Curriculum: A Puzzle of Learning
With an increased focus in literacy and assessment in education, the old curriculum, that is, planning the activities, then searching for resources, and finally deciding how to evaluate a student's achievement has been replaced with a new model. The new model begins with the evaluation, and then focuses on the resources that are available, and finally the tasks to teach the students are created. This model can be adapted to fit the school system philosophy and the individual school and students, but as a general practice, the new model of creating and presenting curriculum falls somewhere within this model. But how do all the parts of the curriculum fit together? Each piece, from the set outcomes to the different types of evaluation must work together to form a unified, understandable curriculum that is accessible to students and teachers alike.
Cultural and socio-economic factors often play a role in a school system's philosophy on education. Most school systems run with the belief that the curriculum must be culturally relevant, and they understand that students learn better when they are presented with a curriculum that demonstrates a respect for their culture. From the system's philosophy comes the mission of the school or the system or even the teacher. The mission will determine the outcomes.
Exit outcomes are another important factor. What a student should know upon leaving the system must be considered when creating and presenting a curriculum. As was stated earlier, the curriculum is often designed from the top down, from the outcomes and evaluation down to the lessons. The exit outcomes determine what assessments…
