Steppingstones to Curriculum:

Brummelen, Harro Van. Steppingstones to Curriculum: A Biblical Path. Second ed. Colorado
Springs, CO: Purposeful Design Publications, 2002.
Chapter 2:
CHOOSING A CURRICULUM ORIENTATION:
1. Curriculum orientation.
2. The content of the curriculum.
3. Panning curriculum.

1. There are four Curriculum Orientation, which are:

- Traditionalist, asking WHAT contend student need most.

- Process/mastery supporters, asking HOW can we achieve our objectives efficiently.
- Experientialist, asking HOW can we best help students construct knowledge.
- Proponents of a Christian curriculum orientation, asking HOW do we foster students
positive response, and responsibility towards God.

2. The content of the curriculum:

1. Be significant for students live.

2. Explore questions of importance (ex. Culture)
3. Help students develop their skills necessary for functioning effectively.
4. Develop attitudes, value, dispositions, and commitments.

3. Planning curriculum is a complex task. Teachers and others curriculum planners

they move back and forth among intended outcomes, learning activities, choices of
resources, keeping in mind both their view of curriculum grounding and their societal
context

I found this chapter pretty interesting. I have write it down few important informations about
the curriculum orientation that can be useful for me as a future teacher. Moreover, those four
steps can been really useful for me to focus on when I am going to teach my students. Is that
easy, definitely not, however it is a process for me to learn more and more every day. Those
informations are pretty new for me. As a future teacher I know that I need to create the
key to effective learning, and that the teacher need to simplify learning by providing
positive learning, environments that simulate active self directed learning.
Chapter7 :

PLANNING CLASSROOM UNITS:

1. Ways of to plan effective Units.

2. Steps of Unit Planning.

1. There are three ways to plan effective Units:

An integral unit has a clear thematic focus with internal unity, external consistency, and
meaningful links to related subject disciplines.

- Your personal curriculum orientation and aims find expression particularly in the
design of integral units.

2. There are nine steps of effective unit planning:

1. Determine the significance, and relevance of the topic.

2. Brainstorm ideas, possibly using a planning chart.
3. Formulate a unit focus and intents:
- Includes the basic values, understanding, and main skills you want your students to
know.
- Intended learning outcomes specify and extend to theoretic statement.
4. Design and choose suitable learning activities.
5. Review and incorporate linkages with government- mandated standards and
outcomes.
6. Plan schedule.
7. Select your resources.
8. Plan student assessment.
9. Review the effectiveness of your unit.

Unit planning is pretty challenging job, and I know that it will take a lots of time for me to be
able to create my good mini lesson plan. However, those steps were pretty useful for me
when I was planning my mini-unit. I know it is not easy to do that, but I understand the
importance of creating a Unit Plan. I know that as a future teacher I will have to be able to
learn how to do that.
Chapter 3.

CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW AS A BASIC FOR CURRICULUM:

1. Worldview, values and schooling.

2. Worldview questions for curriculum planning.
3. Biblical based values.
4. What is the worldview?

1.
- People are autonomies and good, they deserve a comfortable, exciting, and happy
life- happiness results from material things.
- Authority is to tolerate only when convenient. Violence may be used to resolve
conflict.
- Families with a mother and father are unusual, and family relationships are
superficial at best.

2. Questions from the world perspective:

1. Who and where I AM? (creation)

2. What has gone wrong? (fall)
3. What is the remedy? (redemption)
4. What does the future hold? (fulfillment)

3. Biblical Values:

Spiritual Social Psychological

Moral Language Physical health
Political Logical Biological
Economic Aesthetic Mathematical

4. A worldview is a comprehensive framework of convictions about life. All curricula

are based on a worldview perspective.

I believe that as a Christians teachers we have to be able to show our students, and teach
them at the same time the Christian worldview. We need to teach them that they are
fallen, because of the sin, but as well that there is redemption in Jesus Christ because He
loves us. It is really important for children to know who they are in Jesus Christ, and how
they can serve the Lord in this world.
Chapter 1

SETTING OUT ON THE CURRICULUM PATH:

1. Curriculum defined in different ways.

2. Christian schools and curriculum.

Christians teachers plan units and courses that are informed by biblical worldview.

1. There are several levels of curriculum:

Government agencies develop a format of curriculum.

Publisher make textbooks available.
School system and school develop grade level and subject outlines.
Teachers develop specific plans.

2. The curriculum of a Christian school aims to prepare students for responsible and
responsive discipleship. To do so, teachers unfold a Christian vision of life as it
applies to all aspects of life in our culture.

Each school have their own curriculum. Most of the times different schools in different
countries, and even public and privet schools have their own different curriculum. That kind
of curriculum is planned by the government who decided what kind of standards are included
in that document. I think it is very useful for a teacher to already know what are the
expectation for the each grade and a subject. However, I think that sometimes can be pretty
challenging to teach something that you are not necessary agree with it. Very often the
standards for Christian and non-christen schools in curriculum are a little bit different.