Some states allow students to participate in district curriculum councils. California even allows students to work at the state level. Should students be allowed to participate on district or state curriculum councils? What would be the pros and cons of this approach?
36 comments:
I feel that the decision to have students participate at the various levels would depend on the age and grade of the students. I feel that all students can participate in the classroom and school level. I think at the higher levels you need children who really care about education. If you do not make that a prerequisite you can get children who do not want to work at all. I feel that you need children who are willing to speak out and be confident in what they feel. I think the students on those commitees would be very beneficial. These are the students receiving the information and what we are looking to for the final product (pro). As I said before I feel that you have to be careful who is chosen and how,because you could have children on the committee that just did not like material or who do not want to do the work (con).
I feel overall the students provide a different perspective that is needed to develop curriculum (pro). Students provide honest and down to earth reflections and reactions to things (pro).
I believe that student participation can be a positive contribution to the curriculum planning process. This is especially true at the high school level where prudent input from students would be extremely beneficial to curriculum planning and to a lesser extent at the middle school level. Often the insight from students provides a different albeit valuable tool in developing curriculum. Although, the process of choosing the students should be of concern because a committee might run the risk of choosing students who are only there to represent an individual prospective. The process should involve choosing students that have an understanding of the big picture and that discussion should involve what is best for the entire student body.
I too feel that students should participate on committees depending on the level. High school and possible middle school are okay but I hesitate to put a younger student on a committee. I truly believe that the SCA president or senior class president would be two great choices for student participation on a committee. I think students need a voice, especially when it involves the entire student body.
Clay Moran
I definitely think that students of all ages should participate on district level curriculum councils. As noted in earlier comments, the student needs to be mature, be able to articulate their needs, understand the parts/pieces of curriculum, and have good communication skills. I have seen upper elementary (4th and 5th grade) students do this well. The pros are definitely to get a voice from all stakeholders and get the learner's perspective. I think stduents should also be part of the evaluation of instruction. We sometimes make assumptions that we are meeting students needs through curriculum choices and delivery models. I think some teachers would be "surprised" at how well students can evaluate and articulate what they need or don't need.
I agree that students should participate. Thier view point is priceless. I think sometimes we could learn from listening to their needs and what they would like to get out of the educational process. I is hard to pave the road if you don't know where they want to go. I just came form a school board meeting about the counties comprehensive six year plan. There were high school students there and their input was very well recieved and benificial.
I believe student input should be valued. As the textbook mentioned, their input can come in the way of reactions to the curriculum, suggestions for improvement, and their thoughts as to what their needs are and how they perceive those needs should be met. I know when my daughter was in high school, she set educational goals for herself that would best serve her when she was ready to enter college. She planned for two – three years of Latin, which was initially offered. After one year of Latin, the school dropped the course, which had a major impact on her plans. She and the other students who had similar plans were able to present their needs to the school, and arrangements were made for them to continue on the path they had planned. We also need to solicit feedback from students about the overall educational experience which I believe is a vital aspect of curriculum planning. Having students reflect and share their viewpoint can help us keep foremost in our minds what the ultimate goal is, which is to meet the needs of all students.
Allowing students to have a voice in the curriculum empowers them to have a greater responsbility over their own learning. This can also improve community involvement at the parental and buisness level.
However, I would be cautious as to how to choose students to participate in curriculum councils. Students would provide a much needed perspective and could have insightful reflections regarding curriculum, but it is important to make sure all students are heard without those few students thinking they can get out of work. The text mentions several ways students can be a part of such a process.
I learn from my students every day, it is unfortunate curriculum committees do not benefit from student interaction.
I agree that students should play a role in the curriculum planning process. The process will empower the students involved. Students will be able to reflect on proposals and will be able to communicate to the committee their views/goals about the curriculum. Sometimes as educators we believe that we know what is best for students. By giving students a voice in curriculum planning we may better see how students feel or perceive the curriculum or any changes in the curriculum that would affect them. Students that are permitted to participate in curriculum planning should depend on their maturity. Students that are motivated, intelligent, reliable, and possess good communication skills would be good candidates for a curriculum committee. Students are the main stakeholders in education; therefore, their input should/can be a powerful tool. However, students that want to join the committee to decrease homework, the curriculum, or to add a committee to their college resume should not be allowed to participate. Curriculum planning and development is a tedious task and therefore should include stakeholders that have a desire to promote the success of every child.
