Introduction
Curriculum is an important aspect of teaching. It outlines in detail the standards and expectations that the teacher is expected to cover for the school year. It is also a highly discussed and argued subject among educators. Although the subject of curriculum tends to be somewhat debatable, without it, there would not be any structure or assurance that students would be learning and mastering the concepts and skills that the curriculum provides or that the teacher would teach these concepts and skills. It is evident that there are educators who do not agree with following the structure of a curriculum. There is much debate over whether the curriculum allows the educator the freedom to incorporate their own teaching skills and strategies into their classroom. Some argue that it does not allow teachers the freedom to integrate their style of teaching nor the style in which each student learns, while others agree that it does. Throughout this reading, curriculum will be discussed in great detail in how it affects multiple areas of teaching and how it is crucial for the teaching and learning of educators and students alike.
Teaching and Learning Content
It is apparent that not all educators are tolerant of the state mandated curriculum. There are some who are opposed to it, while others are for it. Curriculum can be a difficult and complex topic to discuss. It is important to understand that teaching and learning content is a factor that educators are going to be facing their entire careers. The curriculum is something that is not set in stone. It is constantly going to be evolving to fit the needs of the next generations of students. Educators are also going to learn new strategies and skills throughout their time in the classroom. What worked for students ten years ago does not necessarily mean that it will work for students in the present, so teachers need to be mindful and conscious of this.
Curriculum and teaching and learning content are always going to change and the educator needs to be flexible and be open to changing along with it. Some educators may be settled in their ways and do not want to change their teaching practices. This is where the complicated conversation of curriculum comes into play. There are going to be educators who are willing to accept changes and others who do not want to deviate from their ways. Educators who refuse or are hesitant to change along with the curriculum will not only affect their ability to continue teaching and learning, but also the students' ability to learn. Curriculum is meant as a guide for educators. It maps out the standards and skills that the student needs to master by the end of a school year. It is up to the teacher how they are going to execute their lessons.
Teachers must also have a strong foundation in their content areas. If an educator does not fully understand or grasp the material they are teaching, then they are going to fail at teaching students. According to O'Neill (n.d.) teachers who are effective in the way they teach "have a thorough knowledge of their content and skills" (p. 2). If teachers understand and comprehend the material they are teaching, then the students will not have an issue learning and understanding it. Teaching and learning the content area goes hand in hand for both the teacher and student. The teacher needs to make sure that they are successful in their own content area before they can expect the same from their students.
Pedagogy
Pedagogy and curriculum are two very different topics, each held in high regards. Although these are two different segments of education, they go hand in hand. According to Kuropatwa (2012) "there's a difference between curriculum and pedagogy" (p. 1). Curriculum is about what the educator needs to teach, and pedagogy is about how educators choose to teach it (Kuropatwa, 2012). It is up to the educator to take the curriculum and accommodate it based on the needs of their students. In order to combine and seamlessly blend curriculum and pedagogy together, it is important that these educators understand their students and the ways that they tend to learn best.
A student-centered classroom is more effective than a teacher-centered one. Westbrook, et. al (2013) mentions "some studies' findings of positive or effective pedagogies were based on accounts by teachers of their own practices" (p. 23). The reason behind this success is due to the fact that this allows the students to be able to become active and engaged in their own learning and education. When teachers choose to run a student-centered classroom, they are allowing each student to learn in a manner that is convenient and right for them. Students and the teacher alike will feel more comfortable with the curriculum if it is approached in this way. If educators focus more on running student-centered classroom and incorporate authentic and real-life scenarios and examples that are relevant to the lives of the students, then it will make for a more successful use of the curriculum.
According to Westbrook, et. al (2013) "teachers' pedagogic approaches, strategies, and practices thus serve to enact the curriculum" (p. 12). The curriculum will come to life and will better serve students when the educator integrates and interweaves their strategies and skills within it. The educator also has to make sure that certain components of the curriculum are evident within their teaching and instruction. Although it is important for the educator to add their own tactics and approaches within the curriculum, they must be mindful that the curriculum does not get diluted or changed completely. If this were to happen, it can cause the students to become confused, especially if there is not enough direct instruction or guidance being offered and implemented into the lessons (Westbrook, et. al, 2013). Balancing curriculum and pedagogy has to be precise. If it is done incorrectly, it could affect the way students learn in a negative way. However, according to Westbrook, et. al (2013) "the number of studies claiming positive findings in terms of pedagogic practices … outnumbered those giving negative outcomes" (p. 23).
