Curriculum:What it is, Where it is Now, How it Should Be Tabitha Fredrickson, Anne-Stacey Camilotes, Brandon Smith
Stacey-
According to Evelyn J. Sowell, author of Curriculum an Integrative Introduction, the “definition(s) of curriculum has included the following: “1) the cumulative tradition of organized knowledge; 2) modes of though; 3) race experience; 4) guided experience; 5) a planned learning environment; 6) cognitive/affective content and process; 7) an instructional plan; 8) instructional ends or outcomes; and 9) technological system of production”(Tanner & Tanner, 1980, p.36)”.
Webster’s online Dictionary, accessed on February 15, 2008, defines curriculum as “the courses offered by an educational institution” or “a set of courses constituting an area of specialization”.
The easiest solution is to step away from elaborate descriptions and to use the definition Sowell provides: “curriculum is defined here simply as what is taught to students. This broad definition includes the intended and unintended information, skills, and attitudes that are communicated to students in schools” (Sowell, 2000, p. 3).
When we often think of curriculum we think of it in a closed setting, only involving teacher and student. Curriculum has a farther reach which involves everyone from politicians to the students. This different levels of curriculum include societal, institutional, instructional and experimental curricula (Sowell, 2000, p. 4).
The societal level is the area that is the farthest from the students. It is designed and influenced by the public, including politicians, representatives of special interest groups, administrators at different levels, and professional specialists (Sowell, 2000, p. 4). These groups play an imperative part in the student’s education because they often decide the goals, topics to be studied, the time to be spent, and then materials to be used.
“Institutional curricula serve schools and are derived largely from societal curricula with modifications by local educators and laypersons” (Sowell, 2000, p. 4). This level contains the school’s or district’s written documents containing standards, philosophies, lesson plans, and guides. This area is often the target for reform efforts.
The level in which the teacher is involved is of course called then Instructional curriculum. This is the area In which the teachers plan and then deliver in schools. Teachers must base their instructional curricula on what was determined necessary or desirable by the societal level.
The last level is the experiential curriculum. This is the level where the students experience and perceive the curriculum. The experiences differ from student to student since they come from different backgrounds, motivations and levels of aspirations. This is the only area where the experience is internalized and made personal by the learners.
Brandon-
The standard curriculum of most schools today does not generally reach the experiential level hence the many problems that we have. Some of these problems are that the curriculum does not mold to individual students. Each student is unique and learns in different ways. However, our curriculum does not teach in different ways. Our current curriculum centers around textbooks and concrete information that is taught year after year.
Curriculum today is taught by reading out of textbooks, review questions, worksheets and all classrooms are set up in nearly identical patterns. This monotony bores students and never gets them to fully apply themselves to the curriculum. This prevents students from learning at their full potential. The standard curriculum also creates behavioral problems for students with learning disabilities. These students feel like the information is often too challenging or too easy. They also struggle with the curriculum because it often does not fit their learning disability. This causes kids feel defensive in front of their peers and act out in class( learningdisabilities.about.com).
Currently, the standard curriculum is too rigid in the way it presents the information to students. This leaves students bored, unchallenged and unable to learn at their full potential. Technology enables the curriculum to mold and make it effective for all students. This will enhance the learning of every individual, something the standard curriculum will never be able to achieve.
Incorporating technology into the standard curriculum would help solve many of these problems. Adolescents respond much better to autonomy. When adolescents are given the freedom to use technology to explore subjects rather than being told what to learn they become much more interested in the learning. Technology also makes the topics much more broad and gives young people the chance to learn what they want to know about the material. Incorporating technology into the curriculum will give students with learning disabilities the opportunity to find a curriculum specialized for their learning disability. Having a database with lessons for specific learning disabilities will be far more specific to each students learning. This way an entire classroom of students with learning disabilities can be doing separate lessons that challenge each one of them differently and more effectively than the standard curriculum. This will push them to improve their knowledge and continue with schooling beyond secondary education.
