My Philosophy of Curriculum Christina Sanchez November 29, 2011 EDUC 524: Principles of Curriculum Development

M Y PREVIOUS DEFINITION OF C URRICULUM WAS …. Curriculum seemed to be such an elusive term because it is so subjective. I used to believe that curriculum could be defined as many things; District directed programs, programs and materials implemented by teachers, and the strategies used by teachers to address students’ individual goals and objectives. This has not necessarily changes as much as it has been refined by Jon Kerr’s definition.

M Y DEFINITION OF CURRICULUM After reflecting on the new information I have learned about curriculum theories and practices, I have adopted John Kerr’s definition of curriculum. “All learning which is planned and guided by the school/teacher, whether it is carried on in groups or individually, inside or outside the school.” I chose to adopt this definition because I feel that it encompasses my view of curriculum in a simple and direct manner.

T HE P URPOSE OF S CHOOL I believe the purpose of school/education is to develop lifelong learners that will become productive members of society. Lifelong learners They are people who can think for themselves. They are people who have the ability to adapt or expand what they have learned in order to excel academically and in real world situations. The world is becoming more technically advanced everyday and we, as educators, cannot predict what students will have to know to be competitive in the future. But, by helping create lifelong learners, we are providing them with the capability to adapt and change as the world changes.

C URRICULUM D ESIGN & A SSESSMENT I believe one way to facilitate change in curriculum is to create an effective learning environment. I believe an effective learning environment is an environment that is systematically designed to engage learners in acquiring knowledge that motivates them towards goals they want to achieve. It should be a safe and caring learning place that promotes respect and tolerance of others. It should have a well organized physical environment that is designed around students’ developmental levels. I feel that learning objectives should be clearly defined so students are aware of what they are expected to learn and how they will accomplish that learning. I believe lessons should be planned, implemented, and assessed with careful consideration of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to be developed by the learner. Appropriate lessons and materials should be selected and designed to help students’ master objectives. Students should be provided with an array of learning experiences in order to meet all students learning needs; lecture, question and answer, videos, hands on, observation or demonstration, virtual experiences, etc. Learning needs to be learner centered, knowledge centered, assessment centered, and community centered. All four need to be balanced and aligned for greatest learning growth. (Brophy, 2011)

M Y PHILOSOPHICAL VIEW OF ABOUT THE PURPOSE OF SCHOOL I think that in order to create well rounded children we need to present children with a well rounded education; an education that is going to prepare student for life after graduation. Whether a student will enter the workforce or pursue a secondary education they first need to be prepared with a robust education. In order to accomplish that we as educators need to teach all academic subjects, the value of extra-curricular interests, the importance of being part of a community and the significance of global issues. (Jacobs, 2010)

H OW DOES YOUR PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION INFLUENCE YOUR DEFINITION OF CURRICULUM ? “All learning which is planned and guided by the school/teacher, whether it is carried on in groups or individually, inside or outside the school.” – Jon Kerr My philosophy influences my definition because I believe we need to look at the future of students. How will what we teach them now impact them in the future? Therefore, all the learning that we plan and implement I hope will be carried over both in future classes and outside of school.

W HAT DO YOU THINK IS MOST IMPORTANT FOR STUDENTS TO LEARN ? In order to develop lifelong learners, students need to be provided with a multitude of subjects, including core and non-core subjects. I believe that all subjects should be taught; reading, writing, math, social studies, science, geography, physical education, music, art, etc. I believe that we need to focus on a variety of subjects and not limit our students to the ones that only benefit our AYP goals.

W HO SHOULD DECIDE WHAT CURRICULUM TO USE, AND WHOSE VALUES SHOULD BE REFLECTED IN THE CONTENT AND PROCESSES OF CURRICULUM ? I believe everyone should help decide what students should learn. Since we are all stakeholders of educations, everyone should have a voice in what children should learn and how they should learn. Most importantly, children should be involved in deciding what and how they should learn.

S HOULD THERE BE A DIFFERENT CURRICULUM FOR DIFFERENT STUDENTS ? I believe that curriculum should not be different for different students but I do believe that teachers should practice differentiated instruction. Meaning the same material should be taught in a variety of ways to reflect each student’s individual needs. All students do not learn in the same manner and an array of modalities should be used to help address students’ diverse learning styles. Most importantly, I believe that it is important that all students are held to high expectations and are provided a high quality learning experience.

W HO ARE THE STAKEHOLDERS OF C URRICULUM AND WHAT ARE THE EXPECTATIONS FOR THESE STAKEHOLDERS ? It is important as educators and stakeholders of curriculum that we help promote, create, and develop these “new forms” of curriculum in ways that make learning irresistible for students. If we can create a curriculum that is irresistible we can foster a love of learning in children that will develop and grow as they do. As their love for learning matures, students will begin to realize that they are equal stakeholders of curriculum. They will discover that they are vital partners in developing and creating a curriculum that meets their needs as individuals, 21 st century learners, and “digital natives.” However, until students realize they are stakeholders it is imperative that parents and community members’ advocate for our children. Essentially everyone is a stakeholder in curriculum and everyone should be involved in shaping the education students receive.

M Y ROLE IN REGARDS TO CURRICULUM I believe that we need to focus on a variety of subjects and not limit our students to the ones that only benefit our AYP goals. We need to provide students with an array of educational opportunities and eventually they will find a subject or topic that will grab their interest. As educators, we need to focus on how we can produce students that have a desire to learn. As students take more ownership of their learning, their interest in learning will create an inevitable desire to learn more. (Jacobs, 2010) Therefore, if we can help create lifelong learners that become productive members of society I believe we are doing our job as educators.

W ORKS CITED Brophy, S. (2011). Framworks for Designing Effective Learning Environments. Version1-NEESacademy Instructional Design. Education, U. (2010). Transforming American Education Learning Powered by Technology. Alexandria: ED Pubs. Edutopia. (2008, 17 March). Why Integrate Technology into the Curriculum?: The Reasons Are Many. San Rafael, CA, USA. Jacobs, H. H. (2010). Curriculum 21 Essential Education for a Changing World. Alexandria: ASCD. Smith, M. (1996, 2000). Curriculum Theory and Practice. Retrieved from The Encyclopedia of Informal Educaton: Tomlinson, C. A., & McTighe, J. (2006). Integrating Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design. Alexandria: ASCD.