Deck 14: Curriculum and Instruction

Question 1

Educators in school districts should recognize the characteristics and relative merits of various curricular designs before selecting the approach most suited for the district. Discuss the content emphasis, instructional emphasis, and relative merits of the subject-centered and the student-centered curricular approaches.

Answer 1

The subject-centered approach emphasizes content that is predetermined by the teacher. The particular content varies with the specific approach. Instruction focuses on knowledge, concepts, and principles. The primary advantage is the logical way of organizing information. The student-centered approach generally emphasizes content that is based on student needs and interests. Instruction is characterized by more student involvement. There may be an active, experimental environment with individual and group learning. The primary advantages are that the curriculum has intrinsic interest for students and that they become actively involved in learning.

Question 2

Subject-centered approaches to curriculum tend to be easier to implement than student-centered approaches because

A)there is much less variation in implementing a subject-centered curriculum since subject content does not change dramatically from student to student or class to class.
B)teachers who have a strong background in the discipline they teach do not have to worry as much about the effectiveness of their teaching methods.
C)the methods necessary to teach effectively do not vary much from one subject area to the next.
D)students, generally speaking, would rather learn according to a subject-centered approach.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Chapter 14 concludes with a discussion of emerging trends in curriculum: the importance of the arts, education of English language learners, Pre-K education, and career and technical education. Which trend do you believe will be the most important to the future education of your children? Why? Which trend do you believe might be least important to the relevance and quality of their education? Why?

Answer 3

There are no right or wrong answers to this question. The goal is to encourage students to analyze and assess these curriculum trends in light of their own values and their knowledge of social forces. Evaluate their responses according to the understanding they demonstrate of the nature and purpose of the trends they identify, their knowledge of emerging societal conditions, and the soundness of the reasoning they use to support their ideas.

Question 4

Which subjects could be identified as "exploratory subjects"?

A)English, history, science
B)business mathematics
C)creative writing, drama
D)the classics

Question 5

The new core curriculum may create problems for

A)average-ability students.
B)college-bound students.
C)gifted students.
D)students with low school ability.

Question 6

Curriculum is usually developed at the

A)federal level.
B)state level.
C)district level.
D)school level.

Question 7

Rosemary, an elementary-school teacher, doesn't like a structured curriculum, although she does believe in well-planned learning experiences. She likes to "go with the flow" of student curiosity and to use learning centers, dramatizations, and projects based on the emerging interests of her students. Which of the following types of student-centered curricula would best meet her needs?

A)activity-centered curriculum
B)alternative school curriculum
C)relevant curriculum
D)value-centered curriculum

Question 8

The back-to-basics curriculum has been criticized because it

A)overemphasizes English content.
B)requires too many basic content courses.
C)suppresses the students' creativity.
D)helps prepare students to pass statewide exit tests.

Question 9

A course on environmental protection is most likely to be a component of which curriculum approach?

A)relevant curriculum
B)humanistic curriculum
C)alternative or free schools
D)back-to-basics curriculum

Question 10

High-school study of English, mathematics, the sciences, history, foreign languages, and geography is central to the

A)essentialist curriculum.
B)humanistic curriculum.
C)student-centered curriculum.
D)activity-centered curriculum.

Question 11

Character education recognizes which of the following social problems as a justification of its purpose in schools?

A)corporate greed
B)drug use
C)corrupt politicians
D)all of the above

Question 12

The ultimate goal of curriculum is to develop learners willing to ______________________.

A)complete a high school education
B)participate in a democratic society
C)participate in the back-to-basics movement
D)engage in a student-centered approach

Question 13

Kevin is on the curriculum development committee for a new school in his district. He believes that schools should focus on cultivating the intellect, instilling timeless values, and presenting the classics. What kind of curriculum is Kevin most likely to support?

A)student-centered curriculum
B)essentialist curriculum
C)perennialist curriculum
D)value-centered curriculum

Question 14

Supporters of the student-centered curriculum maintain that when the needs and interests of learners are incorporated into the curriculum,

A)academic achievement improves.
B)the curriculum is more logically organized.
C)parental support increases.
D)students are intrinsically motivated to learn.

