As stated
by Glatthorn (2009), there is an increased awareness by most Americans that we
need to do more to prepare our youth to succeed in this world. There are many ways that people feel we
can achieve this goal, but not everyone agrees on the best method. No Child Left Behind, is one way the
government has influenced how and what our children should be taught and dealt
with accountability issues. There
is also the increased emphasis to compete with globally. It seems this has always been a
concern, but after the tragedy of 9/11, there has been an increased awareness
of our ranking when compared to other countries. The concern that we are
falling behind has prompted school reforms such as Race to the Top and Common
Core.
Along with
the above influences that are more related to government and global issues other
influences include diversity and technology. Diversity continuously expands in it’s meaning. Early on, diversity was learning about
other cultures, but it has grown to learning about, and accepting other races,
religions, cultures, and those with special needs. It teaches us to celebrate each individual and what makes
each person unique. Technology has
also played it’s role in influencing technology. In recent years technology has grown from simply
typing out a paper, to doing research, to using technology as a learning
tool. It sometimes feels like a
slow struggle to have some teachers use technology with their students, but it
is often written into curriculum.
As I read
through the history of curriculum and looked at what influenced each era, I
found it interesting to read about how the events of the world, the “new”
studies, and the “new” research, had such a huge impact on education and
curriculum. I began to wonder how
people would look at what influenced this time in 50-60 years. The readiness of technology has closed
gaps between the US and the rest of the world, and allowed for such
differentiated and relevant instruction.
School leaders need
to keep abreast of current affairs and trends. It’s important for them to be up to date on major studies
and current theories. Now more
then ever, leaders need to be involved in curricular development and
trainings. This will help them
support their staff and have knowledge of what and how subjects are being
taught in their schools.
