(Tuesdays, 1-3:45 pm)

This seminar will explore the idea and reality of curriculum as the
full schooling experience of the secondary student.  Curriculum
generally includes disciplinary content, lesson plans, achievement
standards, and standardized assessments, but these are by themselves
inert ingredients.  The craft of teaching—and curriculum design—
involves interpreting the learning context, the “wild triangle of
relations” between you, your students, and what they need to learn.
While this course will address some of the “nuts and bolts” of
curriculum design and enactment, this will take place within a
broader exploration of the world of secondary schools, the
experiences of students, and the multiple and sometimes conflicting
aims of education.  In this light, some questions we will consider
include:  In what ways can/does the broader school environment
influence classroom learning?  How can curriculum both connect to
the world of adolescence and also honor the structure and content of
a particular academic discipline?  What are some of the most
important considerations when designing curriculum?  How can
curriculum be enacted in ways that resonates with the inevitable
uniqueness of teachers, students, and schools?