Module Five: Anything

Teaching in modern society has changed the focus of curriculum from the traditional formal content-driven learning many current educators will remember. Traditionally teaching was solely a transfer of knowledge and facts from teacher to learner, and did not encompass any hidden learning principles (Williams, 2009). They did not have knowledge of sufficient depth for a life of change and diversity. It was a knowledge that was appropriate for a time that imagined itself as ordered and controllable (ACDE, 2001).
The current focus of curriculum and education is preparing students for the future, facilitating a learning based on a global perspective that allows students to model themselves socially, emotionally and intellectually empowering them to learn for themselves. Students gain these beliefs, values, morals and knowledge through formal and informal interactions with their teacher (Latham, Blaise, Dole, Faulkner, Lang & Malone, 2006). This is where it becomes imperative for educator’s to be able to understand the role of curriculum and the assessment of this.
Marsh (2008) defines curriculum as “an interrelated set of plans and experiences which a student completes under the guidance of the school”. Assessment of learning and curriculum is imperative to the learning process. “Assessing student learning is something that every teacher has to do, and usually quite frequently” (Snowman, 2009). Current curriculum allows student’s learning to be structured into three main core focuses; for, of and as learning.
FOR- designated as one of the most important functions of assessment as it guides the teacher in planning for learning.
OF- conducted for grading and reporting requirements; its function is to provide a summary of student’s achievements.
AS- attaches importance to classroom assessments because it is an indicator of what students have and have not learnt (snowman et al, 200)

The current movement towards self-assessed and self regulated learning as opposed to teacher assessed learning is intended to inspire students to gain strong learners identities. This allows them to recognise and develop their own learning strengths and weaknesses. Assessment of learning and the subsequent results may be used for different intentions but the most productive purpose is to improve student learning and motivate students for further learning (Tognolini, 2005).

Approaches to curriculum and assessment are dynamic and always changing, as the world, our classroom, changes with it. As future teachers it is our responsibility to stay flexible, informed and willing to learn in order to develop curriculum that will best equip the students we teach for whatever their future may hold.

References:
Australian Council of Deans of Education (ACDE) (2001). New Learning: a charter for Australian Education. Available online at: http://www.acde.org (accessed 21 September 2009)
Latham, G., Blaise, M., Dole, S., Faulkner, J., Lang, J. & Malone, K. (2006). Learning to Teach: New Times, New Practices. New York: Oxford University Press.
Marsh, C. (2008). Becoming a teacher: knowledge, skills and issues (4th ed). Frenchs Forest, NSW; Pearson Education Australia.
Snowman, J., Dobozy, E., Scevak, J., Bryer, F., Bartlett, B., Biehler, et al. (2009). Psychology applied to teaching. Milton, QLD, Australia: Wiley
Tognolini, J. (2005). Using on-line assessment to inform teaching and learning in primary and secondary schools. Paper presented and Using Data to Support Learning, ACER research conference 2005. Melbourne.
Williams, J. (2009). EDF1304 Module 5 Lecturer notes. Accessed from my.monash.edu.au on 24th September 2009.