The Curriculum and Academic Program at the Rhode Island School for the Deaf addresses a balance of four major factors:
|
1. The Nature of Knowledge |
|
2. The Nature of Learning |
|
3. The Nature of the Learner |
|
4. The Nature of the Constituency |
|
Knowledge
|
How
to Learn
|
|
The
Learner
|
The
Constituency
|
|
1. The Nature of Knowledge
The Nature of Knowledge concerns what it is that a student should know and be able to do when they finish the educational program at the Rhode Island School for the Deaf. This issue is largely influenced by the various constituencies represented in the school. The State of Rhode Island has mandated standards in the various subject areas that must be addressed in all schools. These standards have been integrated into the conceptual curriculum of the school. The interests of the deaf community are addressed in courses such as Deaf Studies.
Not the least in the development of the curriculum is the work of highly skilled faculty and staff who constantly make national and international contributions in theory, practice, and research and thus constantly refine the program of learning at the school.
2. The Nature of Learning
The Nature of Learning addresses the utilization of the best approaches to learning that can be found in theory and research. The school has found that a commitment to the early work of Jerome Bruner who advocated that learning focus on the development of conceptual frameworks which spiral throughout the learning experience rather than a collection of facts, has stood the test of time well. To this basic approach has been added modifications and expansions that include recent trends in literacy and learning.
3. The Nature of the Learner
The nature of the population at the Rhode Island School for the Deaf must also be considered in the development of the curriculum. Over 30% of the students at the School for the Deaf come from limited English speaking families. Many students have multiple handicaps requiring a modification in the content of the curriculum or how it is presented.
4. The Nature of the Constituency
In addition to the goals and aspirations of the parents, the deaf community, the state of Rhode Island, and the faculty and students, the curriculum is also influenced by national requirements set by colleges such as Gallaudet University, NTID, and other programs. As an increasing number of students participate for part of the day in regular school settings, the needs and requirements of those programs must also be factored into the design of course work at the Rhode Island School for the Deaf.
A further influence has been the relationship between the school and innovative educational experiments such as the Coalition of Essential Schools and the New England League of Middle Schools.