Societal Goal by Posner - Assignment Example

? Posner’s Terms of the of the Posner’s Terms Chapter 4 Societal Goal Societal goal as per Posner’s definition can be explained as principally ‘educational goals’ because we cannot connect them to the output of knowledge acquisition (Posner, 1995, p. 72). Societal goals are persuasive because they can affect certified and secreted prospectus. Mostly, curriculums that are designed by school administrations do not take into consideration many issues involving students such as physical and virtual harassment, students and teachers’ usage of drugs, students’ troublesome attitudes, wrong computer usage at school and students’ declined attention towards education. The administrations also ignore the positive effects of societal goals on students such as reverence for associates, recognition of US position in international economy, international harmony and peace and US nationals’ right of safety. The inclusion of societal goals in curriculum is not an easy task. 2. Administrative Goal Posner (1995) defines administrative goals of educational institutions in terms of supervision and development of the institutions (p. 73). The administrative goals comprise teachers’ appointments, salaries and educational continuation, support required by staff, recognition and promotion of influential leaders, the development and supervision of particular curriculum, protection of staff and students and turnout of students. Educational institution’s building preservation, transport management, resourcing and overhauling planning and supervision and standardizing rules and regulations for students. As a student, I have noticed that administrative goals are handled at school level and school administrators are involved in their development, regulation and improvement. 3. Bloom's Taxonomy and its Applicability to Writing Objectives ‘Cognitive, affective and psychomotor’ domains are part of Bloom’s taxonomy. These domains of learning can be described as cognitive that deals with knowledge acquisition or mind capabilities, affective that deals with personality in terms of emotion or feelings and psychomotor that deals with corporal capabilities (Anderson, et al, 2000). With the cognitive domain, we are able to acquire knowledge and attend to the needs of revision and identification of knowledge. As a student, I feel that cognitive activities are uncomplicated as compared to affective or psychomotor activities. Cognitive domain incorporates learning, understanding, implementation, evaluation and combination, all of which indicate that it is applicable to writing objectives. For writing, all the mentioned aspects are required. 4. Cognitive Domain Cognitive domain as described by Bloom deals with our thought patterns. Initially, brain was regarded as a mind muscle only but currently, it is an organ that makes a human being capable to use Bloom’s domains that are cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains (Anderson, et al, 2000). Cognitive domain can also be called intellectual domain. Our skills of causation, recollection and cogence of information are investigated by cognitive psychologists. These skills make us dissimilar to animals. We are able to understand and eulogize music, literature and art because of cognitive domain. Our thoughts, rationalizing and comprehension, all are permitted because of cognitive domain. In our studies, we have to use cognitive domain in order to comprehend, evaluate and reason to acquire knowledge. Any kind of study is impossible without incorporation of cognitive domain. 5. Purpose of Standards Posner (1995) describes the standards as defined specifics, capabilities and procedures that students are anticipated to acquire (p. 93). Sometimes, secondary educational institutions adopt and apply ‘behavioral objectives’ that appear as standards. These standards are quantifiable. The student performance can be judged as an indication of a continued knowledge acquisition procedure with the support of these standards. Standards define a recognized ‘learning base’ that is employed by students to develop their thought processes. Advanced level of rationalized skills are needed for establishment of a learning base. Maslow’s hierarchy should be followed by students of high school and college and they should evaluate and synthesize issues that are more critical. The standards as per my belief are designed for making students learn in a disciplined manner. 6. Curriculum Alignment Posner (1995) explains that standards are quite influential and are important part of different subject areas. Considering the importance of standards, the creators of curriculum try to create the curriculum in alignment with the standards (Posner, 1995, p. 92). An example can be considered regarding the understanding of a chapter in a book. Suppose there is a standard in a book, where the student is required to illustrate comprehension of goals of World War 1, the author of the book can add a thinking exercise with questions at the end. The students can be allowed to illustrate an understanding of the happening earlier to their being examined. This can be comprehended as in alignment with the standards. The curriculum and standards are aligned in relation to each other. 