriculum is what is taught, particularly the subject matter contained in a school's
course of study (p. 11)
Curriculum is an organized set of documented, formal educational plans intended to
attain preconceived goals. (p. 11)
Curriculum is everything learners experience in school (p. 11)
 Curriculum is a dynamic, ever-changing series of planned learning experiences. (p. 11)

Aims of the Curriculum

Curriculum aims are general goals that provide a framework for action. (p. 14)

PERSONAL REFLECTION:

I get the point of this chapter talking about the development of a Christian curriculum, and
defining what a curriculum is supposed to produce. As I am going to teach in the future, I myself
must know what a Christian curriculum must contain, and I must know how to teach it with my
students. I believe that my personal relationship with God helps me to connect my students with
Christ, and provide them the Christian worldview/ perspective, and I already have this thought in
my mind that, I would probably not end up in a Christian school, and so I must personally know
what Christian curriculum is about.
CHAPTER 2: CHOOSING A CURRICULUM ORIENTATION

World View
A world view is a set of basic beliefs and assumptions about life and reality. It answers what a
person believes about the nature and purpose of life in our world. It provides meaning, and it
guides and directs the thought and action of its adherents. (p.25)

Four Curriculum Orientation (p. 25):

Traditionalists ask, What content do students need most? What have thinkers found out
about our world that we want students to know? (p. 25)
Process/mastery supporters ask, How can we achieve our objectives efficiently? How do
we specify and assess learning outcomes? (p. 25)
Experientialists ask, How can we best help students construct knowledge and meaning
from their experiences? (p. 26)
Proponents of a Christian curriculum orientation ask, How do we foster students'
positive response and responsibility toward God, their fellow creatures, society, and
themselves? (p. 27)
At the elementary level, the curriculum favored by essentialists and perennializes may not differ
much, since perennialists look at those years as ones in which students learn the basic tools. At
the secondary level, however, there would be some significant differences (p. 28)

The Process Mastery Orientation (p. 28):

The curriculum uses efficient means to reach predetermined, detailed, and measurable
ends. Its proponents use the results of empirical research about the effects of certain
methods on learning outcomes.
The key to efficient learning is carefully structured inquiry based on observations and
guided thought
Knowledge is viewed as an objective, impersonal, value-free commodity to be grasped.

Biblical Value Affecting Curriculum Planners (p. 36):

Traditionalists foster faith in absolute truths, hard work, respect for authority, and the
power and ultimate authority of reason.
Process/mastery proponents teach students the value of efficiency and that humans can
master their world as long as they provide the right environment and procedures.
Experientialists promote human worth, autonomy, and the capacity to create not only
knowledge and meaning, but also a world of love and justice.

Five Criteria governing The Choice Of Curriculum (p. 38):

Be significant for students' lives; students must recognize that it is meaningful

 Explore questions of importance for our nation and culture
Acquaint students with the strengths and weaknesses of their cultural heritage
Help students develop the skills necessary for functioning effectively in society, including
the ability to assess various viewpoints and interpretations
Develop attitudes, values, dispositions, and commitments based on a careful consideration
of the worldviews affecting culture

Steps in Curriculum Planning (p. 39):

What educational purposes should the school seek to attain?
What educational experiences can be provided that are likely to attain these purposes?
How can these educational experiences be effectively organized?
How can we determine whether these purposes are being attained?

PERSONAL REFLECTION:
Regardless of which category I fall into, I would be a teacher who would emphasize on the word
of God and really incorporate it in my classes. Grace would be given to students, care, love and
concern would be evident in the classroom, and understanding Gods gospel by means of
discovering his truth together day by day.
CHAPTER 3: CHRISTIAN WORLD VIEW AS A BASIS FOR CURRICULUM
World view questions for Curriculum planning. (p. 50)
Four basic worldview questions with the related biblical concepts enclosed in brackets (p. 50):
Who and where am I? What are the nature, task, and purpose of human beings? What is
the nature of the world and universe I live in? [creation]
What has gone wrong? Why do we personally, and as a society fall far short of
perfection? Where do pain and evil come from? [fall]
What is the remedy? Where do we find answers to the human plight? [redemption that
enables us to work toward restoration]
What does the future hold? Where do we find our hope? [fulfillment in a new heaven and
a new earth]

