September 9th

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  Smith, M. K. (1996, 2000) ‘Curriculum theory and practice’ the encyclopaedia of informal

  education, www.infed.org/biblio/b-curric.htm.
  
  
  Curriculum theory and practice
  
  
  
  

  1. Curriculum as a body of knowledge to be transmitted.

  
  

  This is practices as lectures with a strict syllabus. The classes lead most often lead up to an examination. In summary this is where an instructor transmits information to students by lectures. I would argue that this is the most 'typical' way we think of education. It is a teach standing at the front of the class usually at a chalk board or white board lecturing the class maybe with some notes on the wall and the students take notes as the information is 'transmitted' to them.

  
  

  A very efficient way cover a lot of material but it not as useful for students to put the material to use. Students are mainly learning the information for exams and not consciously exploring or applying it to real life.

  2. Curriculum as an attempt to achieve certain ends in students – product.

  
  

  This practice follows curriculum and how to create products from it, the products or the students. Within this practice there are objectives which are set, a plan drawn up, then applied, and the outcomes (products) measured. This process makes the instructor question themselves and their students; especially by measuring the outcomes. With this approach one can see how the information was retained and if it was successfully.

  
  

  As seen as a downfall or perhaps positive to some is this approach is to produce products. This approach does not leave room for exploration and is very rigid. The students are told what they must learn and how they will do it. One must question how and what is being measured.

  
  

  3. Curriculum as process.

  
  

  Not only curriculum and a process but that it is a process; forever changing in nature by its students, teacher and environment. This practice takes into consideration the uniqueness of the students and how things evolve and change in time. For example what works for one student may not work for another and same as for even a class. With this process the instructor must look beyond just the information and syllabus it must pass to the students but how can each student understand and take in the information as each unique beings.

  
  

  This rests upon the quality of the teachers and their approach especially since examination does not go hand in hand with this process which is something society holds value to. The goal is to see the students apply the skills learnt.

  
  

  
  

  4. Curriculum as praxis.

  
  

  An extended version of curriculum as a process you could place praxis as. This practice looks at curriculum beyond the academic practices. This practice does not focus exclusively on individuals, but pays careful attention to collective understandings and practices.

  
  

  With this model: educators and the students being socially aware and creating a unique learning environment to advance their individual learning.

  
  

  Within my own studies:

  
  

  The most prominent style of practices I had within my personal education were transmission and product. In university definitely majority was transmitted. In high school and elementary school in Canada it was often product. There was a text, we followed it. Very little involvement, exploration and applying it to real life. When I attended high school in Brazil it was very much transmission ONLY.