ASSIGNMENT
What is currere both as a definition and as an autobiographical method? Why, according to the curriculum text authors, talk about autobiography in the context of education and teacher education? Pinar and Slattery discuss this concept in their books, Pinar having originated this approach. Edgerton modifies it slightly to “currere of marginality.” Draw from all texts to respond to these questions. Use relevant citations from each book.
RESPONSE
Slattery speaks of currere, referencing William Schubert’s definition (1986), that currere refers to the running of the race and emphasizes the individual’s own capacity to reconceptualize his or her autobiography. Based on the sharing of autobiographical accounts with others who strive for similar understanding, the curriculum becomes reconceiving of one’s perspective on life. With this definition, Slattery takes us back to Pinar’s definition of currere, which is described in four stages: regressive, progressive, analytical and sythetical. Edgerton further states that Pinar (1975) explains that currere is from the Latin root word of curriculum, which literally means “the running of a course.” A race defined as the course of one’s life. Edgerton then goes a step further and discusses that currere of marginality takes a double meaning: a particular approach to autobiography that is focused on marginality, and it is about curriculum of marginality.
The connection of one’s self to text is what drives a deeper understanding and connection to the lesson being taught. A person cannot understand facts presented as facts if they do not have a connection to their lives and to the facts. Teaching for the sole purpose of factual presentation and for the end result of passing an exam, removes the learner from a deeper understanding and connection to the curriculum. Without this connection deep knowledge, cannot exist. Edgerton states that “A curriculum of marginality is also about excavating excluded stories, or storying “unique outcomes,” in the interest of constructing and performing alternative meanings and ways of being in the world. This brings to mind the presentation of history from Howard Zinn’s perspective. He choose to “excavate” the untold or excluded stories. Through this excavation he brought the reader to alternate meaning and ways of being in the world.
posted by book1 @ 6:27 PM
2 Comments:
Christine,
I agree with what you are saying. Many of us went through school and turned our work in with the expectation that our teacher was our sole audience. At the end of the year I remember tossing into the trash the meaningless exams with grades for assignments I barely remembered. I wished my teachers had helped make the learning real and meaningful and that they had helped me connect what I was learning to my life. When I asked questions of teachers to help connect what I was learning to my life my teachers acted as though this was an annoying distraction to their attempt to “cover” rather than “uncover” the curriculum. I am glad support is growing for connecting knowledge to deeper learning.
I can remember ceremoniously throwing away my notebook, as if nothing in it was useful nor would it provide any help to me in the future. It was always like "Yeah another year over, another notebook in the garbage"
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