A New Perspective In Curriculum Orientation A Synthesis

A New Perspective In Curriculum Orientation A Synthesis in Social Work Education Dr. Wilfred A. Gallant

Outline n Quality of teaching and learning today n Curriculum debate n Five major curriculum orientations n Understanding model of teaching and learning

Outline n Androgogical approach to adult education n Educational content and process n Eclectic approach to teaching and learning

Understanding Model Professor as Committed Teacher n Empathetic n Fosters Openness n Provides Wisdom n Provides Insight Student as Invested Learner n Receptive n Open to learning n Accepts wisdom’ n Responds to insight Symbiotic Relationship

Three Dimensions of Teaching and Learning

Three Educational Dimensions of Teaching, Feeling, and Doing Role of education in the growth process n Knowledge internalized and transformed n Alleviating unfavorable conditions n Development of a more professional stance n Shift in ‘thinking’ ‘feeling’ and ‘doing’ n Knowledge + Process = Key Ingredients n

Symbolic Transformation Knowledge transformed into skill n Involves: n n Perceiving - new data in environment n Ideating - discussion of perceptions n Presenting - testing ideas with others n Results in understanding, integration, and operationalizing

Smith, Goodman and Meredith n Perceiving n n First contact is through the senses where student receives new data Distortion calls for confrontation

Smith, Goodman and Meredith Ideating n n n Intellect and feeling dimension are stimulated The teacher provides a stimulating environment

Smith, Goodman and Meredith n Presenting n Symbolically representing one’s own terms and concepts to others

Rothman and Towle n Thinking n n Feeling n n Knowing Social Work Knowledge, Values, Attitudes, and Skills False interpretations call for appropriate information on behalf of teacher Emotional development of student Individualized learning and energy level Teacher provides for student growth by reducing the ego’s mechanism of defense and emotional blocks to learning Doing n Using the knowledge, skills and values of social work and testing these for practical use in the classroom teaching/learning practice component

Rothman and Towle Thinking n n Knowing Social Work Knowledge, Values, Attitudes, and Skills False interpretations call for appropriate information on behalf of teacher

Rothman and Towle n Feeling n Emotional development of student n n Individualized learning and energy level Teacher provides for student growth by reducing the ego’s mechanism of defense and emotional blocks to learning

Rothman and Towle Doing n n Using the knowledge, skills and values of social work and testing these for practical use in the classroom teaching/learning practice component

Gallant n Understanding n n n Integrating n n Course content and Classroom material Uniqueness of Teacher Uniqueness of Student Misunderstanding and intellectual blocks call for representing content and facilitating cognitive resistance to learning new material Personalized learning Pulling together the knowledge gained Teacher provides optimal opportunity for meaningful process to occur Operationalizing n Effectively putting into practice the knowledge, values and skills of social work practice uniquely learned in the supportive teaching/learning environment

Addressing Classroom Tension Teacher n Recognize anxiety in student n Practices sensitivity n Becomes a counselor n Attends to student anger n Attends to emotional blocking Student n Gains security and confidence n Trusts the teacher n Able to internalize knowledge n Able to identify with and relate to clients

Androgyny The teaching of adults in higher education n Malcolm Knowles (1972) n n Changes in Self-Concept n Role of Experience n Readiness to Learn n Orientation to Learning

Eisner Developer of curriculum programs n Curriculum development is practical and artistic n Curriculums should be open to change n Educational connoisseurship n Educational criticism n

Five Orientations Cognitive Processes n Academic Rationalism n Self-Actualization or Personal Relevance n Social Adaptation or Social Reconstruction n Curriculum of Technology n

Cognitive Processes Possession of information n Comprehension n Application n Analysis n Synthesis n Evaluation n

Academic Rationalism Knowledge is acquired through the senses n Values intellect n Concerned with social order and justice n Deals with ethical and normative determinants n Prepares learners to serve society n

Self-Actualization Experience as a prerequisite for learning n Active learning n Students as active participants n Dynamic teacher-student relationship n Student diary keeping n Teacher provides rich environment n

Social Adaptation/Reconstruction Based on social needs n Most allied with social work and social welfare n Curriculum is structured to meet students’ needs in relation to societal problems n Students learn to critically evaluate n Curriculum is vehicle to remedying social problems n

Curriculum of Technology Relates means to ends n Determines: n n Purposes and objective of curriculum n the developmental processes it wishes to promote Learning is sequential n Learning is student reliant n Creates co-operative community of learners n

WHAT IS YOUR OWN ORIENTATION? n n Curriculum profile developed by Patrick Babin Illustrates level at which one uses the five orientations in their own teaching practice Allows teacher to determine their own orientation relative to content, goals, and organization of the curriculum Consists of 57 questions rated on a Likert scale

Creative Synthesis of Orientations Improvement of teaching can be facilitated by integration and synthesis of orientations n Eclectic curriculum orientation: n n combining n tenets of teaching philosophies Use of modified aspects of the five orientations to curriculum

Eclectic Incorporation Five ideologies are rarely used independently n Ideologies are usually a mix with one dominating over the others n Curriculum orientations are based on one’s own practice n Teacher adopts or applies what they consider useful or facilitative to teaching and learning n

A Personal Orientation An attempt to integrate various teaching and learning approaches n Principles taken from Freud, Adler, Frankly, Curran, Maslow, Shostrom, Egan, and Carhuff and Berenson n Focus is on experiential learning and classroom practices n Students are encouraged to be active participants n

My Mix of Teaching Philosophies n n n n Freud Adler Frankel Sullivan Shulman Eisner Maslow Carkhuff and Berenson n n n n Learning pleasurable Student empowerment Student integration Consensual validation Symbiotic relationship Logical discovery Self-Discovery Teaching Humanism

Student Responses What do students say about my curriculum? n Following each class students write comments about the teaching/learning experience n Students are invited to make suggestions n In final class, students are given a questionnaire n

Favorable Feedback “It kept my interest alive and really made me think and learn” n “We were challenged to take a good, hard, honest look at ourselves and to recognize areas which required our attention” n “It made me take responsibility for myself, and not leaving the onus on the teacher” n

Continued. . . n “The class has provided me with a deeper awareness of the dynamics which occur in human interaction, and has given me a stronger ‘skill’ base for effective intervention”

Continued. . . n “I am use to sitting and taking note after note while listening to the teacher ramble on about something which is supposed to have relevance. This class challenged us to think ‘outside the box’, to be creative and to be expressive of our true selves”

Less Favorable Feedback n “Too structured; expectations too high” n “Too risky to respond in front of all the other students because it will be looked upon by other students as patronizing the professor”

Less Favorable Feedback n “I know what you’re doing in terms of teaching within a holistic context, nonetheless, we have twenty years of hardnosed ‘traditional schooling’ behind us which hampers our movement”

Suggestions for Educators n Critically examine personal teaching orientations n Determine the impact on students learning n Evaluate the effectiveness of eclectic approach

Suggestions for Educators n Monitor reactions of students to curriculum n Be willing to adopt new techniques and processes

Concluding Remarks n SPARK a renewed interest in curriculum building n ADOPT more encompassing orientation n ENCOURAGE a re-examination of personal teaching style

Continued. . . n Better understanding of adrogogical approach n Student learning as most important outcome n Fresh and innovative humanistic approach

Alfred North Whitehead “No matter what approach we responsibly take in our legitimate attempt to teach students, ‘the joy is in the journey’”