Return-Path: <nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id fBLMYa028755; Fri, 21 Dec 2001 17:34:36 -0500 (EST) Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2001 17:34:36 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <NCBBKFFJMKFIFAGAFGNECEBJCOAA.jlee@famlit.org> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Jon Lee" <jlee@famlit.org> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-FAMILY:547] RE: Curriculum responses X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook IMO, Build 9.0.2416 (9.0.2911.0) Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; Status: O Content-Length: 2432 Lines: 49 Points very well taken! Thank-you! Jon -----Original Message----- From: nifl-family@nifl.gov [mailto:nifl-family@nifl.gov]On Behalf Of KathleenBombach@aol.com Sent: Friday, December 21, 2001 4:31 PM To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: [NIFL-FAMILY:546] RE: Curriculum responses In consideration of curriculum, most programs look at different curricula and pull out what they need, adapt it, change it, add to it, change after using, etc. Individual teachers do the same thing with the materials they use--it is an ongoing process of change, refinement, and improvement. But do remember that there are some good reason to have structure to curriculum. A few are: 1. New teachers often need or want more structure as they gain experience and confidence. 2. The temporary part time nature of jobs in adult education can mean that experienced teachers have to retool and expand their areas of expertise fairly often. Defined curriculum helps them do that while they develop new expertise. 3. Temporary and part time jobs often mean that programs find a certain portion of the teachers they hire are 'limited' (to be polite). A defined curriculum will assist students in gaining some benefit from these instructors while the administrators figure out what to do with them. 4. Programs that are departments of large organizations (like school districts) may get transferred teachers from K-12 that the k-12 system wants to get rid of. Ditto the explanation in item 3. 5. Prescribed curriculum benefits students when they change sections, transition to the next level, or re-start a course or program after an absense. 6. The existance of a curriculum works to keep everyone focused on the desired outcomes of the class or program. 7. Teachers, like everyone else, have good days, where their energy and creativity soar, and days where the baby kept them up all night. A defined curriculum can be a fall-back for off days. So let's not throw out the baby with the bathwater! A good curriculum is a launching point, not a straightjacket. The strightjacket approach is one I usually see in some commercial products, and their producers have a financial stake in demanding that teachers rigidly adhere to every activity in the curriculum. They sell professional development, workbooks, books for reading, software, testing instruments, etc. For techies, think closed source programming, rather than open source! Kathleen Bombach
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