Final Reflection
What have I learned:
Over the past seven weeks, I feel I have developed an understanding of how conceptions of curriculum, educational philosophy, and curriculum design play a vital role in a teacher’s decision-making process. I felt my greatest areas of growth came from the course readings and working collaboratively to design a mind-map. I found the readings in this course to be incredibly rich with content and by creating a mind map it helped me to make meaningful connections between the different concepts. Through the process, I was able to deepen my understanding of how the philosophy of education and conceptions of curriculum impact and are related to curriculum design. Ornstein and Hunkins (2013) explain, “Curriculum results from social activity. It is designed for both present and emerging purposes. Curriculum is a dynamic field” (p.1). I feel that this course has provided me with more tools and lenses to be able to evaluate and analyze the dynamic field of curriculum. Specifically, having a better understanding of conceptions of curriculum and philosophy can aid educators in understanding if particular curricular designs align to the intended philosophy or conception. As Ornstein (1990) explains, “Our philosophy of education influences and to a large extent determines our educational decisions, choices, and alternatives” ( p.102). It is my understanding based on my learning this summer that in order for teachers to truly understand how and why they teach in a particular way it is essential to examine the conceptions of curriculum, educational philosophy, and types of curricular designs.
Throughout this course I also found myself thinking about the importance of engaging in regular reflection in regards to curriculum design. Hayes (2003) explained, “In the absence of opportunities for collective reflection, schools tend to become busy places where a lot happens and where learning relies on the capacity of individual teachers in classrooms, rather than on the planned alignment across the school of the effects of curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment” (p.227). I have learned there is great power to teachers being able to identify educational philosophy and conceptions of curriculum that exist within a particular curricular design.
Prior to beginning this course I felt I was most familiar with subject-centered designs for curriculum and the impact on planning, instruction, and assessment. Through this course, I was able to develop a deeper understanding of learner-centered approaches and problem-centered approaches to curriculum design. Specifically, I appreciated the opportunity to learn more about Indigenizing Curriculum. Castellon (2017) explains, “Educators have an important role in the truth and reconciliation efforts in Canada. We can envision a more hope-filled future and work with the individuals in our care to increase awareness and foster relationships with Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. Eventually, I believe such processes will eradicate the systemic racism and cultural bias experienced by First Nations” (Castellon, 2017). These readings reinforced the importance of carefully considering what, how, and why the content in a classroom is shared. This course has left me thinking that it is my role as an educator to continually engage in reflective practice, analysis and collaboration to ensure that the curriculum selected using is truly meeting the needs of the students in my classroom.
Areas of Growth:
Through this course, I really enjoyed the opportunity to engage with an online professional learning community. Prior to this course, while I have engaged in a number of in-person PLC’s and have followed educational blogs and groups, I had not been an active participant in discussions. This course afforded me the opportunity to step outside my comfort zone and find my voice within an online educational community. I have found great value in having a space to post questions, seek feedback, and work to answer questions of others. I have been excited to see the wealth of resources available through these groups. As this course comes to an end, I want to challenge myself to continue to remain active in Sped-Ahead and other online PLC’s in order to continue to answer questions, ask questions, and provide feedback.
One area I think I could have improved upon in this course was making more connections to my professional context to the course content earlier in the course. While I felt I shared a great deal about my professional context in modules 4 and 5, in earlier modules I think I could have made greater effort to explain how my new learning applied to my personal experiences and professional context. I know that making these connections helps to deepen my understanding of the content and plan to challenge myself to continue to make them as I continue my learning in this program.
Impact on Professional Practice:
As I conclude this course and move into a new school year, I want to challenge myself to use the knowledge of having obtained to continue to examine my curriculum more closely in order to create more learner-centered curriculum. I also want to challenge myself to continue to broaden my professional learning communities in order to have a variety of resources and tools I can draw upon throughout my teaching career. Castellon (2017) explains, “For teachers to learn from each other in a community of practice we need to connect in a spirit of learning, knowledge sharing, and collaboration”. As I consider further implications of my learning I am also reminded of McMillan (2014) who explains, “If you want to achieve 21st century knowledge, skills, and dispositions, you must teach and assess in alignment with what we know about how children and adolescents learn and what motivates them” ( p.4). I believe it is my role as an educator to inspire students with a passion for lifelong learning and to cultivate the knowledge, self-efficacy, empathy, and creativity necessary for success in the global community. In order to do this, I want to more closely analyze and reflect upon my teaching and assessment practices to ensure they are reflective of research on cognitive and socio-cultural learning and motivation. This course has only further confirmed for me that teaching is a dynamic and everchanging field and in order to remain current on best practices and to meet the needs of every student, I must continually challenge myself to reflect upon my current practice, seek meaningful professional learning communities, and engage in new learning.
Thank you, Dawn, and to all the students in PME 810 for all your support, and feedback over the summer.
References:
Castellon, A. (2017) A Call to Personal Research: Indigenizing Your Curriculum. In: The
Canadian Journal for Teacher Research. Retrieved from:
Hayes, D. (2003) Making learning an effect of schooling: aligning curriculum, assessment and pedagogy, Discourse: studies in the cultural politics of education, 24(2), 225-245
McMillan, J. H. (2014). Classroom assessment: Principles and practice for effective
standards-based instruction (6th ed., pp. 1-20, 57-64,74-88). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Ornstein, A.C., & Hunkins, F.P. (2013). Curriculum: Foundations, Principles and Issues (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson. Read Chapter 6. p. 149-173
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