18-19.11.05 Dakmara GEORGESCU, IBE 1 CURRENT CHALLENGES IN CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT: CASE STUDIES AND NETWORKING FOR CHANGE Curriculum philosophies for the

18-19.11.0518-19.11.05 Dakmara GEORGESCU, IBEDakmara GEORGESCU, IBE 11

CURRENT CHALLENGES CURRENT CHALLENGES IN CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT: IN CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT:

CASE STUDIES AND NETWORKING CASE STUDIES AND NETWORKING FOR CHANGEFOR CHANGE

Curriculum philosophies for Curriculum philosophies for the twenty-first century: what the twenty-first century: what

is old an what is new?is old an what is new?


Isaac Asimov: the three Isaac Asimov: the three laws of futurologylaws of futurology

What’s taking place now will What’s taking place now will continue in the future (i.e. ‘What continue in the future (i.e. ‘What happened in the past will also happened in the past will also occur in the future’)occur in the future’)

Try to identify Try to identify the obviousthe obvious for only for only few people will be able to see itfew people will be able to see it

Think at consequencesThink at consequences


Curriculum Curriculum ‘philosophies’‘philosophies’

Questioning the foundations of Questioning the foundations of our decisions and actionsour decisions and actions

Asking the right questionsAsking the right questions Evaluating alternativesEvaluating alternatives Coping with dilemmasCoping with dilemmas Issuing guidelines for effective Issuing guidelines for effective

changechange Engaging in productive dialogueEngaging in productive dialogue


What challenges?What challenges?

Future sellers: ‘The second oldest Future sellers: ‘The second oldest profession’ (William A. Sherden)profession’ (William A. Sherden)

Asimov: ‘If I were asked to guess what Asimov: ‘If I were asked to guess what people are generally most insecure people are generally most insecure about, I would say it is the content of about, I would say it is the content of the future. We worry about it the future. We worry about it constantly.’constantly.’

Sherden: ‘…just because we cannot Sherden: ‘…just because we cannot predict it does not mean we can ignore predict it does not mean we can ignore the future.’the future.’


What challenges? A review What challenges? A review of the obvious…of the obvious…

Language & IdentityLanguage & Identity ‘‘Knowledge society’Knowledge society’ Brain researchBrain research Memory and learningMemory and learning GenderGender Self-management & Interpersonal Self-management & Interpersonal

relationshipsrelationships AuthorityAuthority School organizationSchool organization


Language & IdentityLanguage & Identity

Newsweek (7 March 2005)Newsweek (7 March 2005)

MalaysiaMalaysia School-level maths and sciences taught in English (p. School-level maths and sciences taught in English (p.

50)50)

FranceFrance Recommendation of a Commission of the ‘Académie Recommendation of a Commission of the ‘Académie

Française’: basic English be treated like basic Française’: basic English be treated like basic maths, as part of maths, as part of the mandatory core curriculum (p. 50) the mandatory core curriculum (p. 50)

GermanyGermanyGerman language schools no longer target English German language schools no longer target English

beginners, beginners, but those pursuing more expert-niches: business but those pursuing more expert-niches: business English, phone English, phone manners or English for presentations (p. manners or English for presentations (p. 59)59)


Language & IdentityLanguage & Identity

Language, computers and mass Language, computers and mass migrations as the turbine migrations as the turbine engines of globalizationengines of globalization

Bilingual educationBilingual education

New identitiesNew identities


Knowledge societyKnowledge society From an information society From an information society

towards a ‘knowledge society’towards a ‘knowledge society’

Networks, knowledge and new Networks, knowledge and new technologiestechnologies

Learning communitiesLearning communities

Life-long educationLife-long education


Knowledge society: complex knowledge Knowledge society: complex knowledge is preconditioning our success in daily is preconditioning our success in daily

life & actionlife & action


Brain researchBrain researchTime (7 March 2005)Time (7 March 2005)

Women:Women: ‘…have more connections ‘…have more connections between the left and right hemispheres. between the left and right hemispheres. They tend to use more parts of their brains They tend to use more parts of their brains than do men for the same task’ (p.48-49)than do men for the same task’ (p.48-49)

Men:Men: ‘Do their thinking in more focused ‘Do their thinking in more focused regions of the brain, whether they are regions of the brain, whether they are solving a math problem, reading a book or solving a math problem, reading a book or feeling a wave of anger or sadness’ (idem)feeling a wave of anger or sadness’ (idem)


Brain researchBrain research The size of the brain does not predict The size of the brain does not predict

intellectual performanceintellectual performance

Men and women perform similarly on Men and women perform similarly on IQ testsIQ tests

Men and women seem Men and women seem to handle to handle emotions quite differentlyemotions quite differently

HAIER: ‘Men and women have different HAIER: ‘Men and women have different brain architecturesbrain architectures, and we don’t know , and we don’t know what they mean’ (p. 50)what they mean’ (p. 50)


Brain researchBrain research

Leonard SAX: ‘Why gender matters?’Leonard SAX: ‘Why gender matters?’

