American Educational Curriculum - Report Example

American Educational Curriculum INTRODUCTION The American educational curriculum consists of three major structures. The first being the childhood education, it ensures that the learning process of each child is initialised. The second level of study is the elementary level. This level contains the middle school and the high school level. The final level is the tertiary levels. At the level an individual has the ability to gain a certificate, a diploma or any of the given degree level. The degree level includes the associate, the bachelor’s degree, and the first professional. The higher levels of the group include the master’s level, the advance intermediate and the research doctorate that is the highest degree level. The federal government regulates the activities of these educational levels and designs their curriculum. The designed system is aimed at providing both the students and the teachers, guidelines to follow while undertaking studies the essay will focus on the structure of the American curriculum. The aim will be to critically evaluate the curriculum and compare it with existing educational philosophies. Its implementation will be the driving point towards making a decisive decision on its positive towards the general education system. Criticism of the curriculum will be based on the objective and comparing the goals with the actual outcome. EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION The level contains a preschool program, the kindergarten level and the primary grade that includes grade 1-3. The level contains programs for both the normal child and children living with disability. The kindergarten gives every child the opportunity to interact with the environmental factors that enhance learning. Creating a friendly environment is the major concern of the educators at this level. The teachers design a teaching plan that is more focused on ensuring the child adapts to factors that are positive to their stay at school and be able to initiate their Metacognition skills (McLachlan et al, 2013). At the kindergarten level a program is designed to give the child the ability to differentiate the environmental factors and prepare the child for the next academic level. After kindergarten the next steps are the grade 1-3 that is more focused in transiting the child based on academic matters. The level provides a different learning aspect from that at the kindergarten levels. A teacher designs his or her plan in a manner that integrates the learning process and the introduction of new concepts. “Literature and mathematics are the essential tools at the level.” (U.S. department of education, 2008). Ideology of the early educational programs The ideology behind the early educational program is to create a base in that the long academic journey would be follow. It creates an environment where the child is able to differentiate the home setup with the new school setting. The curriculum designs guidelines that clearly set a boundary on educators to lay their philosophies on. “The child is introduced to new concepts that include arithmetic and literature but the teacher performs the majority of the work more elaboration and definitions” (Fabian & Mould, 2009). The child is subjected to system that would enhance a faster learning process. Imitation and mimicking sounds and instructions from the teacher are tools employed in the level. The teacher demonstrates a concept while the child duplicates the same concepts. Later on the teacher explains the concept using study aids. The aids include charts, pictures and objects. The study period provides the child with the opportunity to demonstrate the learning ability. The level is important as it provides the child with the chance to make early decision as far as career is concern. Nature becomes a tool while educating the child. In those children with disability the introduction of study aids and materials are essential at the level as they would form part of their lives while studying. The role of each player The teachers are tasked with ensuring the study environment is conducive while learning. They design a plan to be followed under the guidance of the government curriculum. The plan involves passing fundamental skills to the student. The child’s life revolves around the teacher and he is tasked with the duty of ensuring that the child transit gradually though the three levels of the program. The teacher assesses the child based on concept taught per level of the program. “The evaluation process determines the nature in that the child grasps concepts” (Gillies et al, 2007). The result would determine whether the child has successful undergone a learning process that will ensure he successful undertakes the next level of the program. “The level is based on Jean Piaget cognitive development theory” (Santrock, 20008). The initial levels of the program reflect on the first stages of cognitive development (The Sensorimotor stage). The stage assists the child in recognition that is preceded over by the preoperational stage where the child uses the environment to develop his skills. At the stage more logical aspect of learning are introduced and that is what creates the teachers plan in grade 1-3. The teacher tries to find equilibrium between the natural minds of the child with a sense of learning concepts. THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL The learning level gives the students a chance to choose subjects and environments suitable for their learning. The student major (specializes) according to their academic prowess although the major lessons at the level include English and mathematics, other subjects include the science and social science. The sciences are wide and depend on each given level of any given state. The level is divided into two categories; the middle school that range from grade 4 to grade 9. It combines the final stages of primary study with the initial stages of secondary level. The level indicates a different approach in study since several teachers are included to take the student