Tabitha-
When one is looking at how curriculum should be, the roles of the school, teachers, and learners should be examined as well.With the idea of “21st century curriculum”, it is important to understand that roles are changing.In order to successfully implement the curriculum I will be discussing momentarily, schools need to be a place that creates a culture of inquiry.The teachers need to move from being transmitters of knowledge to facilitators of learning.They need to be more of a guide, if you will.Facilitating learning implies that teachers should help students turn information into knowledge and knowledge into wisdom.Teachers need to give students the tools.Learners also have jobs…and they don’t consist of simply attending classes.Learners need to be curious and they need to be excited about learning so that they become even more resourceful and able and interested in continuing to learn outside of the school(What is 21st century education?, 2004).Not all learners come to school with that mindset; therefore, a teacher’s job is to provide some inspiration.A teacher needs to be passionate about what they do.If a teacher can’t muster up excitement over something they are teaching, why would a student be excited to learn it?
It needs to be understood that knowledge is NOT memorization.Knowledge is constructed through research and application to real world experiences.21st century curriculum is interdisciplinary, project based, research driven, connected to the community, thematic, and integrated.Curriculum in this era should be made to fit every student.It is okay to have differentiated curriculum!Students learn in different ways and at different paces so it makes no sense to have all students be learning the same thing in the exact same way.Curriculum needs to be designed to challenge all students.Textbooks should make up only a portion of the curriculum if they are used at all.21st century curriculum is all about using several different resources(What is 21st century education?, 2004).Some teachers are looking at this with the view that this will be much more work.A very true to life quote, however, is that time flies when you are having fun.A teacher that enjoys his or her work for the right reasons will feel that the end results are worth the time it takes to help every student in the best way he or she can.
I have often said that people relate to what relates to them.It is a simple statement, but so true, and it applies to students as well.A student will not necessarily get why they are doing what they are doing if they read a problem out of a textbook, but if a teacher was to have the student solve a real life problem through a resource like the internet, it will make so much more sense.For example, if a student is asked a question from a textbook about how many miles a truck would be from its starting point if it went here, then here, then here versus asking a student to check out some flights on the internet and see how far they were from their starting point, there would be more work involved, and it would be real life.Not only would the student be getting some real world experience, but it would also be advancing their technological skills.Speaking of technology, 21st century curriculum should integrate that as much as possible as Brandon said earlier.Somewhere, students should have full access to technology where technology is a tool students can use to create knowledge and to create personal and social change.“Students are being encouraged by effective instruction that integrates the WWW to be independent, life-long learners who are skillful in communication and collaboration” (Howard, 2003). According to North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, there are for different types of academic achievement with 21st century learning.It is important that curriculum, no matter what it is, attempts to reach these goals: digital age literacy, inventive thinking, effective communication, and high productivity(Laboratory, 2007).
We have all heard of the No Child Left Behind Act.Because there are consequences for schools who do not meet test score standards, many teachers are now teaching to the test.Some believe that not doing so will hurt the test scores.The truth is that with 21st century curriculum (real-life situations, research driven, etc), the standardized test scores will be higher because students will have acquired the skills and content in a meaningful and connected way and therefore can apply the information to a number of situations/questions(What is 21st century education?, 2004).
We have to think outside of the box for the sake of our kids!We can change everything we want to!Schools don’t have to be shaped like egg cartons with little cells for each class.Classes don’t have to change every hour.We can have comfortable classrooms!We can even use virtual classrooms and attend discussions using avatars!We need to open our eyes to see the potential for excellence that our students have.Curriculum is the driving force for learning in school.Let’s make it worth all of our time!
Please take time to look at the following websites for some ideas on possible 21st century curriculum:
Curriculum: What it is, Where it is Now, How it Should Be
Tabitha Fredrickson, Anne-Stacey Camilotes, Brandon Smith
Stacey-
According to Evelyn J. Sowell, author of Curriculum an Integrative Introduction, the “definition(s) of curriculum has included the following: “1) the cumulative tradition of organized knowledge; 2) modes of though; 3) race experience; 4) guided experience; 5) a planned learning environment; 6) cognitive/affective content and process; 7) an instructional plan; 8) instructional ends or outcomes; and 9) technological system of production”(Tanner & Tanner, 1980, p.36)”.
