Curriculum Development and Improvement - Essay Example

A curriculum is a fundamental pillar of education in school. As an institution for education, a school setting is controlled by guidelines that make the transfer of knowledge from teachers and mentors to students effective to equip them with survival skills in the community. Thus, a school cannot possibly exist without a curriculum as it becomes worthless. The process of developing a curriculum in schools is mostly referred to as curriculum development is purposed to create positive courses offered in schools to improve knowledge acquiring processes. However, with the ever-existing world change and discoveries and forces encountered almost daily, holding on to a particular curricular in school for a long time has become impossible due to pressure from new demand. This has inevitably resulted in occasional changes or development of a new curriculum in schools. This has given rise to a new title in the education sector; curriculum developers. According to Nigeri & Alam (2018), curriculum developers are educational professionals whose career involves designing instructional materials for teachers in schools, which enable them to execute their teaching duties effectively. This paper is an exploration of some curriculum-related terms and how to deal with some of the most encountered issues in a school setting successfully.

How I Would Differentiate Between Curriculum Improvement, Curriculum Reform and Curriculum Revision

The curriculum is a general concept that has given birth to several other concepts. The educational curriculum has ever evolved since its history to solve teaching issues in different aspects of teaching. The result has been that people have developed a new understanding of the curriculum. Curriculum concept is currently looked at in the perspective of curriculum improvement, curriculum reform, and curriculum revision. Many people may use these terms interchangeably, giving the impression that they all mean the same thing. The truth is that there is a huge difference between the three terms and cannot, therefore, be used interchangeably (Negeri & Alam, 2018). Curriculum improvement has a different concept from curriculum reforms, and so is curriculum revision. However, there is a close relationship between the concepts used in all three terms. Understanding these terms is entirely rooted in curriculum understanding. Thus, one needs to understand the meaning of the curriculum to develop insights into the three terms. Nigeri and Alam explain that curriculum can narrowly be seen as subjects taught and broadly as the learner’s experience, either within or outside a school setting, provided that they are directed to the learner by the school, and is typically characterized by planning, designing, improving, revising and evaluating to mold and tailor appropriate education needs to the learners.

Curriculum Improvement:

Curriculum improvement involves efforts to make instructions better, according to students’ needs (Maclean, 2019). Any process in schools that has an effect of improving the existing curriculum is construed and taken as a curriculum improvement program. Curriculum improvement may take a long period in a school system before the previous curriculum show clear signs of a need for improvement are one or more aspects of the former curriculum. Maclean clarifies that curriculum improvement is not instantaneous; rather it involves a long process before the desired change can become fully implemented in the school. This is because a perceived unmet students’ need must first be identified in the school which requires evaluation of huge amounts of data to identify the problem, and then a series of other effective steps to prove why the desired improvement who be beneficial, both for the teachers and students.

Curriculum Reform:

A curriculum reform should not be confused with a curriculum improvement. While a curriculum improvement involves only an improvement to an existing curriculum, a curriculum reform is purposed to bring about total change in an aspect of a curriculum or in the entire curriculum such that there is an adoption of a new curriculum (Erickson et al., 2017). This means that mild changes into an existing curriculum only result into curriculum improvements while wider and huge changes results into a curriculum reform. Thus, the difference between a curriculum improvement and a curriculum reform is determined by the nature and the extent of change induced on an existing curriculum. Profound changes in a curriculum or in any of its aspects constitute a curriculum reform while milder changes are construed to mean curriculum improvement. The aim of both curriculum improvement and curriculum reforms is to induce effectiveness and meaning to teaching and learning.

Curriculum Revision:

A curriculum revision, on the other hand, involves modification of an existing curriculum with the help of data to make the review while still holding key principles of the curriculum (Mills et al., 2017). This is important because this modification results into new improved ways of interaction between students and teachers in the school setting. Curriculum revision resolves around evaluating methods and re-thinking about their effectiveness according to goals for which they have been established for. Thus, any modification brought on a curriculum without changing its principles can be termed as a curriculum revision.

How I Would Collaborate with Instructional Supervisor or Coach at The School

Without relationships in a school setting, no significant learning that can occur. There is inevitable need for strong collaboration between a teacher and the instructional supervisor or coach in a school in order to build the teacher’s capacity for success. The activity of building such relationship may prove actually a mountain to climb for many teacher and coaches, if not all. There are a number of ways in which a teacher can collaborate with an instructional supervisor in a school setting to better the teaching practice. One effective way in which a teacher may collaborate with a coach is by having common roles (Erickson et al., 2017). As a teacher, the role of teaching should not be assumed as a teacher’s role rather than a common role for both the teacher and the instructional supervisor. When teachers and coaches work hand-in-hand, there is an increased level of collaboration and the outcome has a more meaningful change that extends beyond regular contact hours.

The starting point in the development of collaboration between a teacher and the instructional sup0ervisor is development of relationship. Hence, as a teacher, one needs to develop a strong relationship with the instructor. Erickson et al. (2017) puts it clear that the relationship between a teacher and the coach is the most important element for encouraging and driving schools into meeting their set objectives. Further, collaboration may fail to exist if one of these individuals lack respect, trust and understanding as these virtues have an effect of strengthening the level of relationship and, hence collaboration. Erickson and his colleagues finds that if you, as a teacher, are to be locked in a room with a coach and you have a regular conversation with each other, then you can claim to have developed interpersonal relationships with each other. Strong interpersonal relationships can be interpreted as collaboration.

