Skip to main content

The Narrative Curriculum

 I absolutely love the work of Ivor Goodson.  Truth be told, I asked him to interview as part of my doctoral thesis process.  He declined, probably because he did not see himself as a part of the whole neuroeducation movement.  However, I could clearly see the connections.

When we think about the brain and how it learns, we must understand the primary purpose of the brain is to serve the individual.  This includes the way in which it organizes itself to protect against harm, both physical and emotional and the way it learns.

My favorite professor when I was at Rutgers Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience was Gyorgy Buzaki.  He has done beautiful work in the art of electrophysiology.  This is the area of neuroscience that examines and measures the electrical activity of the brain.  He had this rather humorous way of asking the class a question and then giving the answer that was unexpected.  It did seem to help with creating a memory.  The startling, unexpected answer, always seemed to make sense.  It created an Ah-ha moment.

His question was: "What is the brain interested in?" The answer:  "It is interested in itself."  

Indeed it is.  The brain is designed to support the "self" both in the aspect of the ego-identity, and the physical well-being of the individual.

So, when we start looking at what is effective in education from the perspective of learning and the brain, if what we are teaching is not connected to the students' lives, then we are missing the boat.  A truly evolved curriculum would incorporate the individual student narrative as a central component of content selection.  

For this course, I have adopted an approach that will encourage you to create meaningful connections between the content available to you in the neurosciences and what you are most passionate about sharing and advancing as a leader in education.  

We are all here to share our individual gifts, and those emerge from our unique and often powerful life experiences.  

So what is it that you are here to share with the world?  

Please Read the following article in preparation for next week's class.

Think about your own ways of engaging in schooling.  Did the traditional model work for you?  Did it answer your questions about life?  Did you feel prepared to enter the world on graduation?  How did you develop your sense of yourself through the school experience?

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340675188_Personal_History_and_Curriculum_Studies



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Self-Directed Learning - Student Project

Self-Directed Learning by Brittany Masching Self-directed learning is a movement empowering individuals to lead their own educational journey based on their own curiosity and interests. While many of us think the traditional school system is “education”, we forget that that is simply a path or an option to education. In self-directed learning, the individual likely isn’t in a class setting. The life learner chooses what activities and experiences they want to explore. They are drawn to these activities naturally as we are each unique and hold different interests. The overarching goal is that the individual grows their knowledge through experiences to create a meaningful and satisfying life for their given culture.     What is Self-Directed Learning? Infed: Self-Directed Learning Why is Self-Directed Learning Important? It’s natural!  There are Four Educative Drives that children naturally possess. These include curiosity, playfulness, sociability, and planfuln
Post a Comment
Read more

Student Autonomy Leads to Student Engagement and Learning

I am a big proponent of self-direction in schooling and in life.   I believe that when we are given the opportunities, knowledge, tools and experiences, we can direct our own lives and destinies more effectively than if we have an outsider direct us.   What are the tools each of us need to be able to understand how to direct our own learning and lives?   First off we need to be given the chance to practice and to discover what it is that drives us. Deci and Ryan have spent a lifetime uncovering ways in which you can create a healthy psychological state leading to a person who can direct his/her own life.  This theory called "Self-Determination Theory" should be considered as a foundation for an education that will encourage life-long learning. This is because of the development of a healthy internal system of motivation.  Follow this logic: There are some basic tenets to learning that is related to the biological basis of how we learn.   Learning is natural, it is a biologica
Post a Comment
Read more