Reading more into the Tyler rationale I realize how relevant it was to my experiences in school. In elementary school we had evaluations or tests in the later grades once every two weeks to a month, so in reflection that time in between evaluation was the other steps in the process of the Tyler rational. I would say science especially was curriculum as a product, because science in itself is deductive reasoning, very learn, study and test. I remember discussing current events in the classroom and we had to cut conversations short due to “having to move on” or already being “behind in our plan”. That was always a little confusing to me because we are encouraged to debate and discuss so when those conversations were cut short I questioned some of the steps and restrictions schools implement in their practice.

The limitations to the Tyler rationale and what makes it impossible are the learners. Everyone is different in how they learn, create, think and experience. So, in turn, the Tyler model in having broad steps attempts to be a guideline rather than a format. However, it still constrains other ways of learning and other cultural ways of knowing. Like mentioned previously the Tyler rationale works effectively when you follow it exactly, but adjusting teaching or learning styles when you are “getting off topic” to fit in the Tyler rationale is very difficult. This makes school harder for students and teachers who fit more into a praxis model which the article defines as, “the dynamic interaction of action and reflection.”

Some benefits of the Tyler rationale are the structure it provided to kickstart how to approach the curriculum in an effective way. When discussing curriculum the article says, “Education in this sense, is the process by which these are transmitted or ‘delivered’ to students by the most effective methods that can be devised.” The goal is to learn, and the Tyler rationale is proficient in that. He tackles preparing students for life so they are adequate members of society which from a scientific, economical standpoint and the time period he introduced his rationale was very important. Now, we are a developed society that is changing so his methods are still effective but could be updated to include more ways of knowing and treatments of the curriculum, i.e process and praxis.

Smith, M. K. (1996, 2000) ‘Curriculum theory and practice’ the encyclopaedia of informal education, www.infed.org/biblio/b-curric.htm.