In his article “A Curriculum for the Future”, Gunther Kress makes a strong case for the notion of “changing with the times”. The idea of prioritising and rethinking current curriculum is incredibly important in my opinion, as it is foolish to assume that the present system is without fault. Kress’ statement about “the coming era demand[ing] an education for instability” (133) is so incredibly profound. I did my seminar presentation on e-literature, and one important aspect of that subject was the notion of thinking about and preparing for the future, as change has become so rapid today. Putting these readings together really emphasizes the notion that nothing is constant, and this definitely makes me think critically about how I will deal with curriculum in my future classroom.
At its very core, the goals of education have changed (Kress 134), and I strongly feel that we must also follow suit. What the norm was even 10 years ago is not necessarily a reality today. During my practicum, I encountered many teachers who seemed to be comfortable and settled in their methods of teaching. By this, I mean that many of them refused – and frankly didn’t see the point – of trying new, innovative ways of teaching. When talking to a teacher about wanting to utilize different forms of technology in the classroom, I was told on more than one occasion to stick to “what works”, which in this case meant giving students notes and worksheets. This, to me, seemed like such a primitive way of communicating with my students, but looking back on it now, I see why a newer way of reaching students can seem fearful to some teachers.
Changing how one has always done something, especially when the ‘newer’ way of doing it can seem daunting, is reason enough to deter one from making modifications to their instruction. To be honest, I do not do well with change, but when it comes to teaching, what makes me more willing to try new things is the idea of reaching my students on a greater level. The potential of providing my students with a deeper connection to school content is so incredibly exciting to me that the fear that comes with change disappears. I truly believe that there is so much room for improvement when it pertains to school curriculum, and the only way that this development can take place is if we make it a priority to plan not only for now, but the future. Nothing in life is stable – especially teaching – and to become comfortable with a primitive mode of doing things would be an incredible disservice to our students.
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