A Middle School Curriculum: From Rhetoric To Reality

James Bean's article puts emphasis on reform of the middle school curriculum through the use of compelling themes.  There is also much importance placed on the use of interdisciplinary activities  The author points out the dramatic period of change students go through during early adolescence with new social situations and experimenting with different roles.  Students during this time tend to start thinking more conceptually, questioning values and other important issues.  They ask profound questions about who they are and the people they are becoming.  That is why curriculum with an emphasis on student's personal concerns, as well as larger social concerns are important to integrate into the classroom curriculum.  I agree with the author and his belief that whether the concerns of students are addressed and resolved or not has an impact on the quality of life in the present and in their futures. I also really appreciate and agree with the authors view on teaching a variety of skills and not looking at them as being isolated, rather developing them and using them with important themes that are being focused on.  The emphasis on using themes that grow out of students questions and concerns is important and I feel would prove effective in engaging students in learning.  It is, although, important to put the focus on issues that are widely shared not only amongst adolescents but also the the rest of society.  In choosing these themes students should be actively involved, but such involvement does not make the teachers role in planning curriculum any less important.   Once chosen these themes should be clear using a wide variety of skills and resources.  To be effective teachers must present a wide variety of learning possibilities.

I concluded that many of the different ideas proposed in the article remain relevant today.  It is important that the activities students are given address issues important to them, include the use of a broad spectrum of skills, demand higher level thinking and integrate a wide variety of themes.