Question 15

_______________ is best known as an early leader in the movement for an activity-centered curriculum.

A)John Dewey
B)Jean Rousseau
C)William Kilpatrick
D)Ernest Boyer

Question 16

Which of the following statements about the role of textbooks in curriculum is most accurate?

A)The curriculum plan, not the textbook, tends to most determine the knowledge base for individual courses.
B)Textbooks tend to help address the curriculum to the special needs of particular groups of students.
C)Textbooks influence the nature and sequence of a curriculum.
D)Textbooks tend not to affect students' learning experiences.

Question 17

The __________ curriculum places an emphasis on moral and ethical development.

A)core
B)values-centered
C)student- centered
D)subject-centered

Question 18

New studies suggest that the core curriculum

A)is adequate in preparing students for college.
B)is inadequate in preparing students for college.
C)is rigorous enough for college success.
D)adequately prepares students for employment in the work force after high school.

Question 19

Stronger school-community ties intended to prepare students for problem-solving and active participation would be part of the

A)activity-centered curriculum.
B)essentialist curriculum.
C)back-to-basics curriculum.
D)humanistic curriculum.

Question 20

Critics of the student-centered curriculum maintain that

A)competition exists within the classroom.
B)important content is overlooked.
C)students' self-esteem is not improved.
D)teachers are not prepared to teach in that environment.

Question 21

Describe the link between the back-to-basics approach and the No Child Left Behind Act.

Question 22

Partnership for 21^st Century Skills represents the push towards curriculum that better prepares students for

A)the global job market.
B)technology-driven learning.
C)the local job market.
D)outcome-based education.

Question 23

Describe the instructional emphasis of a teacher using the essentialist curriculum.

Question 24

Captain Underpants and The Bluest Eye are examples of ________.

A)recently objectionable works to be used in a school
B)recently approved works to be used in a school
C)an updated required reading list for high school students
D)technology enhanced learning

Question 25

Describe the core values that may be taught in a character-education curriculum.

Question 26

Compare the subject-centered and student-centered curriculum. In what ways are they similar?

Question 27

What role does technology have on the development of curriculum?

Question 28

What would be the purposes of a humanistic approach to curriculum?

Question 29

If current trends continue, school curricula in the future will be

A)exclusively subject-centered.
B)exclusively student-centered.
C)focused on technology and change only.
D)focused on all of the above.

Question 30

Among American citizens, approximately ________ % communicate in a language other than English at home.

A)8
B)21
C)15
D)30

Question 31

____________ is a teaching technique that addresses a wide range of differences that exist among students in today's classrooms.

A)Differentiated instruction
B)Effective learning
C)Cooperative learning
D)Team teaching

Question 32

The greatest responsibility for curriculum development falls on

A)the state.
B)the individual buildings in a district.
C)the teachers.
D)the local school districts.

Question 33

What are the drawbacks and benefits of using the textbook as the primary tool in curriculum development?

Question 34

An example of subtle censorship of curriculum includes

A)topics omitted from textbooks.
B)the use of pictures in a textbook.
C)professional organizations' recommendations.
D)all of the above.

Question 35

What are the key issues in the efforts to censor textbooks and other resource materials used by schools?

Question 36

In ________________, students are introduced to lesson content at home.

A)a flipped classroom
B)student-centered learning
C)subject-centered learning
D)the back-to-basics approach

Question 37

Textbooks tend to lack detail in which of the following primary areas?

A)local and regional issues
B)national issues
C)noncontroversial issues
D)general knowledge

Question 38

How might curriculum and instruction be changed to meet the needs of the increasing number of immigrants in the United States?

Question 39

A key requirement of differentiated instruction is that the curriculum emphasizes

A)accumulating facts.
B)constructing understanding.
C)rapid changes in knowledge.
D)specific outcomes.