Your+views+Sharon+10

Your Views
What do **//you//** think should be in the curriculum?

Please use your name as a subheading and ensure you include a justification of your view.

What do //**you **// think should be in the curriculum? Donna Vlahos.
I believe that there should be a curriculum relevant to the wants and needs of the current generation, while also providing future resources and required attributes for other stakeholders, such as the Government and Business community.

I think young adults should hold a more influential stake as it would be up to them to pursue their studies and provide these resources for our country’s future.

Included in the curriculum should be a focus on Grammar and Ethics from a young age, as much of this is lost on today’s generation. There should be focused areas in Maths, rather than a broad range of topics. I believe the students would be more interested and willing to learn if there were certain focus areas and they knew that it was relevant to them in everyday life.

I also believe students should have the practical subjects that induce creativity and imagination such as music, art and physical education. Each has their own benefits and every student should have the opportunity to express themselves creatively, even if it is not a subject of their future aspirations.

If student’s studies were focused purely on what is required in the future, such as Maths and Economics, boredom would grow and they would be less willing to learn. A curriculum needs to involve variety and keep the students inspired with other supplementary subjects with which they can express themselves and which would also be beneficial their development into adulthood.

What do //**you **// think should be in the curriculum? Natalie Pauly So far from the knowledge that I have gained on the curriculum in this subject and also after the discussions that I have had with students about what should be taught at school, I believe their opinions are most valuable and that they should have more input into what is in the curriculum. It makes sense to incorporate what they enjoy doing into a subject that they don’t favour as much. As Nicole mentioned in her posting “we should incorporate themes with subjects”, it would help in keeping students engaged in subjects that they find boring. I think from as early as grade 1 there should be room for an elective subject. It would give students the chance to have more of a choice at a young age in developing their individual personalities and to excel in things that they enjoy doing. The views that I hold now as a 1st year pre-service teacher are probably quite different to how I view this topic once I am qualified and have been teaching for some time.

What Should We Teach? (Nicole Wojcik) I think that this is a very difficult question, probably because there is so many things that I would like to teach students but so little time to do it in. I believe that the core subjects are very important however I do feel that it would be a good idea to incorporate themes in with these subjects so as a students knowledge may be extended. Use cooking for an example; students in small groups along with a teacher can bake cookies. A recipe can be applied to maths. Using measurements to bake the cookies. I believe that themes such as this one should be used more often through primary school. I believe that history is very important and should be taught widely through primary school rather than just high school as an elective.

What Should We Teach? - Sara Hugen I also find this a very difficult question. Firstly, I am not a qualified teacher and secondly I don’t have any children so I am not faced with the Australian curriculum in any way. However, I have had a chance to look at the new national curriculum and have seen how disappointing it is in regards to two subjects specifically. Both the history and the science components of the new curriculum have come under fire and I have also found them very disappointing. I believe it is important that Australia’s history be told accurately. Erasing the key importance of European settlers in developing Australia is to me a travesty if it gets approved; as will be leaving the teachings of the periodic table until late high school. Both issues have been strongly criticized and we can only hope that both these subjects are reassessed before being set in stone. I also believe in what the children I polled were trying to tell me. That the way we teach and learn is also extremely important. Learning is more effective when it is interactive and I believe hands on activities which overlap each other are very important. A great example is given by Nicole above with cooking and maths. Controversially I also believe in religious education, however, I believe it should be balanced. In today’s times I think it is important to become knowledgeable about all major religions that we may come across in our everyday lives so that we don’t remain ignorant and become more understanding.

Sharon Fraser - Don't all of the postings on each of the pages thus far bring home to you how truly diverse are the opinions of what should be in 'an Australian curriculum', and we are only a small sample of the whole population! The Blogs you looked at were also full of widely diverse opinions about the curriculum and in some of them, the anger was palpable. I don't think it is possible to sit on the fence about this, and as you say Sara, you don't have children and so won't have to help them through it, but you have your own clearly articulated opinins about the curriculum and will need to implement it or another version down the track. We are all stakeholders of the curriculum and have a stake in it.

Nicole, I agree with you too, I would teach everything through science! I can imagine all of the syllabus areas being addressed through the inherently interesting realm of science, and the natural world in particular. Does that mean that each classroom and the teacher in charge of it would be able to implement the national curriculum but through different means?

