Fulfilling Chap 5

pg. # 58-67: The Characteristics of effective curriculum and instruction

1. Curriculum that is important
   
2. Curriculum and instruction that are focused
3. Curriculum and Instruction that are engaging
4. Curriculum and instruction that are demanding
5. Curriculum and instruction that are scaffolded
6. Curriculum and instruction that are scaffolded

I have always felt strongly about curriculum and it's affects on students. Students know when they are 'learning information that isn't important. The reason they know it isn't important is because it isn't any of these. It's not engaging, it's not demanding it doesn't scaffold or provide structure to build off of. To students it merely is information which isn't important to them. We as teachers really need to recognize that students are not going to simply latch on to whatever we try and teach them. They are smart enough to know if it is important or not.

So what can we do? I know that we need to make the students feel a connection to what they are learning. I'm sure that if it is demanding and scaffolded and engaging the students will be much more likely to WANT to learn the material.