through several subjects indicated by the government curriculum. It gives the students arrange of option as far as the foreign language is concern. The level involves the student more than the early childhood level that the students relay more on the teacher to give any details that concern their stay in school. The concept of the level is to prepare a student to a more complex study schedule through the level. “The complexity of the study is experienced across the levels” (Doll, 2006). World concepts are introduced with the teachers giving guidance on procedures to be followed while applying life issues. The other level of the program includes the high school. The level consist of grade 9 to grade 12, different from other levels, the program gives the students the mandate to choose the manner in that their stay at school will be formulated. The level also indicated a different administration process with the local government given the mandate to design their structures rather than the federal government who only oversees the general performance. “Different schools offer the students the chance to specialize based on the capacity of the institution as a means of offering quality to the student” (Gutek et al 2007). The evaluation of the level is based on the chosen subjects by the student. Upon successful completion of the level a student is issued with a high school diploma. The qualification certificate is based on the performance of the student throughout the level. Assessment narrows down to the students’ speciality. It gives the student the ability to prepare for more complex educational approaches in life. The students are handed the opportunity to test their life skills and eliminate their weakness and adapt a system that prepare them for tertiary level. THE TERTIARY LEVEL The level prepares an individual to undertake life career related courses. The level gives a total control to individual as far as the course is concerned. The person narrows down to subject that related to personal career objective. The college or university is tasked in ensuring the process is successful while at the same time carry out assessment of the students involved in the curriculum. The qualification of the level involves a successful completion of the high school level with the award of a high school diploma. The level is more professional with the desired outcome being determining an individual’s future in the corporate world. “The real life application are set at these levels with the transition to an independent individual ready to carry out informed decision depending on the nature of career on has chosen” (McNally & Machin, 2007). The level combines a certificate, diploma and a degree level. The degree level varies in the nature of the standard set by the given curriculum. The nature of the degree determines the level of professionalism one posses and is able to offer to the market. The highest level of the degree level entails is the research doctorate. The role of each student while at the given level is to ensure each concept captured directly reflect on the life objective. The educator who in some case is the instructor provides guidelines to assist the student during the whole academic process. “The student performs most of the study including the research with the teacher only tasked with assessing the performance of the student through the tertiary level” (Westbury & Cornbleth, 2000). The assessment criteria at this level contains a course work that contributes to a smaller percentage of the final result. The assessment includes frequent assignments and continuous assessment test. The final test that generalises a semester work is what determines an individual’s ability to proceed further through the level. Other assessment process includes term papers and research papers that determine the level. Attachments throughout the study are deployed by given faculties to ensure that the students gain real life experience. The level signifies the end of the American educational curriculum upon that an individual is able to competitively engage into the job market. The government plays a supervisory role in that it monitors the activities of each educational facility while at the same time give guidelines to educators to follow during the learning process (McEneaney & Meyer, 2000). ANALYSIS OF THE SYSTEM The system operates on four major concepts. The first concept concentrates more on the scholar academic ideology. “The concept lies more on existing cultures while at the same time advocate for a learning process that ensures the students learn the conceptual framework and at the same time enhance the thinking capability of any given student undergoing the educational curriculum” (Marsh, 2009). The aim is to develop the student mind thought the educational level. it surround the idea of understanding the educational system and at the same time use the same system to guide the individual to attaining the personal goals in life. The ideology also gives guideline to the educator and provides an environment in that each educator must respect in order to be considered professional (Christodoulou& Pilippou, 2009). The curriculum focuses on ensuring the output of the system surrounds around grasping concepts depending on one’s personal objectives. The students determine the nature in that each individual crates their learning schedule and ideas. The evaluation in these concepts concentrates more on giving the student with the ability to determine the market objectives and be able to use them to enhance their decisions making. The other ideology that determines the nature of the American curriculum is the social aspect. The social aspect indicates the nature in that the learners have the ability to effectively apply them with the social set up in mind. The curriculum operates on equipping the learners with application skill that will be used in their working environment with ethics and societal expectation being integrated in the process (Kelly, 2009). It focuses on the competitive nature of their output in this case being the quality