Selection and Organization of Content

There are dull teachers, dull textbooks, dull films, but no dull subjects.

Content

Is ALIGNED with the goals and objectives of the basic education curriculum.

Responds to the NEEDS of the learner.

Cognitive skill and affective elements.

FULLY and DEEPLY covers the essentials to avoid the mile-wide-and-inch-deep impression.

-What Knowledge is truly essential and enduring? What is worth teaching and learning? In the K to 12
Curriculum, standards and competencies are also spelled out. This means that we are not entirely free in
the selection of our content. They are a given But how they are organized and presented in the
classroom, ultimately depends on you. Below are some principles to guide you.

Guiding Principles in the Selection and Organization of Content

A. Validity Teaching the content that we ought to teach according to national standards explicit
in the K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum; it also means teaching the content in order to realize
the goals and objectives of the course as laid down in the basic education curriculum.
B. Significance What we teach should respond to the needs interests of the learners, hence
meaningful and significant.

Adapted from Fink, L.D. (2003). Creating Significant Learning Experiences, Jossey-Bass.

C. Balance Content includes not only facts but also concepts and values. The use of the three-level
approach ensures a balance of cognitive, psychomotor, and affective lesson content.

A balanced content is something that is not too easy to be above average student, neither not too
difficult to turn off the average. It is something that challenges the student. To observe the principle of
balance, no topic must be extensively discussed at the expense of other topics.

D. Self-sufficiency Content fully covers the essentials. Learning content is not mile-wide-and-inch-
deep. The essentials sufficiently covered and are treated in depth. This is a case of less is more.
E. Interest Teacher considers interest of the learners, their developmental stages and cultural and
ethnic background.

F.Utility Will this content be of use to the learners? It is not meant only to be memorized for test and
grade purposes. What is learned has a function even after examinations are over.

G. Feasibility The content is feasible in the sense the essential content can be covered in the amount
of time available for instruction. A guaranteed and a viable curriculum is the first in the school-related
factors that has great impact on student achievement. (Marzano, 2003) It is observed that there is so
much content to cover within school year, so much so that teachers tend to rush towards the end of
school year, do superficial teaching and contribute to mastery of content. This is probably one reason
why the mastered competencies in national examinations given to the pupils and students are those
competencies which are found at the end of the Philippine Elementary /Secondary Learning
Competencies (PELC/PSLC).

The Structure of Subject Matter Content

Critical Thinking-It involves evaluating information __ arguments in terms of their accuracy and worth.
(Reyes 1985) It takes a variety of forms verbal reasoning, argument analysis, hypothesis testing and
decision making.

Verbal reasoning An example is evaluating the persuasive technique found in oral or written language.
You employ this when you evaluate the reliability and the truth of advertisements that bombard you
everyday.

Argument analysis You are engaged in this critical thinking process when you discriminate between
reasons that do and do not support a particular conclusion.

Example: The ground is wet so it must have rained last night. When you analyze the given argument and
determine whether or not the reason . it must have rained last night logically support or does

norlogically support the argument.

Decision making We are engaged in critical thinking when we weigh the pros and cons of each
proposed alternative approach.

Creative Thinking-This type of thinking involves producing something that is both original and
worthwhile. (Sternberg, 2003) It is both thinking, one type of divergent thinking. It is the process of
bringing something new into birth. It is seeing new relationships and the use of imagination and
inventiveness.

What creative thinking behaviors should be developed?

-Awareness-The ability to notice the attributes of things in the environment so as to build a knowledge
base that is the beginning of all other forms of creative thinking.
Curiosity-Replace your unknown mind with curiosity----The ability and inclination to wonder about
things and mentally explore the new, novel, unique ideas.

Imagination-The ability to speculate about things that are not necessarily based on reality.

Fluency-The ability to produce a large quantity of ideas.

Originality-The ability to produce new, novel, unique ideas.

ideas.

Perseverance-The ability to keep trying to find answer; to see a task through completion.

Attitudes and Values

In the three-level approach to teaching, values are the apex of the triangle. It is because it is in the
teaching of facts, skills and concepts become connected to the life of the students, thus acquiring
meaning. Without the value-level of teaching, we contribute to the development of persons who have
big heads but tiny hearts. We contribute to the formation of intellectual giants but emotional dwarfs.

Values
Concept
Facts
Shall we teach Values

Can values be taught? Many say NO, rather values are caught. The author, however, would dare say
YES! Values are taught and caught! Due to the belief that values cannot be taught, many teachers
relegate values in the background. Values can be taught, because like any subject matter, they too have
a cognitive dimension, in addition to the effective and behavioral dimension. (Aquino, 1990)

The Cognitive Dimension When we teach value of honesty we ask the following questions: What is
meant by honesty? Why do I have to be honest? The affective dimension You have to feel something
towards honesty. You have to be moved towards honesty as preferable to dishonesty. The behavioral
dimension You lead an honest life.

The Big Questions Is: How Can We Teach Values?

- By positively reinforcing good behavior.

-By teaching the cognitive component of values in the classroom.