Curriculum Development

Introduction

The curriculum is the basis of K-20 education and serves as the preparation for working adults as they enter the workforce. How is the curriculum developed? What methods or models are employed? How do we ensure that the curriculum meets the needs of an educational system and community? These questions have been answered in different ways by different experts. This WebQuest allows you to investigate different strategies and propose a design process that fits your needs.

Task

Consider your current or intended place of employment (elementary, middle, or high school; higher education, workforce training). You have been assigned to develop a comprehensive curriculum (K-12: for a subject area; higher education: for a specialization; workforce: for a specialized set of skills/certification). As the chair of the committee, you must organize and manage the development. Before you start developing the curriculum, you need to decide on a model to follow that will guide your process.

Your task is to devise a  model for curriculum design. Once you have analyzed the issues around curriculum design and development, you will report your findings and describe your model, explaining why it best fits your needs. This model will be presented in the form of white paper that will be presented to your committee and supervisor. See the Process for how to proceed.

Process

Step 1. Form a Team

  • Identify 2-3 team members who have a shared specialization and agreed upon subject matter.

Step 2. Get organized.

With your team decide on a specific context for your focus. You may select a real world situation (e.g., SAISD middle school science), or you may construct a hypothetical setting (e.g., a charter school developing a curriculum on civility). Your white paper should include a description of your setting that includes: type of school, type of curriculum, special characteristics of school, community, students, and/or employees.

Your 5 page white paper should include (see Template):

  • Issues at play at your level of education and discipline (e.g. low test scores, transient learning population, high faculty turnover, etc.)
  • Any state or disciplinary standards of knowlege/learning that might apply to your curriculum.
  • Any state or federal (or district if you are aware of them) mandates that might impact curriculum.
  • A short comparison of three design models (see a summary here) - you will create your OWN model from this comparison.
  • A more detailed explanation of your proposed model with a rationale

Step 3. Research Information

  1. Review the template for the white paper.
  2. Read Chapter 20, Joyce, B. & Weil, M.  (2004). Models of Teaching, 8th Ed.  Boston:  Allyn and Bacon.
  3. Review resources provided. You are free to find other resources and draw on your own experiences or other courses.

Step 4. Write your white paper.

  1. Determine how the team will write the paper. Will one person work on one section? Will one person write a draft and the other(s) add or edit?
  2. Follow the provided template.
  3. Carefully proofread.
  4. Review the Evaluation Criteria.

Step 5. Turn in your paper to the WebQuest Assignment in Blackboard by September 17.

Each person will post the same document to the assignment area. Each team member will receive the same grade.

Evaluation

 

The following criteria will be used to evaluate your white paper.

General

Writing

  • Complete and grammatical narrative.
  • Follows APA writing style and citations.
  • Includes a bibliography

Content

  • Addresses all required components.
  • Clearly written and logical.

 

Conclusion

Curriculum design can be impacted by many factors. Oftentimes teachers are provided a curriculum that may meet mandated requirements but not address the immediate or unique needs of students. Awareness of not just how to teach and reach the learner, but also the forces that shape curriculum is critical to be an informed and impactual educator.

For further reading and reference:

The Partnership for 21st Century Literacy The framework presents a holistic view of 21st century teaching and learning that combines a discrete focus on 21st century student outcomes (a blending of specific skills, content knowledge, expertise and literacies) with innovative support systems to help students master the multi-dimensional abilities required of them in the 21st century.

Knowledge Foundation - [Their] work primarily focuses on redesigning urban high schools, developing STEM and Early College high schools, and supporting student-centered approaches to delivering real learning and results in our schools. See the Future of Learning.

US Department of Education -

Credits

White Paper Template (MS Word .doc)

Curriculum Design Models (PDF)

The following resources are not *required* but are provided for your reference. You do not need to use any or all of them.

General

Issues

Planning Curriculum

Victoria, CA Curriculum  Planning Guidelines - The Curriculum Planning Guidelines provide a curriculum planning model that supports a whole school approach to curriculum planning. It identifies five phases through a continuous cycle of analysis, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. These phases can each be applied at the whole school level, program and student groupings level and the individual student level.