I am not sure that I agree with majority who have posted here. Children do not have the life experience needed to make decisions about what is needed to succeed in the world. While their input at the school level can help professional educators at that level know more about them and their learning needs, I do not feel that their participation at higher levels (district or state) would serve to provide a better curriculum.
Do students in 5th or 6th grade know much about what will be needed in their professional career? Are they in the position to help develop a curriculum for the future?
Professional educators from the school level should be able to represent the needs of students at levels beyond the school building.
Some states allow students to participate in district curriculum councils. California even allows students to work at the state level. Should students be allowed to participate on district or state curriculum councils? What would be the pros and cons of this approach?
I have to say I really agree with Loren on this. Itmay be okay to allow children to be invovled at the school and classroom level but I think that at any higher level may be counterproductive. The children would really need to care about the education that they will essentailly be changing. I think that it would take a really strong nd special student to fulfill this incredibly important role.
I think and important pro would be having student input. But a con would the student not having the knowledge or experince. I con could also be that they may not want to do the work invovled.
Age and maturity is also something to consider. How young is too young. THe high school level it may be okay to have students serve on curriculum but I don't know how I feel about any younger then that. I also agree with Clay Moran that someone like the class president ot SCA president may be ideal should they want to serve. Students should participate nd have a voice in their education but I think the right student should participate becasue I do not think that all student could and would do and adequate job.
I agree with most of the comments. I think students should be involved in the curriculum planning process especially at the school and district level. I think that when choosing the student/students, you should choose students that perform at different levels. I think we need to listen to our students more and develop our curriculum based on their needs and desires rather than depending on those who have been out of the classroom and are out of the school level loop.
I believe that students should be allowed to participate in curriculum development, in some form at all levels (state, district, school, classroom). These students would need to have the maturity and cognitive skills necessary to give input which is reliable, useful and valid in the larger picture of the state or district curriculum. The choosing of these students would have to be done with great care. Not only should a child be chosen who is interested in helping create valued change, as stated earlier, they must be able to represent all students at the varying degrees of learning ability.
In listening to student input, valuable insight can be gained as to which learning strategies are best suited for students, what part of the curriculum is most difficult, how numbers in classrooms affect learning as well as how different types of grouping affects learning and curriculum views, all from the student’s perspective.
As Bill stated, students do not have the experiences to truly be able to plan curriculum in order to plan for their futures, but they can share ideas about curriculum ideas that have worked or that have not worked in their classes thus far.
One of the cons in allowing students to participate in curriculum development is the possibility of completely invalid information being presented, due to the lack of experience and maturity.
Great care must be taken in including students in this process.
Yes, as long as there are strict qualifications for students to be allowed to join these councils. There are high school students who posses the motivation and would accept the challenge of learning how to write an effective curriculum. Pro: the scrutiny of a student who is currently shoulder deep in the curriculum; a young optimistic view point; availability to the popular ideas and trends among students and the ability to incorporate it into the curriculum. Cons: Immaturity, inexperience working on a collaborative group, ignorance of how the instruction of the curriculum will translate into skills later in life.
Mike Grim
I also agree that students should play a role in the curriculum planning process. I feel the process will empower the students involved. This requires students to reflect on their learning, as well as take ownership. This role would also educate them in communication by discussing and promoting their views and goals of the curriculum. It also provides teacher with valuable information about their teaching styles and delivery techniques. As an elementary school teacher I believe that one important deciding factor for Students participation is their maturity. Along with this, I agree with Bill, that all children do not have the life experience needed to make decisions about what is needed to succeed in the world.