The importance of pedagogy in relation to curriculum is evident and crucial and will set the foundation for both the educator and student to be successful. There are many components that go into both the curriculum and into a teacher's pedagogy. One of the most important components is making sure that the educator has a clear understanding about their students and the way they learn. O'Neill (n.d.) mentions that "effective teachers use techniques that best serve the learning needs of their students" (p. 2). There are many factors that contribute to the way a student learns and works. Every student is different, diverse, and unique. Educators need to be aware of the different types of diversity that affects the student and the way they respond to the curriculum. Once the educator is aware of all those factors, then they will be able to help the student succeed.
Diversity in Educational Settings
Diversity is everywhere, at every corner one turns. Educators see the most diversity in their classrooms which lies within their students, whether it be their cultural background, race, ethnicity, gender, learning styles, etc. It is apparent that there are many aspects of diversity. Each one of these aspects of diversity affects the way a student learns, and the teacher needs to be mindful of this. As educators, it is crucial to understand each student for who they are. Being able to connect with the student and the student's family on a personal level will allow the educator more of an insight of the struggles and routines that these students have to endure in their daily lives. Being able to understand the home environment of each student will set the right foundation for the educator to create a curriculum that is differentiated and meaningful for each of them.
The curriculum is a guide that will allow teachers to take a standard and skill and adjust it accordingly based on the needs of the students. By taking the students' background life, as well as their learning styles into consideration, and applying and implementing accommodations, it will help to provide the educators with the necessary tools and strategies to help their students master the skills needed to succeed. There are different components of the curriculum that can be modified or accommodated for students (UNESCO, 2004). The curriculum skills can be modified to fit the needs of every individual student. It is important for the educator to be aware of the many kinds of diversity because by doing so educators are able to "realize [that] they have the ability to use many strategies to help all students learn at their own pace and level" (UNESCO, 2004, p. 12).
According to UNESCO (2004), it is important for "teachers [to] differentiate the curriculum so they do not discriminate and teach to only a select group of students" (p. 14). Making sure that one student, or group of students, do not feel discriminated against is something that the educator needs to be extremely careful about. Educators should treat their students equally and offer them the same amount of guidance and attention. Doing so will allow students the necessary tools and skills to participate in a diverse world and society (Laird, 2014).
There are many elements that go into planning such a diverse curriculum for such a diverse group of students. It takes time, patience and diligence to plan a lesson and design a differentiated curriculum for such a diverse group of learners. Being able to take an ordinary, but necessary and important curriculum and transform it in a way that will benefit all students is imperative. Organizing the components of the curriculum into lessons that are meaningful and relevant to the live of these students will encourage and allow them to become successful, active and engaged learners for the rest of their lives.
Curriculum Design
Being able to offer a student a diverse and differentiated curriculum beings with designing and planning said curriculum. In order to serve these diverse students best, it is imperative that the teacher understands the benefits of planning and designing a curriculum. Curriculum design is "the purposeful, deliberate, and systematic organization of curriculum" (Schweitzer, 2017, p. 1). Designing curriculum that best serves the students is the difference between planning lessons that are meaningful and relevant to students' lives, lessons that will resonate with students for a lifetime, or planning lessons that fall flat and that do not serve the students in the way that they need. According to "Curriculum Design" (n.d.), "curriculum design is a very important part of creating a contextually relevant and responsive teaching and learning environment for both lecturers and students" (p. 1). Designing a curriculum that is just as diverse and as unique as the students themselves will not only provide the student with the skills necessary to be successful but will provide for the educator as well.
The purpose and goal of designing and planning curriculum is to "improve student learning, but there are other reasons to employ curriculum design as well" (Schweitzer, 2017, p.2). Although the main focus and goal for planning and designing the curriculum is to help the students improve and succeed, there are also other reasons and benefits to designing curriculum. According to Schweitzer (2017) there are three types of basic designs of curriculum. The first is called "Subject-centered design". This type of design is focused on the subject that is attempted to be taught (e.g. math, biology, social studies). Although subject-centered design informs the educator what to teach and the skills that need to be mastered by the students, it is not student-centered (Schweitzer, 2017). Like mentioned before students need to be engaged at a level and a way that works best with them (Schweitzer, 2017). If they are not engaged, then they will not learn. If the students do not learn, then they will not succeed. There is a lot of planning and thinking that goes into designing the curriculum to make sure that it is the right for each and every single student.