WHAT SHOULD WE TEACH? My view: Angela Derrick The curriculum should not only cater for academic subjects, but also the social, physical and emotional needs of all students. I believe that this will set students up for future pursuits when entering the work-force or continuing on with further studies (eg University or TAFE). It is hoped that by catering for students with additional needs will give them the opportunity to develop a quality of life that will assist them in life after traditional schooling. Having a curriculum which is rich, but flexible empowers all students in the learning process. Through the implementation of IEPs (Individual Education Plans) these students will be given a structured curriculum catering for their needs. As you said Sharon, "we are all stakeholders of the curriculum and have a stake in it." Let's hope that we can have a voice and be heard, in the planning and implementation of the new national curriculum.

__**What should we teach in schools? - Emma Cornick**__ As you stated Sharon that 'we are all stakeholders', but it feels like such a big question to answer, especially knowing that what I think should be taught will differ completely from the next person However I also feel th ere is no right or wrong, black or white answer to this.I feel we need to be teaching the core academic subjects but what about those children that are not academic as such, maybe they are more of a creative student that expresses themselves through art or drama or even physical activities? These subjects also need to hold high value. I feel a curriculum needs to allow for this and make sure that an emphasis is not placed on children being academically intelligent as intelligence comes in many forms.More physical activity should be implemented everyday seeing as childhood obesity is a problem in Australia so nutrition and exercise need more focus, this can be implemented through maths e.g. timing distances with running, walking, jogging and turning them into graphs, statistic etc., science- more outdoor experiments encouraging physical exertion.Not every child learns in the same way as we know so these needs have to be catered for while each child has their social and emotional needs met individually with issues such as bullying addressed.Issues or morality, religion, and racism need to be taught in schools. Also the need for education and the need for life long learning should emphasised, this should be done through every subject, everyday within the class.

What should we teach? (Jacquie Coad)

What a hard question? As a mother of 3 small children and just starting an education degree, I believe that as long as the teacher is committed to the students and can relate it to their world, then the children will learn. At the school where I currently teach dance, (which is the same school that my boys attend) I have only seen wonderful things coming from them thus far and they love going to school. What more can I ask?

My job as a dance teacher started 6 years ago and was just an hour a week with a few boys and over time my role in the school has increased to 2 days a week teaching dance to a wide range of students from kindergarten to Year 12 as part of the Performing Arts curriculum. This has given some student’s, who are not necessarily strong academic performers, an outlet to express themselves in an environment where they feel comfortable and encouraged to have a go. This is why I also believe in the benefits of offering a wide variety of subjects.

In the early years I particularly like cross curriculum teaching. For example, when doing parent help at school I have noticed how a simple science experiment can lead to an art lesson where the students need to make something for the experiment, which is then followed by a small group performance of the experiment. The process ends with writing a story about it and then a final discussion about what they have learnt.

 So in summary, I believe in providing a rounded education that tries to cater for all students as they grow and mature into young adults ready to face society. I also think children learn better if they can relate to what they are learning and can enjoy themselves along the way.

This was a really difficult question to answer as there are always going to be different opinions, although I think that the most importantly the curriculum should ensure that it connects with all the stakeholders, Governments, businesses, teachers, parents, students and the community. The curriculum needs to have to ability to be flexible, as not everything is able to be structured and be done as required. I think that there should be an array of subjects which are taught within the school curriculum. These are; English, ensuring that it includes spelling, sentence structure, reading, speaking, listening, talking and writing .Maths which has more relevance to mathematical skills which will be used in the world beyond school rather than incorporating unnecessary skills such as box and whisker plots. History focusing on Australian History, however having worldwide history as this may provide students with interests in these events. Science. The arts are important as it allows the students to express themselves through creative aspects, so music, visual arts and drama. Computing skills, as the worlds technology is continually developing therefore students would require having competency in this area.
 * What should we teach? Emma-Victoria Stevens**

Sharon Fraser - your postings continue to be really on track. Now we are getting into things like the 'hidden curriculum' which is a reading for week 4. What do we not explicitly teach but is potentially inadvertantly learned? If we allow bullying to continue in schools, what message are we giving? That the strongest will and should prevail. Toughen up if you want to survive. You can only rely on yourselves. I remember being a student in an all girls school and the bullying was rife there, but it wasn't physical, it was entirely mental and emotional and I imagine quite difficult to detect. I certainly learned to keep my head down and make sure I had my friends around me. It was sometimes a little difficult when streaming or subject choice took place and I was in different classes to my friends. Even my son found this in his secondary school - //none of these people are my friends, who do I sit with, do I arrive early and hope someone joins me or late and sit anywhere or do I just accept that I'll look like a loser and sit by myself?// School can be an awful and long lasting experience for some students (13 years!).

However, the curriculum is already full! What do we not teach in order to teach some of the other things you have suggested should be included? It is a difficult question.

