Proposal to Establish a Center for Curriculum Consultation : Proposal to Establish a Center for Curriculum Consultation Michael Gillis
Slide 2 : Center for Curriculum Consultation 2 Diaspora Jewish Schools generally lack the resources for quality curriculum development
The general studies curriculum is supported by state-sponsored curriculum planning, academically based curriculum development and commercial publishing of material
Conditions for quality curriculum development : Center for Curriculum Consultation 3 Conditions for quality curriculum development Highly qualified subject-matter specialists
Experts in the process of translation of subject matter into curriculum
An understanding of the processes of curriculum implementation and evaluation
The Melton Centre and Curriculum Development : Center for Curriculum Consultation 4 The Melton Centre and Curriculum Development From the 1970s through to the late 1980s, curriculum development was a major part of the Melton Centre’s activity
Major innovative curriculum projects, including “Teaching Jewish Values”
Centre and Periphery : Center for Curriculum Consultation 5 Centre and Periphery Curriculum development requires sensitivity to the particulars of a given setting
Who are the teachers?
Who are the students?
What does the community expect from the school?
What content is valued and considered relevant?
Move to Personnel Development : Center for Curriculum Consultation 6 Move to Personnel Development The shortcomings of a centralised approach to curriculum development led to a move away from curriculum towards an emphasis on professional development.
Projects in professional development included:
Senior Educators Program
Summer Teachers’ Institute
Online Teacher education and in-service programs
Is it time to return to curriculum? : Center for Curriculum Consultation 7 Is it time to return to curriculum? In recent years Melton faculty have been engaged in a range of curriculum consultation projects including:
Bialik College - Melbourne
Mount Scopus College - Melbourne
Yavneh College – Melbourne
King David Schools – Johannesburg
Charles E. Smith – Washington
Day School System – Sao Paulo
Advantages of current approach : Center for Curriculum Consultation 8 Advantages of current approach Curriculum projects are particular to each setting avoiding the problems of centre-periphery that plague grand scale international projects
Projects lead to a process of professional development of engaged teachers
Projects in curriculum are related to broader issues of school vision and direction
Current approaches to curriculum emphasize teachers’ role as active and creative consumers rather than passive recipients of instruction on what and how to teach
Shortcomings of the Present Approach : Center for Curriculum Consultation 9 Shortcomings of the Present Approach Projects are established as a result of individual contacts and their potential is not made available to the broad spectrum of Jewish Schools throughout the world
Each project tends to generate its own resources from scratch
Little opportunity for interaction between the projects
Projects are not sufficiently part of the academic horizon of the Centre and do not generate research
Centre of Curriculum Consultation : Center for Curriculum Consultation 10 Centre of Curriculum Consultation An effort to bring all current projects under one roof
Developing a clearly articulated and coherent approach to the process of curriculum consultation that can be presented to potential clients
Pooling resources such as curricular materials and the skills of experienced curriculum writers who could work across different projects
Combine the advantages of centralised resources with a concern for the individual nature of the site of each consultation
A greater emphasis on research and evaluation to accompany each consultation and the overall direction of the centre for curriculum consultation
Existing Strengths : Center for Curriculum Consultation 11 Existing Strengths Vast experience in the field of curriculum development over more than thirty years
The concentration in the university of curriculum specialists, subject matter specialists
Many Melton Centre faculty members combine these expertises in a number of fields including: Bible Education, Jewish History, Jewish Thought, Rabbinic Literature, Israel Education, Contemporary Jewry, Hebrew Language
What would schools be offered? : Center for Curriculum Consultation 12 What would schools be offered? A systematic approach to appraising the existing curriculum – either across the board or in a particular teaching area
Facilitating a process of clarifying curricular goals and priorities
Setting in train a collaborative process of creating new curriculum materials
Working with teachers, on site and using computer communication, in the implementation of new materials
Providing an approach to evaluation of innovations leading to further refinements and development
Professional development of teachers of the new materials and the cultivation of lead-teachers who will be qualified in taking a leading role in curriculum development and implementation
The Next Steps : Center for Curriculum Consultation 13 The Next Steps A formal decision to set up the center to coordinate all of the Melton Centre’s work in curriculum development
Convening a working group including those faculty members already engaged in curriculum consultation including: Dr Howie Deitcher, Dr. Michael Gillis and Dr Alex Pomson and Marcelo Dorfsman
Establishing a set of principles that will govern all work done in this field
Creating a kit or website that presents the approach of the Centre and the different kinds of consultation which it offers
Structure and Flexibility : Center for Curriculum Consultation 14 Structure and Flexibility The proposed model needs to establish a structure that provides clarity and efficiency while retaining flexibility in meeting the particular needs of each setting
The lines of cooperation need to be established between different areas of the Melton Centre’s work including: long term professional development (Senior Educators), distance learning, Israel education and educational evaluation
The model must match the nature of the Melton Centre as an academic center and not simply a service agency for Jewish education