Curriculum Development in a Global Age

Curriculum Development in a Global Age

1. CURRICULUM

   • is
     • Plans, intentions, activities, outcomes deliver a variety of ways and settings in the purpose of national and local priorities and values
     • the designing of a learning experience for students activated through activities
     • Value preferences: philosophies and learning theories
     • Values supports: planning efforts (goals, objectives, standards & learning outcomes), program development and evaluation eventually becomes the classroom-level lesson plans
     • Structure: Seeing curriculum development as a cycle, Regular foundation areas of concern, Use of data in decision making, Involving others in the planning process, Assessing results

2. DEFINING CURRICULUM

   • Latin word "currere": to run the course
   • Hutchins, Bestor, Phenix, Marsh & Willis and Olivia describe curriculum as courses of permanent study
   • Curriculum as a product, or as a completely contained experience.
   • Knowledge is no longer contained in book or documents only
   • Distinctions among planned and unplanned (hidden) curriculum, technical and practical learning (Bobbit)
   • Curriculum as a process: experiences children have under the guidance of school, social function of school.
   • Curriculum as the planned learning of the students by the school to attain its objectives.
   • Curriculum as the results of learning experiences.
   • Postmodern view of curriculum: evolving and unplanned set of experiences for students, diversity of thought, changing knowledge and new learning opportunities.
   • There are new relations between teachers and students.
   • Students must make their way, where knowledge is constantly changing.
   • Curriculum: desired goal or set of values that can be activated through a development process, culminating in experiences for learners.

3. Structure and principles in curriculum development:

   • The fundamental factors in the educational process are: the learner, the society and organized subject matter.
   • Operational tasks of curriculum: the three-step process: inventory, organized and presen
   • Tyler’s procedure for developing curriculum
   • Taba’s procedure for developing curriculum based on learning experience.
   • Feyereisen’s procedure for developing curriculum based on problem-solving action chain.
   • The curriculum depends on economic sponsorship, political conservatism, and the failure of educator, for any significant change.
   • New models would be needed to develop in the curriculum for adding the new technologies.

4. History and curriculum: three eras

   • The evolutionary era:
     • 1: Colonies:
       • The first known educational regulation: the Old Deluder Satan Act (1647)
       • Early European settlers in USA: Religious purpose.
       • Benjamin Franklin: Participatory democracy.
       • Promoting common good and desired changes in society.
       • National identity and emerging beliefs.
       • Establishment of schools = develop communities.
     • 2. 19th and 20th century:
       • First teacher-training institution (1839)
       • Popular education system in elementary grades.
       • Higher Education: Private, exclusive, produced future leaders.
       • Public taxation for secondary schools.
       • Purpose: promotion of literacy and knowledge acquisition, social utility
       • Committee of Ten: established college entrance requirements.
   • The modern era:
     • European educators challenged traditional ideas and became early advocates for working differently with children. (Rousseau, Pestalozzi, Froebel, Herbart)
     • Saw children as unfolding and malleable, and that they were innately good because positive growth could occur naturally.
     • Education began with the student’s interests.
     • Learning by the head, heart and the hands
     • The creation of kindergarten, where child move along in his or her early growth
     • Charles Darwin: environment influences learning.
     • Debates of what, who and how of planning for learning
     • Knowledge: focus of traditional education.
     • Progressive education: include social and personal development of children.
     • Curriculum development emerged as a specialized area of study.
     • 20th century: transition from classical system to a more expedient form of schooling that served broader purposes
     • Social forces modified the basic form of schools.
     • Seeing the mind as something to be developed, not filled or shaped.
     • The goal of education is to organize and activate knowledge, and the learner rather than the teacher is the source of such organization.
   • The postmodern era:
     • Schools promoted cultural values.
     • Only schools could certify an education.
     • Multiculturalism
     • Schools as simple extensions of an economic system needing to control and select its agents (students).
     • Alternative forms of school.
     • Knowledgeable teacher was required for the schooling process to be successful.
     • Internet discounted student dependence on a teacher.
     • Curriculum privileged particular histories and experiences.
     • Interactive technologies.

5. Global reflections:

   • Other nations have struggled with problems related to rapid changes in their societies and definition of education and schooling.