My opinion- Mellina Scavone There are so many opinions when it comes to this question, and I feel that the answer to this question should depend on the individual teacher and each individual student! I believe the core subjects should be taught as well as subjects that the students are interested in and subjects relating to the students. I think some more life skills need to be taught in schools such as manners for young students and job skills, alcohol, drugs, sex etc for older students. When I was a high school student in 2004 sex education was appalling, we were taught nothing but wait until marriage (Catholic school). If this is still the way it is in some Catholic schools this needs to be looked at because students need to know about practicing safe sex. I think teaching students life skills would greatly benefit them and prepare them to become functioning citizens in society.

**Your views - Theresa Blizzard**
Where to start. I guess I look at my eldest son Hary's respones in part 2 student poll section. He reeled off everything from childcare experiences to driving lessons yet to be done. And everything he noted it was reinforced and practiced at home. I think we should teach life skills. This is really broad, but what I mean by that is that whatever the topic it is where relevent address how it applies to every day life. Let children role play scenarios, ask open ended questions, challenge their thinking, provide multiple ways of teaching to be sure to get to all your students. The curriculum would include things such as social skills-how to break into a group, how to be an effective communicator, respect for all, maths and english, grammer, ellocution - and how they can be applied to everyday practices. Drama, music,sport, environment, science, religious education for all religions not just in Catholic schools (again to gain respect for all), use of technology, practical skills (especially in high shcool like how to budget, conduct your self in an interview, cook a well balanced meal, drug and sex education, woodwork, metal work, sewing,) I think that there should also be optional subjects as they interst each student like language other than English, defensive driving, first aid,) Actually take teenagers (who some of them know everything about everything and think it will never happen to them) to places like hospitals, get organisations like beyond Blue to come in and speak about help out there for depressed youth, let them know where they can get advise about sexual matters without making poor choices. Instead of them gettin ginto a situation that wouldbe soooooooo embarrassing for a teenager, empower them to make the right choices.

But for our littlies, let them be children. Let the class sizes be smaller so that teachers can give quality attention to each child. Let them have lessons both inside and outside, let them explore the possabilities, let them socialise, play team sports early, ask them at the beginning of your year "what do you want to learn about this year?" write up their answers an always have them visible, check in on them as you go through your set curriculum when the ideas intermingle, giving the child a self esteem boost as they see that they are learning about what they find interesting. Yes get the curriculum done first, but incorporte their ideas too.

I think that respect is the big one though socially. In my opinion, if everyone respected, not neccessarily agreed with, but respected the views and beiefs of others, there wouldn't be the bullying, both in primary and secondary and beyond, wars and overall hatred of anything different.

In Grade 7 I would ask each child to write down all the ideas they have about what they may like to pursue once they leave school. Then for each subject they would need to see how it would apply to that field. For example you may think hairdressing - which would incorporate science and chemicals, maths and fractions, communication skills, creativity, writing and comprehension etc (I imagine) But for a young person to look beyond a hiar cut and look into the amount and type of cehmicals used for colouring, curling, straightening, the ordering of stock, one day maybe running the saolon - to look past the intial idea of a job, but go past it for them to reach their full potential in that career.

Have strong partnerships with parents so that school and home can work collaboratively. Give a copy of hte years curriculum to the parents so that thye are aware of what is being taught, to help strenghten the "Team Teacher" approach, that everyone is there to help the child, and workin goff the same page.

My view - Christine Russell

As I read through all the posts on this page I am increasingly aware that the question "what should we teach in schools?" is complex and there is no clear, correct answer. There are elements of all the views above that I agree with. My personal view, as a parent, is that the core subjects remain important. Subjects such as history don't need altering to a purely Australian perspective but to a more global perspective. I feel that one of the most important concepts that our schools should embrace is that our children will live in a global community. They should be educated in a manner which will facilitate their acceptance and understanding of the requirements and expectations of such a society. Teaching methods require diversity and flexibility in order to accommodate the needs of students with differing learning styles. This flexibility, in my opinion, will maximise the learning opportunities for the majority of students. The age old problem is that students will not learn simply because we want them to. We need to listen to the voices of the students, consider their opinions and attempt to meet their needs whilst collaborating with important stakeholders to produce the most effective curriculum possible. Education should encourage in the students the concept of lifelong learning, aid them in seeing future possibilities and allow them a sense of excitement to be moving toward a life where they will be a contributor to a global community. What Should Schools Teach, Charmian Cole

I agree with Christine's statements as we live in an ever changing ever evolving world which is now globalised. Globalised meaning more companies work in relation to others across the world, communication is easier and travel more affordable. There are many more job opportunities opening up because of this, where students leaving school can travel and learn more about the world, other people and other cultures. I think schools need to prepare them for this. Teaching languages, and understandings of other cultures is paramount in preparting students for the world. I do believe the core subjects are important to as are areas of drama, dance and sport to enable the student to develop as a whole rounded person with a healthy attitude to life.

