WEEK 4

The syllabus and the Curriculum are different? I had a hard time reading the readings as i wasn’t fully aware of what the Curriculum actually was and how it differed from the syllabus. However, after reading Chapter 6 I came to realise the complexity and ambiguity surrounding the idea. What astounded me was the idea that although, yes, you can carry the outcomes in your briefcase, the curriculum is not a physical document so much as it is a complex interraction between the teacher, student, environment and syllabus outcomes and what can, has and will be achieved in the classroom. This, along with the notion that the Curriculum is, paraphrasing Chruchill, not merely a set course or route to follow but the bare minimum of what should be taught and achieved in any classroom. These can be added to by teachers if they feel they are within their rights and it needs to be taught. Freedom in the classroom, wonders will never cease.

Spady’s belief in a macro view of the learning achievements, assessments and outcomes is one I strongly believe in too, if only for the practical reason ” You can help a few people a lot, or a lot of people a little.” He advocates though, by focusing on the broader ideas and providing quality guidelines for these areas, we can help the ” a lot of people” more then just a little. His incorporation of behavioral outcomes also intrigued me. That students behaviors affect the objectives in a broader sense and not just on the micro (Classroom) level.