rotating curriculum

[Lrtucker]

I have been researching this for a while and looking for more information. There is a locked thread ont he topic so I couldn't bring it back to life.

Anyone teach with a rotating curriculum? I don't mean one where you reotate through your focus for each class; I am referring to a curriculum where all student at one general level learn the same thing every class and are test on the same material regardless of kyu.

Interested to see the responses and have more questions on the topic.

[Wastelander]

I'm not sure I understand your question, exactly. At my old dojo we did have 6-10 lesson plans of exactly what was to be covered every class for every rank up to green belt (5th kyu), and that was rotated through for everyone in those ranks. White belts would have 6 lesson plans, for example, and so every six classes they would have covered all of the material that a white belt needs to know to test for their next rank, and that set of classes is then repeated over and over again while people either remain at white belt to keep learning their basics or pass their test to go up to their next rank and go through the next set of curriculum. Once you hit 4th kyu and up the classes became much more fluid. Is that the kind of thing you are referring to?

[Lrtucker]

WasteLander, that is different from what I was referring too, but I REALY LOVE that idea!

I have seen a lot of school lately that take a group of students in similiar level, like white through orange, and for a three month phase (for instance) teaches a predetermined list of techniques, katas etc. If you were there for the entire period and grasp the techniques you test up to your next belt. In this method everyone in this class level tests on the same material each phase. Using the belts in my system as an example, the beginner class would have three phases of material and once a student had been through all rotations they would be promoted to the intermediate class, as where students who have only one or two sets of the material would stay in the beginner class.

According to what I have seen this for ease of instruction and cohesiveness in the class. Instead of leading warm ups and moving into breakout sessions so white belts can do basics, yellow belts work on Kata X, Orange on kata Y, and Blue on kata Z; the students in each level of class work on the same material together during each phase.

I have found several places online that you can pay for direction on setting one up, but I am more interested in hearing testimony from anyone who does.

[Wastelander]

WasteLander, that is different from what I was referring too, but I REALY LOVE that idea!

I have seen a lot of school lately that take a group of students in similiar level, like white through orange, and for a three month phase (for instance) teaches a predetermined list of techniques, katas etc. If you were there for the entire period and grasp the techniques you test up to your next belt. In this method everyone in this class level tests on the same material each phase. Using the belts in my system as an example, the beginner class would have three phases of material and once a student had been through all rotations they would be promoted to the intermediate class, as where students who have only one or two sets of the material would stay in the beginner class.

According to what I have seen this for ease of instruction and cohesiveness in the class. Instead of leading warm ups and moving into breakout sessions so white belts can do basics, yellow belts work on Kata X, Orange on kata Y, and Blue on kata Z; the students in each level of class work on the same material together during each phase.

I have found several places online that you can pay for direction on setting one up, but I am more interested in hearing testimony from anyone who does.

So it is basically what I described but with the ranks lumped together so that they all go through the same material at the same time? That sounds like it would work fine for large groups of students when you don't have higher ranked students to act as assistants, but I much prefer the method I described wherein the class may consist of white belts, yellow belts and blue belts, but those are split up so that the instructor handles the most advanced group while assigning higher ranked students like brown belts to lead the other groups through their material.

[pittbullJudoka]

I think it's a good idea if you have alot of students on the same level. Or if you classes are devided by beginer, intermidiate, and advanced levels. I know one of the Gracies ( Renzo I think) does this at his NY academy and it's a three month rotation and the test 2 times a year. With this you know your on track with a given cirriculum and you know what still need to be covered. But if you have a wide range of experince levels it may get stail for you more advanced students when coving the veery basics. I see it having pros and cons.