My View - Carole Goldsmith
My views are currently limited to the primary school curriculum as this is the area in which I currently work and hope to teach. I don’t feel adequately equipped to give an informed opinion on what high schools should be teaching their students. I feel that it becomes more complex as children become youth and perhaps many students experience a stage of being less inquisitive about their world and more interested in their personal needs. A generalisation..? Influenced perhaps by my limited experience working with this age group.

In my opinion the primary school classroom should be an extension of the lounge room at home (well my messy, creative, busy lounge room) without the television, but with a few more PC’s!. The curriculum should cover all the basics as it now does. Literacy and Numeracy should be an important focus, because these skills are essential for future earning and personal growth opportunities in adult life. <span style="color: #800080; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Core values are essential to ensue that so many diverse people in one room can attempt to work together productively. <span style="color: #800080; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Opportunities to learn and discover new ideas should be available so to open children’s eyes to the endless possibilities of experiences the world has to offer- this would include studies of the environment, history, society, science, music, drama and art. <span style="color: #800080; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">In many instances I feel that many of the learning areas can be approached in an integrated curriculum which I feel would be successful in the primary classroom. <span style="color: #800080; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">I would like to see an enrichment program to encourage students to be confident in their own abilities and feel good about contributing to their class discussions and participating fully in school life. I have discussed this issue with a number of adults who felt that they had no self esteem, were shy and self conscious people, who wanted to participate more fully in a variety of activities but were too afraid to have a go. On further contemplation I guess I am referring to some students that are in great danger of falling through the gaps – perhaps because of their reservation. <span style="color: #800080; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">My ideas are not so different from what is already on offer, but importantly I do believe that it is vital to provide the information in an engaging, interesting, varying, creative manner. Routines can be good, but exciting new ways of doing things, can be totally exciting and engaging. Some children need to know exactly what to expect each day and should be catered for, whereas others, will be stimulated by different methods of discovery and easily tire of too many worksheets that tie them to their desk and don’t provide enough variety. There should be lots of hands on interactive learning areas, displays of information, and creative pursuits to get the children involved and participating in their own learning. <span style="color: #800080; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">A National curriculum is ok in primary school, because it is up to the individual teacher how they implement the curriculum to provide the most stimulating educational environment. When teaching in such a way it is likely that the discussions will stray from the curriculum and students will be exposed to new ideas and information. If a class is keen to research a topic that is not part of the curriculum they should be allowed to follow their interests and participate in a small unit on this topic, and it can no doubt be connected to some aspect of a particular learning outcome.

<span style="color: #0000ff; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">My View- Georgia Mccristal
<span style="color: #404040; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">I believe that annually the main stake holders for the Curriculum should be given the opportunity to voice their opinions in an anonymous poll with special attention held for those who will be mainly affected by the curriculum; the students. I believe the core subjects of maths, english, science and arts are very important but I would like to see more options given to students who don't see these subjects as high on their list of priority. I believe that if the government is going to start introducing a heavy weighting on a certain subject, their should be money designated to the funding of training for teachers. Through the early years of primary school I think there should be a strong focus on socialising and the prevention of bullying, the social side of education is very important. If it is a positive social surrounding that a student is brought up in then in later years this child feels at ease in expressing him/herself.

<span style="color: #404040; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">What should we teach by Tamatha Creely

<span style="color: #404040; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">I feel we should be comfortable about being ourselves, speaking truth and integrity so as the students learn to trust us as their educators. Value all students views and opionions, whilst creating a fun and achievable learning environment. Children seem, from my classroom observations, to be fascinated with learning, despite some reluctance to engage. I believe we should spend the time learning the basics so as to be able to move forward confidently within the students own time and maturation points. I agree there should indeed be standards but not everyone learns in the same way, we as adults can define our learning strategems, through the trial and errors we have made. We understand how we best learn. Our children do not understand it and it is our role as educators to trial all different aspects of learning so as the students we teach grasp the concepts being taught, so as to be informed members of society, employing critical thinking stratergies in the life of learning. <span style="color: #404040; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The basic topics should be explored such as maths, english/literacy, science, history/social studies and arts in conjuction with computer skills across all subject matter. Like it or not computing is the way of the future and to ignore all possibilities this medium allows would be detrimental as an influential teacher in the lives of our students. Multi-culturalism should formulate topic of discussions and explored further, not only within our region but globally.