The Hidden Curriculum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Hidden Curriculum - Essay Example The Hidden curriculum will overlap with other types of curriculum, however, that will be the primary focus of this paper. (Hidden Curriculum of Online Learning 2000) quotes Foshay and describes this as the transcendent aspect of learning: "the experience of transcendence, or the sense of one's self as part of a vastly larger whole." The subjects listed in a stated curriculum are not necessarily what students learn in the classroom. What is meant to be taught and what is actually learned are many times two different things. This is called "the hidden curriculum". school with the stated curriculum or the subjects they studied. This curriculum is public and the often the subject of heated debate. Although it is not publicly stated and rarely debated, schools also have a hidden curriculum. This hidden curriculum is composed of the basic attitudes and abilities valued by society. When society changes, both the curriculum and the hidden curriculum of schools also change. Because of changes wrought by information technology, society is currently in the middle of a paradigm shift from the Industrial Age to the Information Age. This paradigm shift has direct consequences for both the curriculum and the hidden curriculum of schools. ... In the Industrial Age, the curriculum was composed of the three Rs (i.e., reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic) and the various core subjects (English, science, math, social studies, fine arts, physical education, and so on). Schools in the 20th century also had a hidden curriculum which taught the values that 20th century industry desired the workforce to possess -- attitudes and abilities like trainability, obedience, The Hidden Curriculum 4 punctuality, dependability, and loyalty. These are the characteristics that industrial factories were looking for in graduates of 20th century schools and these characteristics often determined an individual's success in both the school and the workplace. Back in days of old the basic curriculum consisted of reading, writing, and arithmetic. Now in the year 2006 you can add computer literacy, Internet savvy, and knowledge of multiple communications devices. The unhidden curriculum is the subjects and classes that are listed in the school syllabus, or schedule. It is the education that teachers desire or transfer of knowledge to their students. It is usually the subjects that parents and students intend or believe will be their primary focus. In this century most of what is considered to be the hidden curriculum revolves around student behavioral patterns, daily routines, and the various teaching methods or expectations of the individual teacher. With or without intentions, a teacher can become more like a dictator and controlling instead of a good role model who teaches. Today the process of learning is not usually one where the The Hidden Curriculum 5 teacher rules or oversees but the students and instructor work collaboratively in the education