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Understanding the contested nature of Curriculum Theory

James A. Banks, in Multicultural Literacy and Curriculum Reform, defines a canon as a: “norm, criterion, model or standard used for evaluating or criticizing…a basic general principle or rule commonly accepted as true valid and fundamental (221).” From the turn of the 20th Century and arguably up until the present, the United States curriculum has been a vehicle for the promulgation of the Western, Eurocentric canon. The Western, Eurocentric canon espouses the grandeur of the White Anglo-Saxton Protestant. What is more, the traditional Western, Eurocentric canon elides substantive discussion of other ethnic group/s contributions to civil-society. And, in so doing, the implicit message becomes: everything worth learning, moreover, everything that is good and beneficial to society proper, can be traced back to white males. Obviously, this type of curriculum has the propensity to alienate, disenfranchise, and oppress (Freire, 1986). This is why a new, inclusive definition of curriculum is necessary. We have to move away from the White Anglo-Saxon Protestant-centric conception of curriculum if we are ever to arrive at a multi-perspective, multicultural curriculum, i.e., one that allows for the recognition of traditional marginalized groups, e.g., women, African Americans, Natives, Asian Americans, Latina/o Americans, and LGBTQI+ folks.

Discussion questions:

  • Is there an important distinction between curriculum and instruction?
  • What is the hidden curriculum?
  • How can/do you mitigate the pernicious effects of the hidden curriculum?
  • Does a more thorough understanding of curriculum require more intentional instructional design?

Please read:   Download paradigm shift curriculum.pdf

                                                          Video 1: 

Assignment: Please respond to this question in 250 words or less and submit to Jeremiah (via this course) no later than 12-14-2016:

How will you assess your curricular goals?

 Video 2:        Video 3:  

 

 

 

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