7. National Educational Technology Standards Posner (1995) describes National Educational Technology Standards as such standards that are designed internationally for the education of students so that they can acquire technological knowledge as per the demands of the digital society. Students are enabled to comprehend and use technology for educational improvement. The National Educational Technology Standards accentuate new ways of acquiring knowledge such as usage of computerized equipment, designing of new and updated hardware and software tools and other connected digital machinery, better and improved ways of learning and studying about internet and its employment and improvement in teaching expertise in relation to students. The application of these standards can be noticed in educational institutions as students show interest in new technology and are aspiring for technological knowledge. Chapter 5 1. Behavioral Perspective and Relationship to Purpose and Content of Curriculum Knowledge acquisition can be defined as transformation in conduct. For example, if we evaluate our past and acquired information and then we set an objective of making our writing speed better, we have to bring in a change in our conduct such as our sitting position, movement of our hands and fingers and so on. Behavioral learning in a curriculum can be described as a motivation, a challenge given to the students to acquire some betterment in their own self and being acknowledged by one’s fellows to bring in some knowledge related change in behavior. The content of the curriculum, the purpose of it and behavioral change in a student by learning new things can result in behavioral transformation. 2. Constructivist Perspective and Relationship to Purpose and Content of Curriculum Posner (1995) connects constructivist perspective with behavioral perspective. According to Posner (1995), constructivist perspective is reactionary to behavioral perspective (p. 113). The constructivist psychologists show attention towards different observable facts such as rationalizing, psychic growth, decision making, recollection and insight. We have some instinctive knowledge with the support of which, teachers can assist us. This perspective transfers the purpose of the curriculum from behavioral perspective to constructivist perspective. Instead of bringing change in behaviors, the purpose transfers to structuring on established concepts. Student’s prior knowledge on a subject enables him to be benefitted with constructivist curriculum. 3. Objectives as Hegemonic Devices Hegemony influences curriculum designing and establishment of objectives. The choice of the content of the curriculum and the procedures of designing the curriculum are affected by the educator’s values, choices, faith and principles. The factors associated with the educator that affect the curriculum are gender, background knowledge, education, job experiences and objectives of the curriculum. Objectives of the curriculum work as hegemonic devices as the educator designs the curriculum as per his hegemonic devices. Chapter 6 1. Curriculum Organization Posner (1995) informs that curriculum organization is not a small term as many meanings are associated with this term (p. 128). Curriculums are designed in many ways such as top down organization, bottom up organization and so on. The organization differs as per the educator’s choice. Posner highlights many questions in relation to curriculum organization about many issues such as inclusion of detached topics, similar characteristics and hierarchy of levels of curriculum. So, curriculum organization is crucial as per the needs of the students. For example, in science subjects, the curriculum is designed in a format that first the cell is described and then, we move towards organs and the whole body. 2. Macro Level of Organization Macro and micro level of organization in a curriculum are linked to each other as these two are comparative terms. Their relation to each other makes the curriculum easier to comprehend. Macro level of organization can be described when we consider public and private educational systems, the linkage between primary and secondary schooling, the linkage between general educational system and particular colleges offering specific fields and so on. At micro level, usually the curriculum is evaluated. 3. Micro Level of Organization Micro level of organization can be defined as microscopic level of curriculum organization. Some detailed part of the curriculum is scrutinized at micro level. The objectives set on micro level are humble and restricted. The educator or curriculum expert assesses a part of the curriculum of any specific subject to search for the areas of improvement. An example can be taken about the understanding issue of students for a specific mathematical term such as pi. The part of the curriculum containing the mentioned specific term will be reviewed at micro level of organization to search for better ways to teach and make students comprehend the term more easily. 4. Horizontal Organization Curriculum consists of diverse subjects that are taught to students simultaneously, which can be described as horizontal organization. It is not necessary that a teacher of history teaching a specific chapter cannot inform about material in other chapters. For example, if a teacher is teaching about Civil War, he can also teach about other wars concurrently. Some texts are also arranged in a format that their order is not chronological. 