Webster’s online Dictionary, accessed on February 15, 2008, defines curriculum as “the courses offered by an educational institution” or “a set of courses constituting an area of specialization”.
The easiest solution is to step away from elaborate descriptions and to use the definition Sowell provides: “curriculum is defined here simply as what is taught to students. This broad definition includes the intended and unintended information, skills, and attitudes that are communicated to students in schools” (Sowell, 2000, p. 3).
When we often think of curriculum we think of it in a closed setting, only involving teacher and student. Curriculum has a farther reach which involves everyone from politicians to the students. This different levels of curriculum include societal, institutional, instructional and experimental curricula (Sowell, 2000, p. 4).
The societal level is the area that is the farthest from the students. It is designed and influenced by the public, including politicians, representatives of special interest groups, administrators at different levels, and professional specialists (Sowell, 2000, p. 4). These groups play an imperative part in the student’s education because they often decide the goals, topics to be studied, the time to be spent, and then materials to be used.
“Institutional curricula serve schools and are derived largely from societal curricula with modifications by local educators and laypersons” (Sowell, 2000, p. 4). This level contains the school’s or district’s written documents containing standards, philosophies, lesson plans, and guides. This area is often the target for reform efforts.
The level in which the teacher is involved is of course called then Instructional curriculum. This is the area In which the teachers plan and then deliver in schools. Teachers must base their instructional curricula on what was determined necessary or desirable by the societal level.
The last level is the experiential curriculum. This is the level where the students experience and perceive the curriculum. The experiences differ from student to student since they come from different backgrounds, motivations and levels of aspirations. This is the only area where the experience is internalized and made personal by the learners.
Brandon-
The standard curriculum of most schools today does not generally reach the experiential level hence the many problems that we have. Some of these problems are that the curriculum does not mold to individual students. Each student is unique and learns in different ways. However, our curriculum does not teach in different ways. Our current curriculum centers around textbooks and concrete information that is taught year after year.
Curriculum today is taught by reading out of textbooks, review questions, worksheets and all classrooms are set up in nearly identical patterns. This monotony bores students and never gets them to fully apply themselves to the curriculum. This prevents students from learning at their full potential. The standard curriculum also creates behavioral problems for students with learning disabilities. These students feel like the information is often too challenging or too easy. They also struggle with the curriculum because it often does not fit their learning disability. This causes kids feel defensive in front of their peers and act out in class( learningdisabilities.about.com).
Currently, the standard curriculum is too rigid in the way it presents the information to students. This leaves students bored, unchallenged and unable to learn at their full potential. Technology enables the curriculum to mold and make it effective for all students. This will enhance the learning of every individual, something the standard curriculum will never be able to achieve.
Incorporating technology into the standard curriculum would help solve many of these problems. Adolescents respond much better to autonomy. When adolescents are given the freedom to use technology to explore subjects rather than being told what to learn they become much more interested in the learning. Technology also makes the topics much more broad and gives young people the chance to learn what they want to know about the material. Incorporating technology into the curriculum will give students with learning disabilities the opportunity to find a curriculum specialized for their learning disability. Having a database with lessons for specific learning disabilities will be far more specific to each students learning. This way an entire classroom of students with learning disabilities can be doing separate lessons that challenge each one of them differently and more effectively than the standard curriculum. This will push them to improve their knowledge and continue with schooling beyond secondary education.
Tabitha-
When one is looking at how curriculum should be, the roles of the school, teachers, and learners should be examined as well. With the idea of “21st century curriculum”, it is important to understand that roles are changing. In order to successfully implement the curriculum I will be discussing momentarily, schools need to be a place that creates a culture of inquiry. The teachers need to move from being transmitters of knowledge to facilitators of learning. They need to be more of a guide, if you will. Facilitating learning implies that teachers should help students turn information into knowledge and knowledge into wisdom. Teachers need to give students the tools. Learners also have jobs…and they don’t consist of simply attending classes. Learners need to be curious and they need to be excited about learning so that they become even more resourceful and able and interested in continuing to learn outside of the school (What is 21st century education?, 2004). Not all learners come to school with that mindset; therefore, a teacher’s job is to provide some inspiration. A teacher needs to be passionate about what they do. If a teacher can’t muster up excitement over something they are teaching, why would a student be excited to learn it?