The Creation Mandate

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day
after day, they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge .... The
precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. (Psalm 19: 1-2, 8).
God thus calls humans to develop and unfold the earth's possibilities, to be his co-regents as they
form culture this does not separate the love and call of God in our lives. (p. 50-51)

The Great Commandment

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." This
is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: "Love your neighbor as
yourself" (p. 50)
(Matthew 22:37-39). The Great Commandment means that teachers strive for a classroom that is
a loving community based on shared values, one where we bear with each other in love and use
our unique gifts for building up the whole community (Ephesians 4)

The Great Commission

God first assigned humans the creation mandate. He then added the great the commanded after
the fall into sin. Christian teachers usually think of witnessing to the ends of the earth. Now
Christians usually think of the Great Commission in terms of witnessing to those who do not
believe in Christ, and that is an important aspect of it. He says that we must teach people ["to
obey everything I have commanded you]
Thus, the Great Commission requires Christians to tell the story of salvation and at the same time
act on its demands. (p. 55)

World Views, Values, and Schooling

Values are an integral part of all worldviews. Values are ideals or desirable guides for living that
are deemed to be important. They set direction in life, giving it meaning and purpose (p. 57)

Threefold Commonly Held Value (p. 58)

 First, we strive to foster values that help students become loving and principled persons,
able to contribute positively to society by following Jesus. But we need to recognize that
this is not an easy task
Second, since values permeate all aspects of life and of schooling, we need to carefully
define the broad spectrum of values embedded in a Christian worldview
Third, we need to oppose the notion that values are to be pursued just for our own
betterment or self-interest. Rather, we seek and follow the values established by God as
creation's Lawgiver. Without them, His creation and creatures cannot function in the way
He intended

Values And The Curriculum (p. 59)

The values embedded in the curriculum are rooted in particular worldviews. Therefore, school
communities need to consider which values their programs ought to foster. People often use the
terms values and morals interchangeably. Values, however, include but are broader than morals,
as shown below:

Biblically Based Values (p. 59-60)

Spiritual: faith, devotion, piety, holiness
Moral: honesty, integrity, respect for truth, responsibility
Political/legal: respect for authority, lawfulness, justice, peace, balance of personal and
communal rights and responsibilities
Economic: responsible stewardship, compassion for the poor and disadvantaged
Social: respect for others, cooperation, trusting and unselfish relations, kindness,
trustworthiness, upholding marriage, and family as sacred covenants
language/communication: authenticity, meaningfulness, clarity
Analytic/logical: validity, discernment, respect for the life of the mind

Biblical Values And The Curriculum

My starting point in considering values is that the Bible as God's revelation is the ultimate
source of values for Christians. Of course, that does not take away our human responsibility to
define and explore the implications of those guidelines for our present-day society. (p. 62)

Spiritual Values
All of life is religious in nature. All that God has given us is to be consecrated to His service.
Secularization is the attempt to push religious faith out of the public domain.
Where successful, a nonreligious faith commitment replaces faith in the God of the Bible.
Christian schools acknowledge their dependence on God through devotions, praise, and prayer.
Also, teachers model the importance of godliness and piety in their own lives, praying regularly
for and with their students as needs arise. (p. 63)

Ethical Values
Many schools have been reluctant to deal directly with not only the spiritual but also the ethical
dimension of life. This is partly the result of society's belief that moral guidelines are nothing
more than individual expressions of taste, with no need for communal acceptance. (p. 64)
PERSONAL REFLECTION:
There should be no distortion of any kind with regards to developing a Christian curriculum,
from many times, we might think that what we are doing is right, but it is entirely contradictory
to what the Bible says, so we must be careful with all the rules, and developments we put into
that Christian curriculum especially in this age now, now that there are many distortions of Gods
word twisted to fit their own personal acceptance/ gain.
CHAPTER 7: PLANNING CLASSROOM UNITS
A unit is a portion of the curriculum that focuses on a particular theme. The theme could center
on a topic and its concepts, or on an issue or problem that requires investigation to find a
desirable solution. An integral unit is a portion of a course or program that has a clear thematic
focus and (p. 168-169):
- Has internal unity
- Has external consistency
- Includes pertinent and meaningful aspects of reality that are related to, and may even go
beyond, the main discipline focus of the unit.

