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Lauren Smith: Section PQR

Instructor Dawn Burleigh
ED 3501: Curriculum and Instruction
Ideology Individual Reflection
September 24, 2015
Individual Reflection
Throughout this curriculum ideology assignment I have had the opportunity to
experience, both as a student and teacher, what it is like to focus on one ideology of curriculum.
From creating a lesson based on social reconstruction, to participating in lessons that focused on
social efficiency, scholar academic, and learner centered, I have developed a deeper
understanding of the components in curriculum, and have become enlightened to the amount of
variety and impact curriculum ideology has within the classroom.
My Experience as a Teacher/ Creating a Lesson Based on One Ideology:
Taking on the role of the teacher and having to focus on the social reconstruction ideology was
challenging. I felt like having one teaching method to focus on made creating a lesson plan
straightforward, however, I found it very difficult to not blend in other ideologies. In the
perspective of the teacher, I was very much aware of how I was teaching my subject of water
disparity more than what I was teaching. Although the information of the lesson was important, it
was my responsibility to focus more on the origin of the students knowledge. I felt like my
group needed to keep a low teacher status during the lesson and ask open ended questions, while
guiding the classroom through instruction. In all, I feel like the teachers role in the lens of social
reconstruction is to guide the classroom activity through instruction, while enabling students to
learn and become aware of injustice in society through experience and interaction.

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My Experience as a Student throughout the Ideology Lessons:
Taking on the role as the student during the remaining ideology presentations allowed me to feel
what it is like to be on the other side of curriculum. While being a student, I found that every
group was successful in teaching me something about water and citizenship, regardless of the
method. Although I originally thought that the learner centered ideology would be more effective
and enjoyable, I discovered that all of the ideologies and methods had something effective to
bring to the table. During all of the presentations I was very aware of what my role as a student
was. I noticed that each ideology was different in curriculum and lesson planning in terms of the
origin of knowledge expected from the student, the type of questions asked, the method of
instruction given, and the expectations of the students.

How I feel about this assignment overall/ what do I believe are variables that impact
teaching and learning:
As a result of this assignment, I feel like I have created a further understanding of curriculums
role in education. Before being in the education program, I was not fully aware of the impact that
a teachers ideology of curriculum has towards the lesson, the classroom environment, and the
student. The variables that I believe impact teaching and learning, in terms of curriculum and
instruction, include the teachers expectations of students, the teachers behavior and body
language toward the students, and of course the ideology of education that the teacher reflects
within lessons. Through this assignment I have learned that curriculum is not, and should not be
neutral, rather it should embody multiple expressions of educational ideologies. Participating as
both a teacher and a student within this assignment, I strongly agree with the notion of the
importance of infusing and integrating a mixture of ideologies and methods when teaching a unit
or a lesson.

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