School Curriculum - Book Report/Review Example

One of the most important journal articles on the topic, "Teaching and Learning in the Year 7 Classroom" argue that if the students are given opportunity to work and consult together in classroom, learn to explain, interpret, apply, and to consider the ideas and points of view of others and become must better learners in the process of learning. In this journal article, Bev Steer effectively deals with how the passport to get the learners started on this learning journey of a new experience of learning.

Thus, whereas the media article by Justine Ferrari deals with the various aspects of an old-fashioned style of school curriculum based on study of traditional disciplines, the journal article by Bev Steer attempts to introduce a new perspective on school curriculum which makes provision for the needs of all students within the classroom. In this paper, an analysis as well as comparison of both the articles "Back to basics is best, says Julia Gillard" and "Teaching and Learning in the Year 7 Classroom" is carried out in order to comprehend the two author's perspectives on school curriculum with regard to catering for the needs of all students within the classroom. . The article provides a basic understanding of the major benefits the old-fashioned style of school curriculum based on study of traditional disciplines and the author does not provide an extensive analysis of this type of school curriculum.

The author summarises the arguments of Ms Gillard who, in a speech to the Christian Schools Group in Canberra, maintained that studying disciplines such as English, history and maths provided the basis for understanding the world, overcoming social disadvantage and imparting values to students. "Ms Gillard, the Deputy Prime Minister, said she wanted students to have grounding in narrative history so they could make sense of world events; read Shakespeare and modern literature to help them know themselves; and be capable of mental arithmetic.

" (Ferrari, 2008). However, the author of the article is not effective in analysing the various aspects of the method suggested by Ms Gillard and it merely summarises her intuitions about school curriculum. Whereas the author reports the arguments by Ms Gillard, there is no definite basis for these arguments. For example, the article maintains that the approach suggested by Ms Gillard helps the students in gaining some of the great liberal values that come from study, but provides no supportive evidences or examples.

Whereas the educationalists argue that, they are quite often prepared to dumb down what is taught in order to help disadvantaged children, Ms Gillard maintains that dumbing down is the cruellest joke we can play on someone who has to battle against the odds to succeed and she is a passionate believer in the benefits of the rigorous study of traditional disciplines. Ms Gillard