It needs to be understood that knowledge is NOT memorization. Knowledge is constructed through research and application to real world experiences. 21st century curriculum is interdisciplinary, project based, research driven, connected to the community, thematic, and integrated. Curriculum in this era should be made to fit every student. It is okay to have differentiated curriculum! Students learn in different ways and at different paces so it makes no sense to have all students be learning the same thing in the exact same way. Curriculum needs to be designed to challenge all students. Textbooks should make up only a portion of the curriculum if they are used at all. 21st century curriculum is all about using several different resources (What is 21st century education?, 2004). Some teachers are looking at this with the view that this will be much more work. A very true to life quote, however, is that time flies when you are having fun. A teacher that enjoys his or her work for the right reasons will feel that the end results are worth the time it takes to help every student in the best way he or she can.
I have often said that people relate to what relates to them. It is a simple statement, but so true, and it applies to students as well. A student will not necessarily get why they are doing what they are doing if they read a problem out of a textbook, but if a teacher was to have the student solve a real life problem through a resource like the internet, it will make so much more sense. For example, if a student is asked a question from a textbook about how many miles a truck would be from its starting point if it went here, then here, then here versus asking a student to check out some flights on the internet and see how far they were from their starting point, there would be more work involved, and it would be real life. Not only would the student be getting some real world experience, but it would also be advancing their technological skills. Speaking of technology, 21st century curriculum should integrate that as much as possible as Brandon said earlier. Somewhere, students should have full access to technology where technology is a tool students can use to create knowledge and to create personal and social change. “Students are being encouraged by effective instruction that integrates the WWW to be independent, life-long learners who are skillful in communication and collaboration” (Howard, 2003). According to North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, there are for different types of academic achievement with 21st century learning. It is important that curriculum, no matter what it is, attempts to reach these goals: digital age literacy, inventive thinking, effective communication, and high productivity (Laboratory, 2007).
We have all heard of the No Child Left Behind Act. Because there are consequences for schools who do not meet test score standards, many teachers are now teaching to the test. Some believe that not doing so will hurt the test scores. The truth is that with 21st century curriculum (real-life situations, research driven, etc), the standardized test scores will be higher because students will have acquired the skills and content in a meaningful and connected way and therefore can apply the information to a number of situations/questions (What is 21st century education?, 2004).
We have to think outside of the box for the sake of our kids! We can change everything we want to! Schools don’t have to be shaped like egg cartons with little cells for each class. Classes don’t have to change every hour. We can have comfortable classrooms! We can even use virtual classrooms and attend discussions using avatars! We need to open our eyes to see the potential for excellence that our students have. Curriculum is the driving force for learning in school. Let’s make it worth all of our time!
Please take time to look at the following websites for some ideas on possible 21st century curriculum:
http://www.bie.org/index.php/site/PBL/web_resources/
http://www.thinkquest.org/library/search.html
http://www.essentialschools.org/cs/cespr/view/ces_res/137
Bibliography:
Stacey-
Sowell, Evelyn J. Curriculum An Integrative Introduction. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill an imprint of Prentice Hall, 2000.
Henson, Kenneth T Curriculum Planning Integrating Multiculturalism, Constructivism, and Education Reform. Burr Ridge, IL: McGraw Hill, 2001.
“Curriculum.” Merriam-Webster online search. 15 Feb. 2008 http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curriculum
Brandon-
http://learningdisabilities.about.com/od/behaviorproblems/qt/rightcurriculum.htm
http://www.ericdigests.org/1999-3/assistive.htm
Tabitha-
Howard, D. (2003). Effective Curriculum for 21st century learners. Retrieved February 29, 2008, www.dianehoward.com: http://www.dianehoward.com/effective_curriculum_for_21st_cen._learners.htm
Laboratory, N. C. (2007). 21st Century Skills. Retrieved 5 March, 2008, from enGauge: http://www.ncrel.org/engauge/skills/skill21.htm
What is 21st century education? (2004). Retrieved March 5, 2008, from 21st Century Schools: http://www.21stcenturyschools.com/What_is_21st_Century_Education.htm