I feel that it is a good idea to include students in curriculum councils particularly if they are in the high school grades. We could not just choose any student, it would have to be a student that is mature and is willing to help. The students could give us a prospective that we may not have thought of. We should not disregard their opinion just because they are young. Their input does not have to the main opinion that we consider in choosing a curriculum but they should have a voice in the process since it is their education that is affected.
I feel this is a good idea if used very carefully. Having a high school and maybe even upper middle school student involved could be beneficial. However, as I and others noted in our last blog, the size of the committee could easily grow too large just with the necessary personnel from the school system and community members, so the use of students should be very limited, and the selection process must be one in which only the most mature students could be involved.
I think it would be great to allow students to participate at the various levels, depending on the age of the students. High school and possibly middle school students could participate at all levels if they could work with teachers and supervisors with the process and really become involved. I believe good candidates could be SCA president or simply standouts that take an interest. The text states that students could give suggestions for improvement, and their thoughts as to what their needs are and how they perceive those needs should be met. Students can give a positive reflection and provide perspectives that we as adults can sometimes not see.
I will admit that I am torn regarding the idea of students participating in the curriculum development process. I feel that the input of students is an asset we mustn't ignore, however, I don't feel that their involvement is appropriate at every level. The input of students regarding what they will learn is certainly appropriate at the classroom/school level, but from that level up I feel that those who have surpassed the goal which those students are striving toward have a better outlook regarding what can benefit their progress toward said goal.
Students are stakeholders and should be able to participate in curriculum planning at the classroom level, school level, and district level. I think that not only current students should be involved in the curriculum planning process but also students that have recently graduated. As educators we have a tendency to operate within a vacuum and we need put into place planning strategies that can make education more of a universal design.
Leaving students out of curriculum development is the equivalent of leaving patients out of the development of their own medical treatment plans.
I agree that the concerns some of us have expressed about the possible pitfalls of including students in the process are valid, but those concerns can be addressed. I would also argue that high school students are uniquely qualified to participate in the process. They've had years of direct experience with public education and, unlike teachers and administrators, are currently immersed in receiving a public education. That combination of past/current experiences makes them well-suited to help shape the future. Should students have veto power or drive the process? Absolutely not. But it seems strange to me that anyone would want to ignore their voices.
Students deserve an opportunity to contribute information and help to guide decisions regarding programs and policies that directly affect them. It is important for them to have a voice on these committees. Even though you could bat back and forth many pros and cons: maturity of students, work ethic, understanding the impact of their decisions, and commitment to excellence I only have one main concern. I would want to ensure that the majority of the community's societal groups are being represented. I wouldn't want the only student members to be the upper-middle class straight A student that every teacher likes. It would be important to me that the committee ensured it had representation from other groups within the community.
Students would certainly be an asset to a curriculum council. As many have stated, students can offer insight and a different persepective on the education they are currently receiving.
To avoid any "cons", it is important to keep in mind the groups of students being represented. High school and possibly middle school students would be of great value. I would agree with Kelley that a diverse group of students should be representing the student body as a whole.
Yes, students should be given the opportunity to join the council. The students wanting to be involved enjoy school or have a suggestion for a change. Both views would be valuable to the council. This student perspective(pro) is important because it is ultimately the students that will be affected by the council. I agree with Jonathan that they would not have the power to veto, but their voice would be valued.
Yes, I do believe that students should be able to represented on these councils for the following reasons:
1. Participation in such a committee would help to develop a student’s higher level thinking skills and promote problem solving.
2. Students would feel more invested in the activities of school/curriculum if they felt they had a voice.
3. Students may be able to share a view/side of things that teachers aren't able to see.
I feel that students should be invited to be part of the curriculum process. At first I worried that we would get students who want to disrupt the process, but I now believe that if the word "work" is included, 95% will not bother to apply to work on a curriculum committee. Thus, generally good students will apply.
I do believe that students could offer a lot. They will have ideas about new courses that us "old foggies" might not even consider. Also, they might want to have items included in a given curriculum that most of us would leave out that should be included.
