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Understanding and Shaping Curriculum
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Understanding and Shaping Curriculum
What We Teach and Why

February 2006 | 480 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
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Understanding and Shaping Curriculum: What We Teach and Why introduces readers to curriculum as knowledge, curriculum as work, and curriculum as professional practice. Author Thomas W. Hewitt discusses curriculum from theoretical and practical perspectives to not only acquaint readers with the study of curriculum, but also help them to become effective curriculum practitioners.  

Key Features:
  • Emphasizes the various dimensions of curriculum practice: Becoming a curriculum practitioner requires understanding academic-practice knowledge, the forces shaping curriculum, the array of curriculum work from policymaking to evaluation, and how those are integrated forming a sense of professional practice. This book examines curriculum knowledge that is both academic and practice based.
  • Brings theoretical concepts to life: 'Perspective into Practice' sections illustrate the relevance of the material to both elementary and secondary school settings and contexts. In addition, end-of-chapter resources provide ideas for further discussion and assignments that address different roles and the various dimensions of curriculum practice.
  • Examines current issues: Part of being a good practitioner is understanding the inevitability of change and the necessity to keep current about issues and trends that affect both the knowledge and the work of curriculum. Separate chapters on issues and trends give students the opportunity to explore what is happening in today's schools and curriculum.  

Intended Audience: This is an ideal text for masters and doctoral-level courses on Curriculum, Curriculum Development, and Curriculum Design.



 
INTRODUCTION
Society And Schooling

 
The Importance of the Critical Perspective

 
PERSPECTIVE INTO PRACTICE: Domains of Knowledge in a Social Studies Lesson

 
Key Ideas to Guide Study

 
 
THE WORLD OF CURRICULUM
 
IN SEARCH OF CURRICULUM
Historical Constructions of Curriculum

 
Curriculum Inquiry and the Tyler Rationale

 
Curriculum Reconceptualized and Redefined

 
PERSPECTIVES INTO PRACTICE: Curriculum Reconceptualized and Redefined

 
Perceptions About Curriculum

 
Envisioning Curriculum Study

 
 
CURRICULUM WORK AND PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
Curriculum Workers

 
Curriculum Work

 
Settings for Curriculum Work

 
Becoming a Professional Curriculum Practitioner

 
PERSPECTIVE INTO PRACTICE: Application of Personal and Professional Perspectives in an Elementary and Secondary Classroom

 
Doing Curriculum Work

 
 
CREATING CURRICULUM
Origins of Curriculum Development as Curriculum Work

 
Key Factors in Curriculum Development

 
Expanding the Conception of Curriculum Development

 
Essential Knowledge for Doing Curriculum Development Work

 
PERSPECTIVE INTO PRACTICE: How Selected Knowledge Essentials Apply to Elementary and Secondary Curriculum

 
 
KNOWLEDGE BASES THAT SERVE CURRICULUM
 
KNOWLEDGE AND THEORIES ABOUT CURRICULUM
The Curriculum Knowledge Base

 
PERSPECTIVE INTO PRACTICE: Applying discipline knowledge in development of a lesson in geography

 
Discipline Perspectives

 
Curriculum Orientations and Interests

 
Learning Theory and Curriculum

 
Inquiry Traditions and Curriculum

 
 
METHODS AND TOOLS FOR CURRICULUM WORK
Knowledge Tools and Curriculum Tools

 
Curriculum Theory

 
Curriculum Models

 
PERSPECTIVE INTO PRACTICE: Curriculum Models in a Language Arts Lesson

 
Curriculum Critique

 
 
HISTORICAL FOUNDATIONS OF CURRICULUM
Roots of American Curriculum

 
18th Century Curriculum in America

 
19th Century Curriculum in the United States

 
20th Century Curriculum: The Progressive Movement and After

 
Into the 21st Century: New Policy Initiatives and the Curriculum

 
PERSPECTIVE INTO PRACTICE: Examples from the History of Curriculum Change

 
 
SOCIAL, CULTURAL, AND INTELLECTUAL FOUNDATIONS OF CURRICULUM
Curriculum and Episodes of Social and Cultural Change

 
Impact of Social Sciences on Curriculum

 
Curriculum Content and the Humanities

 
Philosophy and Curriculum Knowledge

 
Educational Philosophies and Curriculum

 
PERSPECTIVE INTO PRACTICE: Ideas from the Social Sciences, the Humanities, and their Application in Elementary and Secondary Curriculum

 
 
WHAT CURRICULUM PRACTITIONERS DO
 
POLICYMAKING AND PLANNING IN CURRICULUM
Policymaking in Curriculum Work

 
PERSPECTIVE INTO PRACTICE: Policy Examples at the Elementary and Secondary Level

 
Planning in Curriculum Work

 
State and Local Policy and Planning

 
National and Regional Policy and Planning

 
 
DEVELOPING AND ADAPTING CURRICULUM
Creating Curriculum Development

 
A Sample Curriculum Development Process

 
Curriculum Adaptation

 
PERSPECTIVE INTO PRACTICE: Classroom Adaptations of Elementary and Secondary Curriculum

 
Curriculum Alignment

 
Assessing Curriculum Development and Adaptation

 
 
IMPLEMENTING AND MANAGING THE CURRICULUM
Management in Curriculum Work

 
Managing the Curriculum Mission

 
Forming a Curriculum Management Strategy

 
Curriculum Management Tools

 
Managing for Quality

 
PERSPECTIVE INTO PRACTICE: Quality Control in K-12 Curriculum Management

 
Key Issues in Management: The Reality and the Ideal

 
 
EVALUATION IN CURRICULUM WORK
Curriculum and Accountability

 
The Processes of Assessment and Evaluation

 
Doing Evaluation in Curriculum Work

 
PERSPECTIVE INTO PRACTICE: Examples of Curriculum Assessment-Evaluation Tasks at the Elementary and Secondary Level

 
 
CHALLENGES OF CURRICULUM CHANGE
 
INTERPRETING CONTEMPORARY CURRICULUM ISSUES
Theme: Control of Schooling and Curriculum

 
Theme: Schooling, Curriculum, and Reform

 
Theme: Accountability in Schooling and Curriculum

 
Theme: Effects of Social Change on Schooling and Curriculum

 
PERSPECTIVE INTO PRACTICE: How Selected Issues Might Affect Elementary and Secondary Schooling

 
 
INTERPRETING TRENDS IN CURRICULUM
What is a Trend?

 
Trend: Technology and Reticulation

 
Trend: Shifting Ideologies and Change

 
Trend: The Impulse of Globalization

 
Trend: Re-thinking Schools and Schooling

 
Trend: The Rising Importance of Curriculum

 
PERSPECTIVE INTO PRACTICE: Selected Trends and Their Possible Impact at the Elementary and Secondary Level

 
Key features
  • The book emphasizes the various dimensions of curriculum practice.
  • A separate chapters on issues and trends gives students the opportunity to explore what is happening in schools and curriculum right now.
  • Rich examples help to bring theoretical concepts to life.
  • Perspective in to Practice boxes illustrate the elementary and secondary applications of key ideas.
  • End-of-chapter resources provide ideas for further discussion and assignments.

Sample Materials & Chapters

Chapter 3

Chapter 6

Chapter 9