Nine Steps in Designing a Unit (p. 171)

- Consider the suitability of a proposed topic

- Brainstorm ideas, possibly using a planning chart or web diagram.

- Formulate your unit focus (e.g., a thematic statement, guiding questions, and intended
learning outcomes; or Egan's narrative structure with binary opposites or transcendent
values).

- Design, balance, and sequence learning activities. Include a motivational introductory

activity and a culminating summative one.

- Review linkages with state or provincial standards and/or curriculum guides, adding or
revising learning activities accordingly.

- Plan a schedule.

- Select your resources.

- Plan student assessment. Throughout the unit, consider what evidence will show that
you have met your intents.

- Review the effectiveness of your unit

Determining The Significance And Relevance Of A Topic. (SS, pg.172)

- How can the topic advance understandings needed for responsible and responsive
discipleship? How can the topic introduce students to a Christian worldview, biblically
based values, and our Christian and cultural heritage?

- How is the topic relevant for your students? How can the topic expand previous
knowledge and deal with significant issues? Is the topic too general, without a dear
focus? or too narrow, restricting substantive learning?
 - Can the topic meet students' learning needs?

- Is it suitable for diverse backgrounds, learning styles, aptitudes, and developmental

phases?

- Can it engender interest and encourage personal, meaningful response?

- Can it include skill development in different modes of knowing?

- Are sufficient resources available? Topics can focus on themes with important concepts,
problems, or issues: A unit on light may highlight wave theory as an important concept.

Thematic Statement (p. 180)

- A thematic statement describes the overall approach that will frame your unit's teaching
and learning. It describes your overall goals. In particular, the statement includes:

- The basic values, dispositions, and commitments that you want to foster
- The enduring understandings, major concepts, and key skills that you want students to
acquire

Intended Learning Outcomes

Learning outcomes (the current term for what used to be called objectives) specify and extend
your thematic statement. They have not been without controversy in education. At one pole are
process/mastery proponents who list detailed learning outcomes or objectives not only for units
but for each lesson. They insist on precise, prespecified standards by which you measure whether
students have attained each outcome. They may reduce education to learning tidbits of
information (p. 181)

Questions to Guide Your Thinking About Learning Activities (p. 188)

- Does each learning activity contribute to your unit's thematic statement and ILOs? Does
the set of activities do justice to your overall theme?

- Will the activities help meaningful learning to take place? (e.g., students have the
prerequisite knowledge and aptitudes; the level of difficulty is suitable; activities are
adaptable for special needs)

- Do the activities include a range of pedagogical strategies? Is there a suitable balance of

the four phases of learning? learning styles? the modes of knowing or multiple
intelligences? Do the activities include varied student products so that students can
demonstrate their understanding in different ways? Is there adequate involvement and
response?

- Do the activities encourage the learning of enduring understandings, worthwhile skills,

important values, and higher level thinking skills at a high but attainable level of
achievement?
 - Are there motivational introductory activities based on students' experiences that set the
stage for the unit? Are there culminating activities that review and pull together the main
themes?

- Will the necessary resources be available.

Main Points (p. 198)

- An integral unit has a dear thematic focus with internal unity, external consistency, and
meaningful links to related subject disciplines. Your personal curriculum orientation and
aims find expression particularly in the design of integral units.
- You can plan (or adapt) effective units in various ways. One such way uses the following
steps (not always in sequential order):
* Determine the significance and relevance of a topic.
* Brainstorm ideas, possibly using a planning chart.
* Formulate a unit focus and intents. A thematic statement describes the overall approach and
main thrust of a unit. It includes the basic values, enduring understandings, key concepts, and
main skills you want students to acquire. Intended learning outcomes (ILOs) specify and extend
the thematic statement.
* Design and choose suitable learning activities.
* Review and incorporate linkages with government-mandated standards and outcomes.
* Plan a schedule.
* Select your resources.
* Plan student assessment.
* Review the effectiveness of your unit.

PERSONAL REFLECTION:
The unit planning for me is much more complicated than the lesson plan, because I believe I
would be planning out the entire unit which is comprised of different lessons, but I believe
practice makes perfect, and although I may not get it right in the first few tries, but I would
continue on trying.