I think it is imperative for students to have a voice in curriculum councils, at least at the district level. I think the pros of this will greatly outweigh the cons. Students particularly at the high school level will give you direct and honest answers. They could also provide insight on how we could reach them better instructionally. Some cons could include the amount of time it would require from the students and if they really want to put in the work. For it to work correctly you would need a diverse group of students represented. Overall I think the use of students on any curriculum council is very advantageous and should be incorporated at all levels.
I feel that there are many students who would have wonderful ideas and recommendations to share with divisions & states in regards to curriculum. Our schools are filled with smart, knowledgable, driven, motivated, leader-type students. By allowing them to have opportunities to provide input about something that effects them so greatly, may benefit them more than we could even know. As mentioned in Chapter 4, as recepients of curriculum and instruction, students can oftentimes provide the most reflective feedback which can be used as development and improvement occurs.
I do understand the lack of experience that Bill mentions, yet I feel there are enough other council participants that would balance out this factor.
I agree that student participation in curriculum planning is beneficial both to the process and the student. Who better to comment on curriculum than those for whom it has been designed? Like others, I would be thoughtful as to the exact role students would fill before selecting them for the council. I would also try to make sure that the students I chose were representative of the entire student body.
The reality of the business we all love is that students are our bottom line. Any notion that students should not be involved in the design of curriculum is both naive and misdirected. A careful facilitation of direction would eliminate any cons and only pull the pros out of the kids we teach.
I agree with most everyone else, that student participation in curriculum councils in the lower grades is maybe not the best idea, for obvious reasons.
But, when it comes to higher level students, I believe they definitely need to be a part making decisions on curriculum. Many students across the country leave their high schools, that are in their district, to go to schools that teach a more challenging curriculum. Students and parents are aware that the high school you graduate from is looked at by colleges and it's important to go to a school that has high standards and offers challenging coursework. I believe that by involving students who are leaders within the school, you would inspire students to take a more hands on approach with their own learning.
In some cases, I believe that it would be appropriate to include high school students on district and state curriculum councils. There are also times when it mayl be better to solicited thier input in indirect ways. Students are in the best position to offer feedback about the curriculum. Thely can provide information on how they perceive specific programs. They can communicate the thoughts of their peers and point out the positives and the negatives of a given curriculum. They can also offer us clues for how to modify the curriculum and instruction. The cons to using youth is finding students that are mature enough to handle the process involved in developing curriculum and staying committed to the process.
I think that students would be a very valuable resource to utilize in curriculum planning. I teach high school students and I know that many of them would appreciate their viewpoints and beliefs about the education they are receiving to be incorporated in curriculum decisions beyond the district level. Our ultimate goal is to make these children successful and productive members of society and I feel that decisions that are made at the state/federal level are sometimes out of touch with what is truly best for children.
I believe that students can offer valuable insight to curriculum councils, particularly since they are the primary recipients of curriculum and instruction. Of course the inclusion and selection of students on such councils would need supervision to ensure that the students are mature and knowledgable enough to make worthy contributions. After all, they actively participate in the delivery of the said curriculum.
I believe there could be many benefits to having students help create assignments based on the curriculum, but not participate on curriculum councils. I agree with Christy; students respond better when they feel they have had a part in developing what they are asked to do. I also agree with Bill in that students are not trained in developing appropriate curriculum. As trained professionals it is challenging enough to design and apply appropriate curriculum in the classroom. I do not believe students have enough insight into the future to know what it is they need to learn to be a productive citizen.
I feel that students should be a part of curriculum councils. At the elementary level they can be surveyed for their opinions on the curriculum and instruction and at the middle schools and high schools, they should sit on the district and state councils. While they might not have the life experiences, they are the ones being impacted by the curricular decisions that are being made. Having the SB president or another elected student rep on the council allows for someone who takes the job seriously and is representing the student body as a whole. If you allow the students to have a say in the curricular decisions that are being made, you have the perspective of the people who matter most when it comes to curriculum - the students.
I have mixed views on invovling students in curriculum councils. I believe that you have to take into account the age, maturity, and grade level of students. I would feel more comfortable involving students at the high school level than at the elementary level becasue I feel that they might have a better understanding of what needs to be done to improve the curriculum.
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