1. Designing Programs for Learners: Curriculum and Instruction
Chapter 12
Designing Programs for Learners: Curriculum and Instruction

2. Defining Curriculum
Curriculum, environment that is created by the interaction of all the efforts to support learning.
Curriculum includes:
Content taught
Materials selected
Teaching strategies used
Learning activities in which students engage
Way a school is organized
Foundations of American Education, 15e Johnson, et al

3. Developing Curriculum
Individuals have divergent ideas about curriculum
Curriculum development involves three questions:
What should be taught?
Who should decide?
How will it be taught?
Foundations of American Education, 15e Johnson, et al

4. Seven Steps to Curriculum
Determine what needs to be learned
Describe the desired learning outcomes
Select the specific content
Organize the content
Select the learning activities
Sequence the learning activities into a whole
Evaluate the effectiveness of the material, instruction
Foundations of American Education, 15e Johnson, et al

5. Design reflective questions
Curriculum value-laden questions
To what extent should the learning outcomes support preserving a democratic society?
Which outcomes are important for the individual self-worth?
Is the curriculum biased in some way against certain individuals or groups?
Will the curriculum be available to all? Or is it too expensive, too hard to teach, or does it have components that are inaccessible to some?
Is it built around the essential center of the discipline, or is it composed of peripheral and isolated items?
Foundations of American Education, 15e Johnson, et al

6. Curriculum Designs Subject-centered, focuses on content disciplines
Themed curriculum, teaching generalizations or big ideas
Spiral curriculum, big ideas repeated across grade levels
Core curriculum, focuses on key concepts and skills
Mastery curriculum, very specific content, skills, process
Problem-based, authentic, contemporary problems
Standards-based, standards are key component
Foundations of American Education, 15e Johnson, et al

7. “Other” Curriculum
Co-curriculum or Extra-curriculum integral for a school
Refers to non-core subjects, after-school activities, clubs
Argument that core curriculum as crucial as academics
Co-curriculum often primary reason for staying in school
Hidden curriculum, messages sent to students
Teaches expectations, what is important to succeed, etc.
Foundations of American Education, 15e Johnson, et al

8. Curriculum Resources
Include: guides, textbooks, workbooks, technology, etc.
Also include: schoolwide resources, facilities
Standards are most important resources
Standards include professional, state, district (power)
Syllabi prepared by the school or district
Curriculum frameworks often replace guides
Foundations of American Education, 15e Johnson, et al

9. Curriculum influences
Several outside forces influence the curriculum
Influences work against local control
Interest groups include:
teacher and administrator organizations, political parties, religious advocacy groups
Community values and interests, student backgrounds
School Site, teacher assumptions, impacts curriculum
Foundations of American Education, 15e Johnson, et al

10. Managing Curriculum
State legislature and State BOE determine curriculum
District, schools and teachers play important function
States establish standards, determine instructional material
Standards usually set by state committee of professionals
States vary in selection of educational materials
Open adoption or state adoption determined by state
Foundations of American Education, 15e Johnson, et al

11. District’s Role in Curriculum
Curriculum coordinator, guides, support, curriculum
Coordinators are usually content specialists
Districts also include generalists, help with strategies
Generalists might include induction specialists, experts in general teaching strategies, staff developers, etc.
Foundations of American Education, 15e Johnson, et al

12. Local School’s Role
Schools and teachers are final curriculum arbitrators
Teachers collaborate on curriculum in departments, grades
Teachers decide, utilize strategies to help students learn
Foundations of American Education, 15e Johnson, et al

13. Evaluating the Curriculum
Teachers evaluate curriculum in implementation process
Assessment of student learning, important indicator
Researchers, curriculum evaluators, analyze classrooms
District and state evaluate based on test scores
Nationally, NAEP and state standardized test
Internationally, test scores used to compare students
Foundations of American Education, 15e Johnson, et al

14. Teacher’s Role Teachers ultimately deliver the curriculum
Instruction begins with what students need to learn
Teachers select teaching strategies
Schoolwide efforts to improve learning also have impact
Foundations of American Education, 15e Johnson, et al

15. Objectives and Student Learning
Objectives, short statements of expected student learning
Objectives address the daily learning expectations
Objectives should be known and understood by students
Should be written as output statements
Foundations of American Education, 15e Johnson, et al

16. Types of Objectives
Type of objectives vary, assessment must match type
Behavioral objectives, observable performance or task
Bloom’s Taxonomy, different level of cognitive demand
Affective domain objectives, measures attitudes, values
Psychomotor domain objectives, applies physical skills
Foundations of American Education, 15e Johnson, et al

17. Teaching Strategies
Direct instruction, teacher provides clear, brief information
Indirect instruction, students more actively engaged
Guided Discovery, activities that require investigation
Inquiry, problem solving approach
Problem-based learning, problem-solving in small groups
Model-Centered, explore, evaluate, create models
Foundations of American Education, 15e Johnson, et al

18. Other Curriculum Issues
Increasing focus on science and technology
Teachers should know how to group effectively
Homogeneous grouping, students same ability levels
Heterogeneous grouping, students at different levels
Cooperative learning, flexible, mixed group for specific task
Differential instruction, varied instructional strategies
Teachers should consider how strategies fit diverse needs
Select strategies that work for ELL and special ed. students
Foundations of American Education, 15e Johnson, et al