Another equally effective way for developing collaboration with either the coach or instructional supervisor in a school setting is by observing them as they involve in teaching. At a number of occasions, a teacher may need to look up to see either the coach or the instructional supervisor and spend a significant time with them as they involve in teaching. By so doing, the teacher will acquire new skills, strategies and approaches for teaching (Erickson et al., 2017). This practice contributes to collaboration by bringing the teacher near the very person he needs the most in execution of the teaching practice. The short geographical distance between them also contributes toward collaboration because there always discussions of classroom experience, knowledge and encounters that points out a collaborative environment.

Additionally, provision of data for assessment and seeking mentorship from coaches and instructional supervisors may bring together a teacher and a coach, which enhances chances for collaboration. Effective coaches may regularly conduct an evaluation of how effective a teacher is transferring knowledge to the students through teacher assessments. As the teacher provides all data needed for the assessment, there is an avoidable interaction that proves important in creation of a collaborative working (Erickson et al., 2017). The practice of mentorship between a teacher and a coach may also be an effective way of earning collaboration because it increases the level of conduct between the two parties. Encouraging, nourishing and motivating, which are key features of mentorship have an effect of enhancing the collaboration level between them.

My Preferred Curriculum Instruction Model

Negeri & Alam defines a curriculum instruction model as a documented guideline to writing a school curriculum which determines specific aspects of education and teaching such as subjects, time frame for each subject and the manner of conducting teachings. Models exists in different types such as dualistic, interlocking, concentric and cyclical (Oliva & Gordon II, 2012). Though the debate over the most effective curriculum instruction model can be long, there is evidence that each curriculum instruction model has its outstanding features that contributes teaching effectiveness. Thus, all models significantly contribute to teaching effectiveness. However, I feel the importance of concentric curriculum instruction model in schools towers higher than any other. The feature of mutual dependence in concentric curriculum instruction model makes it the best. This is because all the key features of other curriculum instruction models are included in concentric model as subsystems. This gives an opportunity to combine all features in all other curriculum instruction models in one model. Thus, it is only possible to enjoy all benefits in different curriculum instruction models through adoption of concentric curriculum instruction model.

How I Would Define My Role as A STEM High School Teacher

The role of a teacher is to take classroom instructions to the students to smoothen students’ learning (Maclean, 2019). This role may also include any other activity designed to build an effective teaching environment. As such, I would define my role, as a high school teacher, as preparing student lessons, assessing their work, providing timely feedback and collaborating with other staff members to deliver lessons to students.

Curriculum Improvement:

Curriculum improvement involves efforts to make instructions better, according to students’ needs (Maclean, 2019). Any process in schools that has an effect of improving the existing curriculum is construed and taken as a curriculum improvement program. Curriculum improvement may take a long period in a school system before the previous curriculum show clear signs of a need for improvement are one or more aspects of the former curriculum. Maclean clarifies that curriculum improvement is not instantaneous; rather it involves a long process before the desired change can become fully implemented in the school. This is because a perceived unmet students’ need must first be identified in the school which requires evaluation of huge amounts of data to identify the problem, and then a series of other effective steps to prove why the desired improvement who be beneficial, both for the teachers and students.

Curriculum Reform:

A curriculum reform should not be confused with a curriculum improvement. While a curriculum improvement involves only an improvement to an existing curriculum, a curriculum reform is purposed to bring about total change in an aspect of a curriculum or in the entire curriculum such that there is an adoption of a new curriculum (Erickson et al., 2017). This means that mild changes into an existing curriculum only result into curriculum improvements while wider and huge changes results into a curriculum reform. Thus, the difference between a curriculum improvement and a curriculum reform is determined by the nature and the extent of change induced on an existing curriculum. Profound changes in a curriculum or in any of its aspects constitute a curriculum reform while milder changes are construed to mean curriculum improvement. The aim of both curriculum improvement and curriculum reforms is to induce effectiveness and meaning to teaching and learning.

Curriculum Revision:

A curriculum revision, on the other hand, involves modification of an existing curriculum with the help of data to make the review while still holding key principles of the curriculum (Mills et al., 2017). This is important because this modification results into new improved ways of interaction between students and teachers in the school setting. Curriculum revision resolves around evaluating methods and re-thinking about their effectiveness according to goals for which they have been established for. Thus, any modification brought on a curriculum without changing its principles can be termed as a curriculum revision.

How I Would Collaborate with Instructional Supervisor or Coach at The School

Without relationships in a school setting, no significant learning that can occur. There is inevitable need for strong collaboration between a teacher and the instructional supervisor or coach in a school in order to build the teacher’s capacity for success. The activity of building such relationship may prove actually a mountain to climb for many teacher and coaches, if not all. There are a number of ways in which a teacher can collaborate with an instructional supervisor in a school setting to better the teaching practice. One effective way in which a teacher may collaborate with a coach is by having common roles (Erickson et al., 2017). As a teacher, the role of teaching should not be assumed as a teacher’s role rather than a common role for both the teacher and the instructional supervisor. When teachers and coaches work hand-in-hand, there is an increased level of collaboration and the outcome has a more meaningful change that extends beyond regular contact hours.

The starting point in the development of collaboration between a teacher and the instructional sup0ervisor is development of relationship. Hence, as a teacher, one needs to develop a strong relationship with the instructor. Erickson et al. (2017) puts it clear that the relationship between a teacher and the coach is the most important element for encouraging and driving schools into meeting their set objectives. Read More