Comments to Others

Chapter 3 Theoretical Perspectives on Curriculum pgs 53-65
Structure of the Disciplines

Jacquie…

As I was reading your entry into this week’s submissions, I couldn’t help but compare myself to what you were seeing and trying to then incorporate this into my old schema—I guess a kind of constructivist notion according to Piaget and his assimilation theory.

What struck me was the fact that there are many methods of teaching at an educator’s disposal and in order to “reach the masses” has to wear many hats. We all want to reach as many students as possible, however this is an incredibly daunting task. I look at some of the ways in which I am reinforcing my own students’ behaviors (behaviourist model) and wonder if perhaps I am doing them any harm. We all have our own philosophies of teaching which also include fragments of various models. Whether that model is rooted in cognitivism, behavorism, or constructivism, ultimately, we are trying to achieve the same thing—to make learning enjoyable enough that it becomes memorable for the students and perhaps they will continue the legacy.