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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



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