Clark Deveza

Dr. Jeffrey Spanogle

Instructional Alignment 1

12, April 2017

My Steppingstones Notes and Reflections

I sometimes ask college students about teachers who affected their lives.

Usually they first mention the type of persons those teachers were. They were the ones who

loved their students unconditionally. They had a genuine desire to bring out the best in their

students. They were always willing to help with both academic and personal concerns. And they

were people of faith and integrity who walked their walk. (p. 3 Steppingstones).

Making Curriculum Decisions

1. Above all, they plan so that their implemented curriculum becomes a meaningful

experienced curriculum for their students.

2. The teacher as a guide.

3. Teaching for commitment in Christian Schools

4. 3 points for classroom curriculum

a. They confidently initiate their students into their cultural and Christian heritage.
b. They encourage their students to grow in normal rational responsibilities.
c. They teach with commitment since they want to teach for commitment.
5. Teaching for Commitment in Public Schools
a. Choose content that helps students to function well in society and contribute to it.
b. Be balanced in your approach.
6. What is curriculum?
a. Curriculum meant the length of time needed to complete a program of learning. The
 course of study in school.
b. Humanities is an integrated study of past and present human relationships and

actions.

c. The Beginning of the Kingdom of God

d. The Kingdoms in Conflict

Chapter 2: Steppingstones

Worldview-a set of basic beliefs and assumptions about life and reality.

Four Curriculum Orientations

Curriculum orientation

-basic worldview assumptions

- A view of the knowledge and of the person

- The general aims of the curriculum
- Its purpose is to provide a school, a department, or a teacher with a clear sense of

direction

1. Traditionalists what content do students need most? Essentialist and perennialist

2. Process/mastery supporters How can we achieve our objectives efficiently?

3. Experientialists ask, How can we best help students construct knowledge and meaning

from their experiences.

4. Christian curriculum orientation ask, How do we foster students positive response

and responsibilities toward God, their fellow creatures, society, and themselves.

Toward a Christian Curriculum Orientation

Gods Word as authority for life.

The Content of Curriculum

-rooted in students experiences of Gods created reality

1. Significant for students lives.

2. Questions for nature and culture.
 3. Strenghs and weaknesses of their cultural heritage.
4. To function effectively in society
5. Develop attitudes, values, dispositions, and commitments

Responsibility Teaching:

Responsibility teaching views the person as unique, made in the Image of God and redeemable

in Christ.

Tyler Rationale: objectives screens

Chapter 3: Steppingstones

A worldview is a comprehensive framework of basic convictions about life.

The Creation Mandate

Psalm 19: 1-2, 8 Genesis 1: 28 2:15

Created reality reflects Gods handiwork.

We gain, awe, understanding, and insight from the way God speaks to us.

The Great Commandment means that teachers strive for a classroom that is a loving community.

The Great Commission

Matthew 28: 18-20

1. Life depends on your relationship with God.

2. Model lives of joyful obedience.
3. Recognize Christs authority and presence in the classroom.
4. Choose curriculum that shows how people have responded obediently and disobediently
to Gods mandates.
5. Examine the Kingdom norms that Christ taught us.

Worldviews, Values, and Schooling

-values are an integral part of all worldviews

Thomas Lickona, to survive and thrive, society heeds basic values such as justice, honesty,
civility, dependability, democratic process, and a respect for truth.

Values and the Curriculum

Biblical Values and the Curriculum-shalom related activities-shalom related activities

Spiritual Values

-Life-affirming faith and commitment provide a sense of personal meaning and purpose

Ethical Values

Teachers must accompany modeling and discipline with reasons.

Political, Legal, and Economic Values

Social Interaction and Personhood

-Indo-Canadians

Communication and Aesthetics

beauty and harmony created by God and artists

Analytic Values

implicit curriculum

All curricula are based on a worldview perspective

Teachers teach values through both the planned and the implicit curriculum.

Chapter 7: Steppingstones

1. Designing and adapting units is probably the most significant component of your

curriculum planning.

2. Integral the unit forms a unity with a clearly focused theme

3. Integranted- the unit is a multidisciplinary one

Parts of an integral unit.

1. Has internal unity.

2. Has external consistency.
3. Includes pertinent and meaningful aspects.
4. Design, balance, and sequence learning activities. Include a motivational introductory
activity and a culminating summative one.
5. Review linkages with state or provincial standards and/or curriculum guides, adding or
revising learning activities accordingly.
6. Plan a schedule.
7. Select your resources.
8. Plan student assessment.
9. Review the effectiveness.

Consider the Significance and Relevance of a Topic

Formulate your unit focus.

- A thematic statement describes the overall approach that will frame your units
teaching and learning. It describes your overall goals.
- Basic values, dispositions, and commitments that you want to foster

-Enduring understandings, major concepts, and key skills that you want students to
acquire.

4. Design and Choose Learning Activities

5. Incorporate Government Standards
6. Plan a schedule
7. Select Resources
8. Plan Student Assessment

Adapting Units for Your Classroom

Reflections on all the chapters:

Chapter 1

The beginning quote from my notes really struck me. I see that my students will love and

remember me if I love them unconditionally. I can only accomplish that with a good curriculum.

One of the things highlighted in good curriculum is that it should integrate culture and Biblical

perspective or values. I need to incorporate this in my classroom and connecting these

thoughts from my ICC class, I need to make sure that my lessons are not bias to culture nor is it

racist. This is the only way I could ensure Biblical perspective to my students and show them a

teachers unconditional love.

Chapter 2
Since lesson planning is connected to curriculum. I have learned that my lesson plan must

connect to my worldview. Of course, I need it to become biblical. However, what if I teach in

a secular school so what should I do with my lesson plan given the fact that my Christian

worldview may not be accepted by my students? The term responsibility teaching comes in, so I

will need to incorporate my lesson plan to meet the objectives of the class, and indirectly

show Jesus through the way I live.

Responsibility teaching can be used wrongly though even in a Christian school. I remember

my high school teacher who was so strict and unrealistic when she gave homework. An example

is when she gave me a whole math text book as an overnight homework. Responsibility

teaching, I realized must suit the students and teachers need to meet all the objectives

realistically.

Chapter 3

This chapter is more of a spiritual approach in teaching. I have gained a few good insights

though. First, the way I teach must reflect a love for Christ that will result of me having

a loving community in my own classroom. Secondly, I realize that worldview and the approach

I conduct when I teach is greatly connected. If my approach towards students is harsh, then

my claim for loving Jesus has no grounds but just a mere saying. Approach can affect

curriculum.

Chapter 7

I have learned that lesson plans must have significance to the schools curriculum. To have a

successful classroom, lesson, and students I need to build a very good lesson plan. I can achieve

this when my lps have unity in them and meets the objectives of the lesson. When the objectives

are in chaos therefore, the objectives will never be met. It does not matter if all my students
pass my class. Little do they know though hat I failed to help them meet my class my class

objectives, which results to my failure as a teacher and giving false or chaotic information

to my students which is equivalent to not learning at all.