Journal of Curriculum Theorizing

Working Title:

Sensual Curriculum: Understanding Curriculum of and Through the Senses

Guest Editor: Walter S. Gershon, Kent State University

Human beings understand themselves and their environments through the senses—they are the ways in which we perceive our lives and ourselves in relation to others. We therefore make sense of our worlds literally and figuratively. However, the meanings we make through sight, smell, sound, taste and touch are context dependent, predicated as much on local and more broad norms and values as our own personal preferences. As such, where sensory perception is information that we attain through our senses, the meanings ascribed to those perceptions are simultaneously deeply personal as well as ideologically and aesthetically dependent. In short, sense making is political, one possible interpretation among many possibilities. Read the rest of this entry »

Expected Publication Date: Spring 2011

Curriculum innovations occur within specific contexts and reflect the values associated with those contexts. Their impact and efficacy can only be assessed within the particular social, cultural, and political environments in which they occur. Educators around the world, especially those in countries experiencing large-scale, systemic political change, often look to the U.S. and other Western countries for new approaches to curriculum and instruction practices that reflect more open, democratic, and participatory educational systems. As a result, educators are often asked to work with their colleagues in ‘emerging democracies’ to help in developing new approaches to teaching and learning and to find ways of adapting practices to the conditions and circumstances in other countries. But what are the challenges of adapting educational practices across national and cultural borders? What assumptions do educators in other countries make about the nature of teaching and learning? In what ways does culture matter when applying curriculum theories and practices in diverse settings? And, how does the educational policy context influence the success of curriculum innovations? Answers to these questions vary according to the particular setting, the content and subject matter, and the policy and institutional contexts in which curriculum innovations are implemented. These questions also raise ethical dilemmas for curriculum workers when their efforts, whether intended or not, may be perceived as forms of ‘cultural imperialism’ as they advocate certain educational practices, theories, or philosophical stances. Read the rest of this entry »

Dear Conference Attendees,

The Bergamo Conference Committee would like to thank you for attending the 2009 conference. The conference committee has made every attempt to put together a meaningful and exciting conference experience. We sought to maintain aspects of the conference that have been key to its success over the years while at the same time adding new dimensions that build on the intellectual vibrancy, social networking, and relaxing atmosphere for which Bergamo is known. As we begin our thinking and preparing for the next conference, we would appreciate feedback that might help us continue to organize a meaningful and exciting conference experience.

Read the rest of this entry »

Visit our Picasa Photo Album with over 300 pictures from the 30th Annual Conference on Curriculum Theory and Classroom Practice at the Bergamo Center in Dayton, Ohio.

Feel free to add comments and help us name the folks in the photos and/or the sessions that are represented.

Thanks for coming!

See you next year!

Position:
Teachers College, Columbia University, invites applications for a tenure-track
position in Curriculum at the rank of Assistant Professor. This is an
exciting opportunity to contribute to the Teachers College program in
curriculum, the oldest in the nation.

Read the rest of this entry »