Curriculum Overview Brent HartsellCIT 0609. Curriculum Overview What is meant by the term curriculum? Curriculum and Instruction Curriculum planning Criteria.

Curriculum Overview Brent Hartsell CIT 0609

Curriculum Overview

• What is meant by the term curriculum?

• Curriculum and Instruction

• Curriculum planning

• Criteria for planning, developing, and implementing curricula?

• Values and Curriculum Planning

What is meant by the term curriculum?

• Curriculum has taken on many definitions over the years.

Curriculum as a plan

Curriculum as a practice

Yates, R. (2000). Curriculum overview. Retrieved on January 20th, 2008 from http://www.multiage-education.com/russportfolio/curriculumtopics/curoverview.html

Curriculum as a Plan

The content, subjects, and design of instruction

• The subject areas and content are provided as a blueprint of instructional content

• The basic methods and instructional strategies are laid out prior to the delivery of instruction

Curriculum as a PracticeThe instruction, classroom practices, and experiences

of the teacher and student

• Classroom teachers provide their own methods and experiences to the curriculum– Technology– Best Practices– Experience

• Students also provide experiences to the classroom– Educational background– Culture– Personal Experience

Curriculum and Instruction

Curriculum = what is being taught

Instruction = the way it is being taught

• Instruction is driven by curriculum

• The design and make-up of instruction is based on the curricular needs of students

Yates, R. (2000). Curriculum overview. Retrieved on January 20th, 2008 from http://www.multiage-education.com/russportfolio/curriculumtopics/curoverview.html

Curriculum planning

• Curriculum planning is essential to the continued growth of a school or district

• Planning is based on the needs of students, philosophy of the school, and mandates of the state.

• Student data can be used to identify areas for curriculum planning

Tyler's Four Questions of Instructional Development

1. What are the purposes of the school? - Goals, philosophy, student population

2. What educational experiences are related to those purposes? - activities, materials, etc. that will be used

3. What are the organizational methods which will be used in relation to those purposes? - effective planning of delivery method?

4. How will those purposes be evaluated? - assessment methods

Tyler’s Basic principles of Curriculum and Instruction (as cited in Wilson’s Curriculum pages, 2005)

Criteria for planning, developing, and implementing curricula?

Curriculum choices should be based on:• Academic needs of the school or district

• Identified student academic struggles

• The culture and diversity of the school population

• State mandated standards of instruction

Values and Curriculum Planning

Influenced by the location and value system of the community

• Cultural values• Economic background of school district• Longer, short term academic goals• Past academic experiences

Yates, R. (2000). Curriculum overview. Retrieved on January 20th, 2008 from http://www.multiage-education.com/russportfolio/curriculumtopics/curoverview.html

Curriculum Quotes

“Instead of a national curriculum for education, what is needed is an individual curriculum for every child.”

Charles Handy

“More important than the curriculum is the question of teaching and the spirit in which the teaching is given.”

Bertrand Russell

Thinkexist.com. (2008). Curriculum quotes. Retrieved on January 21st, 2008 from http://en.thinkexist.com/quotes/with/keyword/curriculum/

References

Thinkexist.com. (2008). Curriculum quotes. Retrieved on January 21st, 2008 from http://en.thinkexist.com/quotes/with/keyword/curriculum/

Wilson, L.O. (2005). Wilson’s curriculum page. Retrieved on January 20 th, 2008 from http://www.uwsp.edu/education/lwilson/curric/PLANGEN.HTM

Yates, R. (2000). Curriculum overview. Retrieved on January 20 th, 2008 from http://www.multiage-education.com/russportfolio/curriculumtopics/curoverview.html