Perhaps one of the biggest problems facing educational reform is the paradigm of the definitive article. Teachers often discuss THE curriculum; a mandate imposed on them and their students by some Other body. Trapped in this mindset, students are locked into a singular program of study, one path to adulthood, engaged citizenship, and productive contribution to the ethereal future.
In truth, there are many ways to think about and define curriculum. Programs of study are multiplicitous and customizable. Assumptions and terms deserve to be interrogated. Roles and structures need to be torn down and rebuilt. The driving force of global economic progress needs to be considered alongside other goals and outcomes. What is education for? What should it be for? How do we get there?
Teacher as Dungeon Master
School jurisdictions across North America are looking for ways to make public education more engaging, student-centred, and flexible. Curricular inspiration can be found anywhere. This paper is the result of asking the question, "How could a roleplaying game like Dungeons & Dragons inform curriculum change?"