Before: I think school curricula are developed by education professionals, combined with government employees. I think that these individuals get together and discuss what information should be learned by students for each subject and grade level. I think it is a joint effort to create the curriculum and it rests on the shoulders of a lot of people. I do, however, think that the government makes the final approval of the curriculum.
After: How are school curricula developed and implemented? School curricula are developed in a lot of different ways. Often experts in the subject area are consulted for information about the subject, since they know it best. Expert teachers and university educators are also consulted and play a part in the creation of curricula. The government, both federal and provincial plays a role in what can and should be taught. Overall, there are a lot of people involved in the creation of curricula and it is a very difficult task. Not only is it a lot of work but there is always a lot of backlash about the curricula. The curricula are implemented at the discretion of the teacher, school board, district, province and country. All of these factors affect how the curricula are taught.
What new information/perspectives does this reading provide? This reading highlights how the curricula are always political. Even when teachers or educators strive to act “non-politically” their actions are still political. It is political to decide what to teach from the curriculum, how to teach it, what areas to focus on and what areas to spend less time discussing. The creation of curricula is especially political because it decides what is going to be taught and what is not going to be taught. This is inherently political which is why it is so difficult to make. I didn’t realize how political teaching is but after reading this article I can understand the implications that teaching has. Students learn what they are taught and the things they are learning at school help to shape their beliefs. That is why it is so important to be aware not only of what you are teaching but what you are not teaching as well. Teaching is always political which really surprised me.