The next type of design of curriculum is "learner-centered" or "student-centered". This type of curriculum design revolves around the students and their needs (Schweitzer, 2017). Making sure that the students are engaged and learning at the same time is a crucial step that the educator needs to make sure is happening in and outside of the classroom. Schweitzer (2017) mentions that "a learner-centered curriculum is differentiated and often gives students the opportunity to choose assignments, learning experiences or activities" (p. 10). This will allow the students to enjoy themselves while learning and, like mentioned before, the lesson will resonate within them and allow them to recall the information and skills that are needed in order to master the standard from the curriculum. The role of the educator is to make sure that each student comes first and that they are learning and mastering skills.
Real life scenarios and relevant topics is considered to be an authentic way of learning for the student (Schweitzer, 2017). The kinds of lessons that provide a "problem-centered" design will aid students in becoming lifelong learners. According to Schweitzer (2017) a problem-centered lesson allows students to showcase their creativity and critical thinking skills. However, the downside of "this form of curriculum design is that it does not always take learning styles into consideration" (p. 14), so it is important for the teacher to find a way to make activities in a problem-centered lesson fit the needs and learning styles of all the students so that they may all have a fair chance of succeeding in the lesson.
Assessment
Assessing students on the curriculum is a form of validation that the teacher has taught the skills and standards of what it is asking to teach. According to Cohen & Spenciner (2010), assessing students is a way to link both the instruction and the assessment and to "evaluate the student's progress in the curriculum" (p. 1). It is important that the assessments are relevant and a reliable source of data. Assessing students can be done throughout the school year to make sure that the standards are being met or mastered. If not, the teacher knows more or less where to go back and reteach those who did not meet the standard. This will ensure that the students are prepared when the state mandated tests are administered at the end of year.
The state mandated tests are used to measure what the students have learned throughout the whole school year. It is crucial that teachers, especially those who are teaching a grade level or subject that is being tested by the state at the end of year, follow the curriculum and teach and prepare the students with the necessary skills and strategies to pass the test. Assessments, whether they are state mandated or given by the teacher throughout the school year, are not only a reflection of what the student knows and what they have learned, but also reflect the performance of the teacher because "assessment is a critical aspect of effective teaching and improved education" ("Designing Curriculum, Instruction", 2002, p. 143). If the majority of the students do not have favorable or passing scores on an assessment, then that means that the educator must go back and reflect on their own lessons and teachings and see where changes and improvements can be made in order to make sure that all the students are on the same page and understand the content that is being taught.
Along with assessing students, it is also important that the educator provide feedback to the student. Students need and have a right to know where they stand in their education. They need the support and feedback from their teachers to let them know where they succeed the most and in which areas they need the most improvement. O'Neill (n.d.) mentions that "effective teachers are in the habit of constantly reflecting on how well they are getting through to their students" (p. 2) and how they can become better teachers for their students. It is clear to see that educators have to balance the many components that make up the curriculum and teaching in order to help their students achieve and flourish within their education.
Conclusion
Although curriculum is a highly debatable topic within education, it is vital to see the importance of it and how it affects the educator and the student. It is important for educators to fully understand and comprehend the curriculum in order to be successful in educating students. It is also equally as important and definitely crucial for educators to fully understand their content area as they cannot expect students to be successful and master the skills that the curriculum is requiring if educator cannot be successful within their content area themselves. The students will also be successful if the educator has a complete understanding of what the curriculum is requiring. Teachers are also able to incorporate their own teaching beliefs and interweave it within the curriculum. However, it is imperative that educators understand that each student is diverse and unique in their own way and that those diversities and differences affect the way they learn and preform in school. With the right amount of planning, the curriculum can be designed in a way that meets all of the needs of each student. It is also crucial that the teacher assess students. Assessing students allows teachers to collect the data to see if the students mastered the skill that the curriculum is requiring. If the students failed to do so, then it is up to the educator to reteach and assess again. With all of this, it is clear that there are many important components that make up the curriculum. The curriculum is mandated by the state to make sure that every single student across the state is mastering the skills required to become successful and lifelong learners. The curriculum also serves as a way to ensure that educators are working endlessly to make sure that becomes a reality.