Curriculum Definition

Over the last seven weeks I have been able to develop and critique my own definition of curriculum. I have learned that curriculum is not just a textbook or the material the teacher puts on the board, or even just the assessments given to track student achievement. Instead, I have learned that curriculum is truly everything that happens within the context of schooling, including instruction, meeting special needs, social interaction, and special activities. Curriculum in itself is a very broad word which is made up of many parts that all combine in a unique way, delivering a quality program that allows for the utmost learning experience possible for all students.  Before taking this class, I was not well aware of all the parts that create a quality curriculum: the written, taught, and tested. I used to only view the written portion as the most important part of curriculum development but after further reading, discussing, and analyzing high quality curriculums, I have constructed a clearer understanding of the importance of the other two parts.

The most influential part of class was analyzing another curriculum. Analyzing the high school biology curriculum allowed me to see the importance of not only the written part of curriculum but the importance of making pre and post assessments (tested curriculum), and collecting multiple active learning strategies that help refine the actual taught curriculum delivered on a daily basis. The taught and tested curricula are part of the curriculum trinity and without these two essential parts the written curriculum is ineffective.  When developing a quality curriculum it is necessary to develop all three areas equally and to ensure that it is implemented effectively through guide production, material acquisition, staff development for both teachers and administrators, and sustaining evaluation and feedback (Glatthorn, 2004).  Also, curriculum development should take into account the development of 21^st century skills through the active use of technological resources. Before reading Jacobs' text, I did not understand the importance of creating a 21^st century curriculum. Now, I realize how important it is especially due to the fact that our students are digitally savvy and expect their education to be saturated with challenging technological activities that make the most of their interests and unique abilities.

References

Glatthorn, A. A. (2004). Developing a Quality Curriculum (pp. 49-56). Long Grove: Waveland Press, INC.