Definition Mastery learning proposes that all children can learn when provided with the appropriate learning conditions in the classroom. Discussion The application of mastery learning is based on Benjamin Bloom’s Learning for Mastery model, with refinements made by Block. Mastery learning is predominantly a group-based, teacher-paced instructional approach, in which students learn by cooperating with their classmates. However, some mastery learning strategies require students to work independently, rather than with classmates. How Mastery Learning Affects Education Curriculum–Mastery learning does not focus on content, but on the process of mastering it. This type of learning works best with the traditional content-focused [...]

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Working together in a small group to solve a problem is often one of the biggest challenges students in the classroom face. Trying to work with classmates to solve what could be a challenging question often tests the skill of the student. But this type of collaboration, or cooperative learning scenario, can actually promote growth in the cognitive function of students.   3 Ways to Bring Problem Based Learning to Your Classroom: 1. Collaboration “According to Lev Vygotsky, collaboration promotes cognitive growth because students’ model for each other more advanced ways of thinking than any would demonstrate individually. According to [...]

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Definition This “essentialist” curriculum created in 1982 by Mortimer Adler and The Paideia Group proposes a single, required, 12-year course in general, humanistic learning as a foundation for the future learning of all students. Basic Elements The Paideia plan is built on the understanding that education serves to prepare individuals for (1) earning a living, (2) citizenship, and (3) self-development. With that in mind, here is the plan’s proposed framework: GOALS Acquisition of organized knowledge Development of intellectual skills (learning skills) Enlarged understanding of ideas and values MEANS Didactic instruction Coaching, exercises, supervised practice Socratic questioning and active participation AREAS [...]

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Definition Tech prep is most traditionally and frequently defined as a four-year program (during grades 11-14) that leads to an associate degree or two-year certificate in a specific career field. This curriculum includes a common core of required mathematics, science communications, and technologies that is integrated, applied, and sequenced. Discussion There is a strong consensus that American schools have generally ignored the average student: the middle 50% of teenagers who complete high school, but do not attend four-year colleges, universities, or graduate schools. These students are no longer prepared to enter today’s changed workforce, which demands workers who can think, [...]

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Definition This curriculum method revolves around developing “good character” in students by practicing and teaching moral values and decision making. Basic Elements Character education assumes that schools don’t just have the responsibility to help students get “smart,” they also have the responsibility to help them cultivate basic moral values to guide their behavior throughout life. Today’s emphasis on character education is propelled by the decline in family influence, downward trends in youth character, and the emerging consensus of shared ethical values. Character education teaches students to understand, commit to, and act on shared ethical values–in other words, “know the good, [...]

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Definition This philosophy about curriculum–in both language arts and a broader, more general program–is based on recent research of how children acquire oral and written language skills. Basic Elements Because knowledge doesn’t exist separately from the people who construct it, whole language practitioners don’t see curriculum as a prescribed course of study or a particular set of instructional materials. Instead, they see it as the cognitive experience each learner has. Whole language doesn’t just include the specific content being thought about, it also includes how a student “demonstrates” a particular task, as well as what he or she expects from [...]

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Definition In a core curriculum, a predetermined body of skills, knowledge, and abilities is taught to all students. Discussion The core curriculum movement assumes there is a uniform body of knowledge that all students should know. Presumably, this curriculum will produce educated and responsible graduates for the community. Unfortunately, there often isn’t much consensus on who is the community and who speaks for the community. In fact, there is a growing conflict about what topics a core curriculum should contain. Some advocates would limit the core to basic academic subjects like English, math, science, and government, while others would include [...]

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Definition In outcome-based learning, all school programs and instructional efforts are designed to have produced specific, lasting results in students by the time they leave school. Basic Elements One of the leading examples of an outcome-based learning program is the Outcome-Driven Developmental Model (ODDM) of the school system in Johnson City, New York. The principles followed by outcome-based learning practitioners include: Clarity of focus around significant, culminating exit outcomes, which are defined by each school Expansion of available time and resources so that all students successfully reach the exit outcomes Consistent, high expectations of 100% success Explicit relationships between any [...]

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