Curriculum TDI - Reflection #3

How has your definition of curriculum been shaped by the course readings and discussions? How and why has your definition of curriculum changed?


In the beginning...

My current understanding and definition of curriculum would be a compilation of what we teach, who we teach, how we teach, and when we teach.

• What we teach deals with the content and standards to be covered.
• Who we teach deals with that alignment of the above content and standards with the audience to be taught.
• How we teach deals with the assortment and variety of teaching modalities coupled with strategic planning to meet the needs of various learning styles.
• When we teach deals with the timeline in which all of the above is to be completed.

I look forward to gaining a more in-depth understanding of curriculum.


Presently...

I have definitely gained a more in-depth and comprehensive understanding and appreciation for curriculum. Having it broken down to the written, taught, and tested really brought perspective and context to my understanding of curriculum. Glatthorn's text, Developing a Quality Curriculum, is a must read for all educators. It is a 133 page succinct and comprehensive explanation of curriculum and what steps are needed to take in working with curriculum. For years, I have been exposed to pieces of curriculum, from lists of standards, to pacing guides, to resources. Quite often, those items, and some others have been presented individually as curriculum. Glatthorn outlines a 12 step process in "Developing a Mastery Curriculum:"

1. Identify the Subject Mastery Goal
2. Analyze State Frameworks
3. Refine Subject Mastery Goals
4. Develop a Report of the Knowledge Base
5. Develop the Hallmarks of Excellence
6. Develop the Curriculum Framework
7. Identify the Strands of the Curriculum
8. Develop the Scope-and-Sequence Chart
9. Identify Available Curriculum Materials
10. Develop the Curriculum Guide
11. Evaluate the Guide
12. Determine How the Guide Will Be Distributed

Many of the steps above tend to be overlooked, skipped, and/or dismissed as districts and schools look to find a curriculum, which should be the foundation of any educational institution. Developing, or even acquiring, a curriculum will never be an easy/minimal step process. For what it is meant to do, it should be approached with the highest level of respect and commitment from those who seek to implement it. As Jacobs states in Curriculum 21, another must read, "As educators, our challenge is to match the needs of our learners to a world that is changing with great rapidity. To meet this challenge, we need to become strategic learners ourselves by deliberately expanding our perspectives and updating our approaches." This means that after all the work put into developing a mastery curriculum, we will always need to modify it base on an ever changing global society.

My definition has not necessarily changed, but it has been validated and placed into context. The steps I briefly mentioned in my initial understanding of curriculum have been expounded upon. The numerous discussions held with my classmates have provided varied perspectives on the view of curriculum from many corners of the education world. Those conversations have reminded me that we must look at education wholistically, not only because of the various learning styles of the students we serve globally, but also the various learning styles of the adults chosen to educate and those who effect education policy. I have definitely grown from their input. I now have a deeper respect for the entire process of developing, implementing, modifying, and monitoring the use of curriculum.

Curriculum TDI - Reflection #2

As a school administrator and instructional leader, what instructional technology would you expect to see in the written, taught, and tested curriculum of a school or school district striving to meet the needs of 21st century learners? What instructional technology would you promote to differentiate instruction for all learners?

In order to effectively meet the needs of 21st century learners, technology must be infused into an effective balance between both traditional and differentiated instruction. It must be evident in the written, taught, and tested curriculum. Technology can be seen as a resource to enhance the learning process, making the academic goals of students more achievable while extending further around the world from a single location.

As defined by Glatthorn, the written curriculum is what appears in guides. Within the written curriculum, there should be suggestions and examples as to how teachers can use technology to plan their lessons. I view the written curriculum as a step-by-step plan illustrating how concepts can be taught and standards achieved. The various available technological resources can be itemized in context. This way teachers would know specifically what resources they can utilize to achieve a specific goal within the classroom as they relate to media literacy. As discussed in Jacobs, simply using Internet resources can provide an international integration of content for all areas of a given curriculum, thus educating students to be informed and productive global citizens.

The taught curriculum is simply a playground for the integration of technology and differentiation, being what the teachers are actually using in the classroom. This is where it all comes alive. This is the application portion of media literacy. Teachers can use PowerPoint presentations to teach from, with embedded sound bytes and video. Teachers can use an assortment of Web 2.0 tools to enhance the classroom experience, providing more interactive activities and eliminating stagnation and boredom. They can use project-based learning techniques where students would create digital stories, PowerPoint presentations, Wordles, etc. to showcase what they have learned. Students can also keep digital portfolios that would be an excellent way of showcasing their accomplishments in school. There are also many technological applications such as TeenBiz3000 that differentiates a series of ongoing non-fiction articles to meet the readiness of all readers, and Success Maker which also provides diagnostics and prescriptions for student development.

Lastly, technology provides for a more efficient method of gathering data from assessments within the tested curriculum. For benchmark assessments taken electronically, we can access data needed to drive instruction much more quickly. Paper tests would often yield at least a two week turn around for results. With the aforementioned applications, we can gain diagnostic reports almost immediately within the classroom to assess students progress and comprehension of concepts taught.

All in all, technology within the written, taught, and tested curriculum, provides enhancement and efficiency to all stakeholders such as administrators, teachers, students, parents/guardians, and education policy makers when implemented effectively.

Curriculum TDI - Reflection #1

What are your philosophical beliefs about the purpose of school, about what subjects should be taught, and about how students learn? How does your work demonstrate your belief?

My philosophical beliefs about the purpose of school, what subjects should be taught, and how students learn are quite simple. The overarching purpose of school is to direct the development of informed and productive citizens able to function in a global society. I believe the subjects that should be taught will vary based on the level of schooling. The fundamentals of reading, writing, and arithmetic should remain the foundation/building blocks of education. The level of mastery of the above fundamentals will determine how well students will be able to fair when taught other subjects. Those subjects should be consistent with what students will be exposed to globally. This basically means that everything must be taught and students should always seek out new knowledge. Once students are provided with a firm foundation, they should be able to think critically by deciding what fields of study they want to further explore, and be able to devise a plan to do so. Those responsible for teaching must be able to identify, adapt to, and provide for the various learning styles they are guaranteed to encounter. We as educators must be flexible.

As an educator, I must understand that I have a 24/7 career. I parallel the education profession with priests. We are expected to set the examples for all. We are looked to for advice, reference, and motivation. With this said, I recognize that I must live righteously at all times, do on to others as I would want other to do on to me. Accept responsibility for the mistakes I make, learn from them and move on. I challenge and expect myself to put my best effort into everything I do, and not settle for, or accept anything less. For all who know me in the various circles I travel in, they know I am addicted to quality work, but open to constructive criticism in order to improve. In my dealings with others, I must be conscious of how I am saying things, because perspectives are very different. This is consistent with the classroom experience and professional development when you must teach a concept several different ways in order for your students and staff to grasp the concepts. I must function as though every moment is a moment of teaching and learning. I must do it in a way that is enjoyable for me, and those in front and around me, because this is what I have dedicated my life to, and I love and enjoy life. Learning never stops, and I love to learn from everyone I encounter, regardless of ethnicity, age, disability, gender, etc. These are the principles I try to instill into my students, staff, and colleagues, by leading by example.