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Curriculum of
Eminence Middle School
My
project called Curriculum of Eminence Middle School
was a
completed with a partner, Lynn
Payton Wilson
for Dr.
Burchette’s EDU
530 class called Curriculum. Lynn and I paired up together
because we both work at Eminence Middle
School. Lynn is the 5th
and 6th grade Science teacher and I am the 7th
and 8th grade Language Arts teacher at Eminence Middle.
Our
school is divided up into two interdisciplinary teams. The
teams have one Language Arts, Science, Special Education,
Social Studies and Math teacher. The 5th and 6th grade team
has all the fifth and sixth graders in the entire school and
7th and 8th grade teaches all the seventh and eighth graders.
So, with Lynn and I working together we were able to
effectively analyze the curriculum process of the entire
school.
This
project’s work best demonstrates my reflective practice
skills because of the nature of the assignment given to us. After
we read the first five chapters of our curriculum book and we
understood the significance of the goals and values and four
bases of curriculum planning which are social forces, human
development learning and learning styles and knowledge we were
asked to analyze and reflect on the curriculum of our school.
I was amazed after Lynn and I started to discuss the
four bases of curriculum how we both were frustrated with what
we saw as a need to improve the four bases at our school. It
reminded me that even though I feel like we had more
opportunities to reflect than other staffs with our whole
school common planning how important continuous reflection is
as a staff and as an individual teacher
After
the assignment was given Lynn and I discussed the process of
schooling our students, our programs and curricula. With a
concentration Lynn and I saw many things that could use
improving with little to no effort but only a slight change
and a little more awareness of the topic. And we were able to
pass our conclusions with our principal. That conversation
began a total revamp of our school’s standards and programs.
Lynn and I took the class in the Summer of 2001 and now two
years later we have discussed and reflected as a staff and
just approved new policies that changed our current policies
that were a result of those reflections to take effect next
school year (2003-2004.)
In talking to Lynn and later other staff members and
writing down my thoughts for the paper I was able to really
determine what my personal beliefs and perspectives were. It
is my belief that as educators we get so caught up in doing so
many things that we do not take time to personally reflect and
decide what our thoughts are on a given educational issue. This
project has encouraged me to continuously reflect on my own
beliefs and perspectives without being made to do so in an
assignment in a Grad class. I see the importance to constantly
reflect and know my perspective on important issues in
education. Click here to see Curriculum
of Eminence Middle School.
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