5. Vertical Organization  Posner (1995) describes vertical organization of curriculum as arrangement of content depicted in a curriculum (p. 129). We can find the implementation of this aspect in historical subjects. Vertical organization of curriculum can be better understood with an example of history of Africa. The history of Africa as described in vertical organization is described in a chronological order in which, initially the formation of Africa, its people, cultures and other details will be given and then the wars that people fought there to rescue their land and so on. Sometimes, the curriculum organization is an amalgamation of horizontal and vertical organization as some events are interrelated to one another and cannot be taught separately. 6. Organizational Principles Posner (1995) describes organizational principles as causes and ways of structuring a curriculum is a specific manner (p. 136). The curriculum that does not follow organizational principals appears as analogous in which, there are no connections between elements of curriculum. Organizational principles work as bondage between curriculum processes and objectives. 7. Role of Technology in Curriculum Organization The role of technology cannot be denied in curriculum organization. Technology wise, knowledge acquisition can be linked to learning software and hardware programs such as Computer Aided Design (CAD). The curriculum is supported by means of acquisition of computers at school levels for teaching different subjects. Historically, computer related or laptop related schemes were started for the convenience of students so that they can gain help in their curriculum. Continuous improvement of curriculum is required to entertain and incorporate new tools. 8. Social and Political Implications Social and political implications make the curriculum different than the conventional curriculum. Politics is fraction of history and at different schooling level, it is taught in combination. Similarly, sociology can be connected to corporal education and can be taught in relation to each other. The inclusion of sociology and politics at junior level of education is not entertained while in secondary level of education, they are incorporated. 9. Tracking Tracking is another important term described by Posner. Tracking can be defined as testing of students according to which, they are divided into certain groups or tracks. The excelling students get promoted while students showing less knowledge acquiring capability are tracked at lower level of education. Students having low grades are on low tracks while students performing well are at higher tracks. Chapter 7 1. Epistemology Epistemology can be defines as the understandability of knowledge. The understandability is taken in the sense that knowledge can be attained, understood and questioned. It also discussed the valuable sources of knowledge and how it transformed and reached us. 2. Epistemological Assumptions Epistemological assumptions ideally questions and provide relevant assumptions about seeking, transmitting, receiving and utilizing the knowledge (Posner, 1995). One might think of the limits of the knowledge or might access the point where one is able to understand the set knowledge. On the other hand, it is equally important that the knowledge should be relevant and proper. Here the word ‘proper’ describes the credibility of the knowledge. It can be true or false. It can only be assumed if the knowledge is true or false. In this way, epistemological assumptions provide an assumption that knowledge is something that is not only communicated but also experienced. In top down knowledge processing approach a deductive reasoning approach is followed, where most assumptions are taken at the very initial stage and then the assumptions that cannot be verified are deduces. Bottom up knowledge processing approach is the perception method or the ‘inductive reasoning’ approach where knowledge coming from different sources is processed and compared to the set modal. 3. Top-Down/Hypothetical-Deduction Approach Sufficient amount of knowledge is required for the top down approach as it deducts from a vast variety of knowledge and then deduces and knowledge processing (Posner, 1995). In the top down approach three steps are involved in the knowledge processing. The first level is known as the sub system that only specifies the type of information, the next system. The information is passed through many sub levels to filter the information and the information is rejected and reduced and the information is finally reduced to a base level. 4. Bottom-up/Inductivist Approach In the bottom down approach, information is gathered from sources and added or collected to make the information in an understandable pattern, where each sources or one sources provide a brief or detailed information and then the system make the information according to its perception (Posner, 1995). 5. Prerequisites Prerequisites manage the flow and communication in a proper manner. Prerequisites administrate, organize and manage the knowledge objects in a proper manner (Posner, 1995). 6. Project Approach Project approach is highly efficient approach that is delivered to enhance and make the knowledge easier to the communicated in a set duration of time (Posner, 1995). The very first step is to plan what methods should be adopted to communicate the knowledge. The second step is the deliver the knowledge and the third step is to take the feedback from the knowledge seekers. References Anderson, L. W., Krathwohl, D. R., Airasian, P. W., Cruikshank, K. A., Mayer, R. E., Pintrich, P. R., Raths, J., Wittrock, M. C. (2000). A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing: A revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. New York: Pearson, Allyn & Bacon. Posner, George J. (1995). Analyzing the Curriculum. New York: McGraw Hill Publishers. Read More