Two concepts emerged from Jennifer Thom’s paper, Understanding Curriculum Admist Doing Curriculum Research; confusion and importance of all stories.  As I become more familiar with Ted Aoki’s concept of curriculum, I initially feel a sense of foreboding confusion.  Aoki’s idea of curriculum not being linear drains my brain of all function when I first encounter it.  I am trying to wrap my head around the concept of linear and “not along the temporal line of beginning to end” (Thom, 2024).  It’s confounding to me and yet it makes perfect sense.  

Photo by Shannon Potter on Unsplash

When I think about teaching English Language Arts I can see the concept of non-linear teaching. In my mind, I have a linear method of delivery but aim to teach in a non-linear way.  I can relate it to the concept of backwards by design, where an educators focus on the big picture and the skills a student need to master an objective.  Often, multiple skills can be developed simultaneously if explored in a meaningful way for the student.  This includes understanding a student’s past learning, their present experiences, and keeping the end goal in mind.  The thought process is not linear; rather, all concepts tend to blur together, much like a brain firing off neuron receptors simultaneously for our bodies to function. 

The idea of all threads of time and space converging is demonstrated in the importance of the Hayashi Studio film.  It represents a connection to Aoki and illustrates non-linear learning learning by exploring diverse personal experiences in Cumberland.  It reflects the rich history of this land, where many lives intersect, each experiencing life through their unique lens.  As Thoms notes, “seeing and hearing them, not only do they tell of the unknown but also the known and not shown, the not told or unspoken” (2024).  

When I grew up, the curriculum I learned was very linear and predominantly portrayed the perspective of white Canadian settlers.  It only showed one side of history, letting one voice and one experience speak for all the people living on the land.  Aoki challenges us to defy this and explore all the voices of the land, recognizing the importance of every story.

Works Cited


Thom, J. S. (2024). Understanding Curriculum Amidst Doing Curriculum Research. In P. P. Trifonas & S. Jagger (Eds.), Handbook of Curriculum Theory and Research (pp. 1–25). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82976-6_46-2