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Spiral Curriculum

This version was saved 13 years, 6 months ago View current version     Page history
Saved by Kim Craigs
on September 6, 2010 at 8:31:36 pm
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nathan Morris

 

"The Spiral Curriculum" by: Greg Cruey http://www.helium.com/items/343559-the-spiral-curriculum

 

This article discusses the differences between a "traditional" curriculum and a "spiral" curriculum. According to the author when teaching from a traditional curruculum there will be a specific time to learn a new topic. When that time comes, your learn it or memorize it but you do it now, then move onto the next topic that you will work on. Where as with a spiral curriculum, the belief is that not all students will be able to grasp concepts at the same time on the same level. Therefore as a teacher, you teach a topic and assume that some students are ready to learn and will pick it up and that some are not ready. However you move on and eventually that concept will come up again, for that student to learn. So where a traditional curriculum looks at a few topics for an extended period of time, the spiral curriculum gives you many topics over and over and over. He explains that a spiral mind set is difficult for traditionalist to switch to, because sometimes you teach a lesson and not many students understand, but you move onto the next lesson with the assumption that the topic will come around again for them to learn.

 

 

"Spiral Math May be Causing Trouble for Your Child"  by: Brandy Madison

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/992282/spiral_math_may_be_causing_trouble.html?cat=25

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"The Spiral vs. Mastery Debate" by: Bethany Ruth Barnosky

http://www.candlestarservices.com/articles/spiralmastery.pdf

 

I came across these two articles during my research and decided to put them together. It was very interesting in these articles because they were each debating on which is the better way for students to learn. In the end BOTH agreed that the more traditional way was more beneficial for their student (both were Mom's who homeschooled). However one parent said that saxon was a more mastery style of teaching and the other used saxon as an example for the spiral method of teaching. Each gave some thoughtful examples of why they choose the more traditional method. Reading the articles made me go back and examine my original thoughts about saxon. I still would have to agree with Bethany, to me saxon is Spiral. Bruner stated, " students return to topics throughout their academic careers, continually building upon what they have already learned as they develop and mature." To me, that is Saxon.

 

 

Race to the top winners

 

"It's Branded In Our Brains"  by Sue Caldwell

Mathematics Teaching  May, 2008

 

This article reviews the concept of the Spiral Curriculum as is it being implemented in the mathematics classroom.  The author followed a group of students and discovered that the version of Spiral Curriculum as envisioned by Jerome Bruner is, more often than not, is not what is being followed.  She interviewed curriculum through the grades, and found that the school used repetition to try to reinforce math facts.  By teaching to the test, the students came to believe that math was about memory more than comprehension.  The students, as a result, became bored and "tuned out" after a time.   The author advocates straying from the textbook and bringing imagination to the mathematics classroom.

 

Kim Craigs

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