the graduates will posses after successful completing the designed levels. The concept predetermines the outcome of those undergoing a successful journey in the system with the educators given the task of determining the market requirement before designing a learning plan. The other concept focuses on the social reconstruction ideology. The ideology is aimed at eliminating the barriers and the social disparities that are associated to the educational environment (Marsh, 2009). It designs a system that is non discriminatory to the race, gender and the social class. It creates a universal curriculum in that each student is offered quality education with less concentration on the barriers that demoralises the negative aspect of the society. The aim of the concept is to create a society where each individual is accepted regardless of their appearance and social class. The satisfactory nature of the society is determined and valued while determining the outcome of the education. The ideology indicates the social responsibility of an individual with the nature of appreciation of diversity with the concept being tested by the level of interacting between the learners. The final ideology that explains the American curriculum is the student focused ideology that different from the other concepts focuses on the learner and their welfare (Marsh, 2009). The purpose is to focus on the environmental factors that ensure healthy learning environment to student with every barrier that undermines the process being eliminated. The ideology is to capitalize on the individual goal together with the learning process to create an environment in that a student learns from the surrounding while at the same time develop the learning process more promptly on the set rules and formalities (Neisser, 2000). The environment is enhanced by the teacher and the government curriculum. The students shop for environment that is effective for their learning process. The ideology is effective in the final two levels of the curriculum with the student given the opportunity to select courses that reflect their career. CRITICISM The pros of the curriculum are one their universal aspect. Students have the ability to adapt to changes in geographical location. The universal standards that the curriculum possesses give the student the ability to adjust to other curriculums. The curriculum has been subject to amendments with efforts to standardise educational procedures in the country. The introduction of common course standards has left many students and educators to transit successfully to the curriculums. This has had an effect on the learning process. The other disadvantage of the curriculum is on the freedom handed to the students they have Stosky (2008) states that “There exist differences in performance between the private and public institutions”. She also identifies the motivational aspects and relates it to the performance and formulation of the curriculum The curriculum provides the student with much needed freedom but the freedom eventually affects the universal competitiveness of the students. The students are provided with the liberty of choosing their specialization at an early stage. The decision denies the learners with the opportunity to gain general knowledge hence only acquire the knowledge needed in their careers (Ravitch, 2000). The curriculum however reduces the bulkiness of reading from irrelevant sources. The natural composition of a human being involves the metacognitive skills that in this curriculum are essential in the learning process with the skills being identified at the initial stages of the study periods. The environmental aspect of the curriculum provided the educator chance to adjust their study environment that in most cases affects the desired output. CONCLUSION A curriculum is aimed at ensuring a healthy environment for both the students and the educator with the collaboration between the two creating an environment required to produce the target output. The American curriculum requires the student to be involving while undergoing the learning process. The expectation of the curriculum is to ensure the desired output is achieved by focusing on learners personal goals and integrating them with procedures that gives guideline to the educator. The assessment process of the curriculum provides the society with the much needed output. The curriculum identifies stimuli that promotes the process and provides room for innovation among the educators. The four ideologies determine the outcome and the success of each student will be determined upon the results of each level. The transition from one level to the other explains the nature of performance of the students. Each level determines a different aspect of the process with details being showcased by the output of each student. The process allows the student the chance to determine their career at a younger age. Reference Christodoulou, N., & Pilippou, S.(2009). ‘Issues of Language and Culture in Translating ‘Curriculum’: An Analysis of Curriculum Publications’. Journal of the American association for the advancement of curriculum studies. Vol.5. pp 1-7 Doll, C. (2006). Curriculum Improvement: Decision Making and Process (9th edition.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Fabian, H., & Mould, C. (2009). Development & Learning for Very Young Children. New York, Sage. 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New York, Cambridge University Press Ravitch, D. (2000). Left back: A century of failed school reforms. New York: Simon & Schuster. Santrock, W. (2008). A topical approach to life-span development (4th edition.). New York City: McGraw-Hill. Stotsky,S. 2008. The Negative influence of education on the K-12 curriculum. National association of scholar (online).Available at: [Accessed 9 May 2014] U.S. department of education. (2008). Structure of the U.S. education. New York: USNEI Westbury, I., Hirsch, E., & Cornbleth, C. (2000).School Curriculum - Core Knowledge Curriculum, Hidden Curriculum – OVERVIEW. (Online) Available at: [Accessed 22 April 2014] Read More