So that was a nice Chapter where basically all you need to know is; don't be married to the curriculum and don't let it limit your teaching, or your students (and your) learning.
Right ... what else to say beyond that? Pretty pictures? What's interesting is that Ayers puts the curriculum and inquiry based learning as two opposing forces, two sides of a coin, when in reality, you can take a balanced approach that has both supplementing and supporting each other. The "Curriculum" is often criticized for being too rigid, focusing only on test scores, and limiting the learning potential of students. Yes, that can be true, but that's more a reflection of the school board, the province or governing body, and the values of education in a society. Our current curriculum, while heavily based in results, fundamentals and expectations, does allow for teachers to approach lessons in creative, intuitive ways. It's a road map, and how you reach the destination is a reflection of your pedagogy and philosophy as a teacher. And let's be honest, even if you are super rigid, even if you are an old school, nose to the books, rote learning kind of teacher, there are some students who will love that and benefit from it. Education, as Ayers points out over and over, is different for every student, and their needs are never going to be uniform. So we shouldn't just assume that creative, out of the box, progressive ideas are better, as just we shouldn't judge established practices as superior either. My guess is Ayers Curriculum chapter is designed to show alternatives or debunk some of the old stereotypes that might still linger in the corner of some schools. But effective teachers, regardless of what curriculum they are involved in, will find ways to impart that information in accessible, interactive and engaging ways.
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