Blog Post #5

When reading Curriculum policy and the politics of what should be learned in schools, is how prevalent politics seem to be embedded into our curriculum. It is interesting to learn “who gets what” and how this is decided. Individuals who are in a position of power are the ones who decide what material gets selected and how it should be taught within the classroom. The curriculum may not necessarily change due to evolving methods of teaching academia, but more by who or what party in in charge of government. Levin put forth that beliefs are more important than facts. This stood out to me because as long as individuals who are in charge of creating the curriculum content can convince people that the material being chosen is important and beneficial, the majority of people will believe them even if it is not entirely true.

In addition, the Saskatchewan Way – Professional-Led Curriculum Development reading discussed how teachers are not fully heard in curriculum changes. What does an appropriate “made in Saskatchewan” curriculum-development process look like? I think it is important that teachers, who are the ones teaching the curriculum to the students, should be involved in what should be included. They understand how the students are learning the material and what changes need to be made based on first hand experience. I believe the curriculum needs to continue to evolve every so often, as technology and society are constantly changing. Curriculum needs to continue to be broken down for inclusion and diversity as this can always be improved. Voices from all different types of backgrounds need to be included in what should be taught or included in curriculum.

Levin, B. (2008). Curriculum policy and the politics of what should be learned in schools. In F. Connelly, M. He & J. Phillion (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of curriculum and instruction (pp. 7 – 24). Los Angeles, CA: Sage. Available on-line from: http://www.corwin.com/upm-data/16905_Chapter_1.pdf.

The Saskatchewan Way: Professional-Led Curriculum Development.