EDUC872-REPLIES-Discussion Thread: Curriculum Design and Responsibilities
Provided below are two responses from 2 different people. Write responses of at least 250 words and its own citations and references.
Response two-Needs a reply with at least 250 words with its own citations and references. Each reply must be substantive and at least 250 words, and each reply must contain at least one reference to the course material in current APA format.
Ashley F.
Manage Discussion Entry
It is difficult to clearly define what curriculum is. According to Gordon, Oliva, and Taylor (2019) curriculum is everything that goes on academically, socially, and more, both inside and outside of a classroom (Gordon, Oliva, & Taylor, 2019). Caswell and Campbell saw curriculum as the experiences children have while they are under the guidance of a teacher and not as a set of courses (Gordon et al., 2019). I agree with Gordon et al. (2019) that curriculum includes social and academic experiences in the classroom and through life experiences with or without a teacher present (Gordon et al., 2019). Curriculum is the lessons people learn or the opportunities they have to gain knowledge through experiences; however, instruction is the tools teachers use to help explain the lessons people have the opportunity to learn. These teachers can be teachers in schools, parents, mentors, and more. For example, Jesus used parables as a tool to teach curriculum. In Matthew 5:13-16 the Bible states:
“‘You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven’” (English Standard Version 2001/2016, Matthew 5:13-16).
By using this parable, Jesus was trying to teach the disciples the importance of sharing the gospel and sharing truth with people. As for who is responsible for the development of the curriculum, that depends on the situation. At home, parents are responsible for determining the lessons they want their children to learn. School leaders determine the curriculum at schools and teachers can add implicit curriculum to make the developed curriculum more culturally relevant. However, there are curriculum developers that responsible for developing curriculum that will help schools and parents achieve their curriculum goals. A curriculum designer’s responsibilities include but are not limited to conducting needs assessments, determining goals or desired outcomes of the curriculum, and providing enough instruction for the teachers or parents without overwhelming them. One of the biggest challenges for curriculum designers is that not all schools have the same goals or desired outcomes, so curriculum designers have to weigh which goals and outcomes are most important based on the needs. A Christian curriculum design should approach designing a curriculum with a good biblical foundation and true Christian character in mind for the desired outcomes.
References:
English Standard Version. (2016). English Standard Version Online. https://www.esv.org (Original work published 2001)
Gordon, W. R., Oliva, P. F., & Taylor, R. T. (2019). Developing the curriculum (9th ed.). Pearson Education, Inc.
Arleta L.
Manage Discussion Entry
A curriculum is a roadmap for instruction. It is a set of standards typically decided on by the state that teachers are required to teach to ensure students are equipped with the knowledge necessary for the upcoming grade. Often the term curriculum is used interchangeably with instruction. Curriculum guides instruction by providing standards that reflect a learner’s learning processes. A curriculum is provided while instruction can be more creative but both work together to meet the needs of the learner
Curriculum development is a lengthy process with many steps. The stakeholders should be gathered to form a committee. Members included can be educators, administrators, specialists, and community members. Current data trends should be analyzed to identify issues while considering learning models, standards, resources, assessments, and professional development. The curriculum designers are responsible for developing course objectives and goals that are measurable and attainable. Resources must be vetted to align with these goals and then assessments must be constructed.
Designers face many challenges in a school or from an external group. According to Lalor (2017), there are many struggles in creating and evaluating curricula. One challenge is allocating the necessary time for the required standards. The teacher must be provided with time to teach the standards while students require time to apply and practice these standards. The standards studied must also align with the assessment. Lalor (2017) believes a common issue with the textbook design is that students are being taught standards that are not being assessed in the unit. The degree of alignment should be evaluated, and standards should be coded to ensure they support that unit. Providing students with activities that promote creativity is often a challenge since those require more time and often do not reflect standards (Murai et al., 2021). Teachers’ input is one of the most valuable components of curriculum design because educators have a better sense of the students, time, resources, and standards.
In Proverbs 22:6, Christians are told to teach and guide a child the way that they should go. If they follow the correct path, they are less likely to depart from it as they grow older (Bible, 2019). Educators have a demanding job that entails teaching a curriculum, using strategies to retain the content, and also instructing on righteousness. Educators should approach curriculum design with this mentality because it serves the whole child rather than just academics. We, as disciples, follow the word of the Lord and his wishes.
References
Bible. (2019). Proverbs 22:6. Bible.com. https://www.bible.com/bible/1/PRO.22.6.kjv
Lalor, A. (2017). Ensuring high-quality curriculum: How to design, revise, or adopt curriculum aligned to student success. ASCD.
Murai, Y., Ikejiri, R., Yamauchi, Y., Tanaka, A., & Nakano, S. (2021). Design strategies to integrate creative learning in elementary school curricula through computer programming activities. Interactive Learning Environments, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2021.1979048
