(I am not sure that this is where this comment belongs.) Our curriculum needs to be integrate fine and performing arts. We should look at the course offerrings in art, music, dance, and theater in the middle and upper school. Lower school should be integrating fine and performing arts throughout the curriculum.
I wrote a similar comment in the Whole Child Ed section... Harrisburg Academy strives to prepare the whole child academically and socially for challenges of college, a career, and responsible adulthood by using best teaching practices that challenge and engage a diversity of learners. To achieve this goal, the faculty and administration plans to engage in curricular mapping to assess current curriculum scope and sequence (from core academics to arts and social education) and teaching methodology to ensure they best fit our mission statement. Current research and software will be used by faculty to ensure thorough analysis and revision where necessary.
As I mentionned during our meeting on Monday, students in the MS (and possibly US) don't have any time to reflect on their learning and to establish connections between different sujects. Like I tried to suggest starting a couple years ago, it would greatly benefit the kids to have quaterly cross-curricular Topics/Themes/Essential Questions to work on. More then ever, children needs to make connections between the different things they are learning. They also need to be able to relate the content of the academics to the real world and to themselves. I'd like our committee to formulate a push in that direction. Could this be part of our goal writting? While thinking about curriculum mapping, it is a great thing to incorporate there!
I was just in a Science meeting- I am on a committee that connects EC LS Middle and upper. We began the task of writing a curriculum for each area in Science. This sounds like mapping to me. SHouldn't we have a uniform process for this mapping that would be similar in all subjects? I thought we were looking into a computer program to do this. If all this committees just start writing curriculum in their own format, I am afraid our curriculum mapping will be difficult to follow. If we write our curricuum now and then put it into a computer format, it seems to me that we are doing double the work. What do you think?
Elaine, I agree with you that it would make sense to be organized across academic subject in the curriculum mapping process. It could be helpful to have a meeting with all subject chairs every month to stay on the same page/ coordinate efforts (kind of like how we meet w/ Tom S. and then he shares his ideas with the other committee chairs). This may be happening, I don't know. If our Strategic Plan is drafted by 5/1...that could be perfect timing for implementation with this group.
On a slightly different issue, this will be an ongoing process. Class dynamics and abilities will vary from year to year and research will suggest new teaching methods over time, in addition subjects will change (scientific discoveries will be made, current events will become history...) which may require restructuring of the curriculum. We may want to include a phrase about it being an ongoing process that is constantly tweaked to ensure the best match with our student body.
5 comments:
(I am not sure that this is where this comment belongs.) Our curriculum needs to be integrate fine and performing arts. We should look at the course offerrings in art, music, dance, and theater in the middle and upper school. Lower school should be integrating fine and performing arts throughout the curriculum.
I wrote a similar comment in the Whole Child Ed section...
Harrisburg Academy strives to prepare the whole child academically and socially for challenges of college, a career, and responsible adulthood by using best teaching practices that challenge and engage a diversity of learners. To achieve this goal, the faculty and administration plans to engage in curricular mapping to assess current curriculum scope and sequence (from core academics to arts and social education) and teaching methodology to ensure they best fit our mission statement. Current research and software will be used by faculty to ensure thorough analysis and revision where necessary.
As I mentionned during our meeting on Monday, students in the MS (and possibly US) don't have any time to reflect on their learning and to establish connections between different sujects. Like I tried to suggest starting a couple years ago, it would greatly benefit the kids to have quaterly cross-curricular Topics/Themes/Essential Questions to work on. More then ever, children needs to make connections between the different things they are learning. They also need to be able to relate the content of the academics to the real world and to themselves. I'd like our committee to formulate a push in that direction. Could this be part of our goal writting?
While thinking about curriculum mapping, it is a great thing to incorporate there!
I was just in a Science meeting- I am on a committee that connects EC LS Middle and upper. We began the task of writing a curriculum for each area in Science. This sounds like mapping to me. SHouldn't we have a uniform process for this mapping that would be similar in all subjects? I thought we were looking into a computer program to do this. If all this committees just start writing curriculum in their own format, I am afraid our curriculum mapping will be difficult to follow. If we write our curricuum now and then put it into a computer format, it seems to me that we are doing double the work. What do you think?
Elaine, I agree with you that it would make sense to be organized across academic subject in the curriculum mapping process. It could be helpful to have a meeting with all subject chairs every month to stay on the same page/ coordinate efforts (kind of like how we meet w/ Tom S. and then he shares his ideas with the other committee chairs). This may be happening, I don't know. If our Strategic Plan is drafted by 5/1...that could be perfect timing for implementation with this group.
On a slightly different issue, this will be an ongoing process. Class dynamics and abilities will vary from year to year and research will suggest new teaching methods over time, in addition subjects will change (scientific discoveries will be made, current events will become history...) which may require restructuring of the curriculum. We may want to include a phrase about it being an ongoing process that is constantly tweaked to ensure the best match with our student body.
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