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Russell Stevenson interviews David Marsh, who has worked developing curriculum for the LDS Church for decades. Together they discuss the nitty gritty details of taking a teaching concept from its inception stage to the classroom.
Who hasn’t found their mind wandering during a Sunday School lesson or wondering why the manuals repeatedly emphasize the same basic principles? And who writes these manuals? Are they scholars, professional teachers, or members who are called to the task? What is Correlation? The answers to these questions may surprise you.
Dr. Marsh walks us through the process of curriculum creation, which includes the following steps:
- Concept Development
- Text Prototype
- Manuscript Creation
- Feedback
- Revision
- Full Prototype with Images
- Translation
- Publicity
- Printing
Manuals are reviewed by hundreds of people before they are distributed, including the managers and directors of curriculum development, executive directors, the Priesthood and Executive Committee, the General Auxiliary Presidencies (YW, YM, RS, SS, and Primary), and sometimes the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the First Presidency.
From his years teaching and writing curriculum, David Marsh dispenses wisdom about how to approach our Sunday experience in order to minimize frustration. He speaks to the echo chamber of academia and our responsibility to seek out for ourselves the deeper doctrines of the gospel and to become self-reliant learners.
John NicholsonDecember 22, 2016
I have been teaching since 1977, and have been a professional teacher till my retirement. I have taught on three continents, and have met diverse educational principles and cultures wherever I have been -and having lived in the United States for the last 25 years - including the United States! After having lived and worked in so many countries, Curriculum Development has been a particular interest of mine. I have found that launching (in all its aspects) (but not development) has been a particular weakness everywhere I have been, especially in academia! I would like to comment of "Teaching, no Greater Call." In all my experience, in various educational establishments, nowhere have I found ANY publication to match this one book!!! In fact, in one third world country where I was responsible for the education of teachers/educators at university level, I have personally used this publication: it is absolutely matchless!!! I hope it never goes out of print! John