Higher Ed Curriculum Thus Far...

When I started this blog back in January 2009, I blogged frequently, and covered almost all my readings for a class I was taking. It's been awhile since I've blogged with that frequency, but I have to say that nothing really helps you ponder and grapple with questions, as well as solidify your knowledge about something you've learned quite like reflection. I'm happy to say that though I haven't been blogging, I've had some time to reflect on readings in class through a journaling and sharing in class.

Not that I can make up for the semester thus far, I want to go over a few things I've thought about and have read for this class so far. First of all, I should say that the last time this course was offered, I think I said something along the lines of, "Curriculum? Phruuggh." When I talked to my advisor, Dr. E, about what classes I was interested in (back then), I think I said, "Anything but curriculum." Well, time went by, and I don't know what happened, but curriculum just sounded like it would be interesting...and it truly is!

What is Curriculum?

Our initial readings were a couple chapters of a Stark and Lattuca text (Defining Curriculum & Curricular Perspectives). The reading was somewhat dry (I fell asleep on it at one point), however, there was a good framework on the academic plan, and the role of the academic plan within the overall environmental context of an institution. This perspective represented the rational view of curriculum. The other readings we had along side these chapters were Kuh's "The Other Curriculum" (which I've read before), and Tierney's "Cultural Politics and the Curriculum." I enjoyed both the Kuh and Tierney articles.

Kuh's perspective is that the organizational framework of an institution is the curriculum, and that institutional type and ethos, as well as out of class learning (study abroad, work-study, student activities) are a large piece of college curriculum. Tierney offers a critical view of curriculum on the basis that knowledge, the interpretation of knowledge, as well as experience and social interchange are subjective. In the article Tierney compares a women's college to an entrepreneurial university - the women's college that is full of culture and cultural symbols, and competing views of knowledge and the other that seems to lack an ideology and lacks struggle.

Aside from providing different perspectives of curriculum, my biggest take-away from these readings was this quote from the Tierney article,

"Institutional curricula need to be investigated from the perspective of whose knowledge, history, language, and culture is under examination. Conversely, the organization's participants need to uncover those whose voices are not present in a curricular discourse and give life to them."

Why do I like this quote so much? Probably because as I am growing as a learner and educator, I am finding that voice and perspective (or lack thereof) is very important to me. Personally, I want to expand my perspective to include voices and perspectives of knowledge from as many people as possible. I want all this information to conflict. I want these perspectives to collide. I don't want black words on white paper written by white men. I want more than that.

A classmate of mine, Puni, whom I am so glad is in this class (we both read and analyze everything and come prepared to chew through knowledge together...I think we push each other in that way) said that when she is a professor she is going to tell her class about who she is, what her perspective is, and tell her class to think of the readings from their own perspective...does what they are reading conflict with what they know? Is it relevant? ...and bring their own perspective to the table.

We can't look at everything from all perspectives, but I think learners need to know their perspective is relevant, even if, especially if, it is different from what they are reading in class.