Segregation of sensesSegregation of senses

Never underestimate the brain: Never underestimate the brain:

adaptationadaptation growthgrowth

evolution evolution motivationmotivation


Memory and learningMemory and learningSTERN, 14.10.04STERN, 14.10.04

Different memory models:Different memory models: The partitioned-brain modelThe partitioned-brain model

The ‘whole’ brain modelThe ‘whole’ brain model

Short term and long term memoryShort term and long term memory

Long term memoryLong term memoryDeclarativeDeclarative Non declarative Non declarative

Episodic - Semantic Episodic - Semantic (Procedural)(Procedural)


Memory and learningMemory and learning

Conscious and unconscious Conscious and unconscious memorymemory

The emotional context of The emotional context of memorisation and learningmemorisation and learning

Consolidating the Consolidating the memory/neuronal ‘charts’ memory/neuronal ‘charts’


Memory and learningMemory and learning Memory Memory andand higher-order intellectual skills higher-order intellectual skills

Old tricks in new contexts: how to train our Old tricks in new contexts: how to train our memory?memory?

Visual aidsVisual aids Searching for meaningful linksSearching for meaningful links

Positive routine/methods and Positive routine/methods and proceduresprocedures

RimesRimesWordingWording


GenderGender IcelandIceland: a land where girls rule in Math : a land where girls rule in Math

(Time, 7 March 2005)(Time, 7 March 2005)

Expectations matterExpectations matter

GermanyGermany: ‘Educationalist are worried : ‘Educationalist are worried about the men’s faith in tomorrow’s world: about the men’s faith in tomorrow’s world: more and more boys and young men leave more and more boys and young men leave school and achieve only low results. Boys school and achieve only low results. Boys and young men feel unsecured, and reliable and young men feel unsecured, and reliable models for them are missing…’ (Der models for them are missing…’ (Der Spiegel, No. 21/17.05.05, p. 82)Spiegel, No. 21/17.05.05, p. 82)


GenderGender

Time, 7 March 2005Time, 7 March 2005

Who says a woman can’t be Who says a woman can’t be Einstein? Einstein?

Science is still a man’s world – Science is still a man’s world – will today’s girls change that?will today’s girls change that?


Self-management and Self-management and interpersonal relationshipsinterpersonal relationships

Stern, 25.11.04Stern, 25.11.04

How to control our fears?How to control our fears?

Sciences humaines, June 2004Sciences humaines, June 2004

How to build meaningful How to build meaningful interpersonal relationships?interpersonal relationships?


AuthorityAuthority

What went wrong?What went wrong?

Spiegel, no. 29/18.07.05Spiegel, no. 29/18.07.05

The right of children and young The right of children and young to discipline and self-structuring to discipline and self-structuring

(p. 137)(p. 137)


School organizationSchool organization

Spiegel, no. 29/18.07.05Spiegel, no. 29/18.07.05

Rebirth of boarding schools?Rebirth of boarding schools?

Time, 7 March 2005Time, 7 March 2005

All women: Smith College grads All women: Smith College grads benefit from single-sex classes (p. benefit from single-sex classes (p. 54)54)


Lessons for the future…Lessons for the future…

Old habits die hard – but before killing Old habits die hard – but before killing them for good, we should revisit our them for good, we should revisit our assumptions…assumptions…

STERN, 25.11.04STERN, 25.11.04‘‘For corrections we would need like five For corrections we would need like five years, while for a new learning culture years, while for a new learning culture we would need at least 15…’we would need at least 15…’

A new curriculum & learning culture: we A new curriculum & learning culture: we need to be sure of what this means…need to be sure of what this means…


Lessons for the futureLessons for the future

Stern, 25.11.04Stern, 25.11.04

Lessons of the PISA study:Lessons of the PISA study:

Poland:Poland: ‘We don’t need to learn only rough facts, ‘We don’t need to learn only rough facts, what we really need is to understand the world’ what we really need is to understand the world’ (p. 48)(p. 48)

Core curriculum and freedom to chooseCore curriculum and freedom to choose Comprehensive basic/compulsory education for Comprehensive basic/compulsory education for

all while avoiding early streamingall while avoiding early streaming Students’ participation in the development of Students’ participation in the development of

theirtheir curriculum curriculum

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18-19.11.05 Dakmara GEORGESCU, IBE 1 CURRENT CHALLENGES IN CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT: CASE STUDIES AND NETWORKING FOR CHANGE Curriculum philosophies for the