What Is Curriculum free essay sample

According to Portfolio, more than 120 definitions of the term appear in the professional literature devoted to curriculum, presumably because authors are concerned about either delimiting what the term means or establishing new meaning that have become associated with it (as cited in Marsh, 2009). They range from basic definitions, What we actually teach (Schmoozer, 2011) to more complex and multifaceted definitions. Leslie O. Wilson writes: Anything and everything that teaches a lesson, planned or otherwise.Humans are born learning, thus the learned curriculum actually encompasses a combination of all of the below the hidden, null, written, political and societal etc Since students learn all the time through exposure and modeled behaviors, this means that they learn important social and emotional lessons from everyone who inhabits a school from the Janitorial staff, the secretary, the cafeteria workers, their peers, as well as from the deportment, conduct and attitudes expressed and modeled by their teachers. We will write a custom essay sample on What Is Curriculum? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page As cited in Wilson, 2005) Although there are various definitions of the term, it must be recognized that auricular encompasses more than a simple definition. In spite of its elusive character, it is the writers opinion that curriculum is the set of prescribed guidelines mandated by a school, college, district, or state on what is deemed important for a student to learn in any given academic subject area. These guidelines are then used as the criteria for the completion of a certain level of education.This portion of the definition is especially relevant for high school and collegiate curriculum as the completion of the guidelines result in the acquisition of a degree, diploma, or artifice. It is also the writers opinion that curriculum consists of the total learned experiences one has inside and outside a given stage of academia. The first definition represents more of what curriculum actually is in schools today and the latter, what curriculum should include.In an attempt to defend the definition, it is important to look at both parts separately. With the current push toward common core state standards throughout the country, states are attempting to streamline what is taught in schools. The idea is that if everyone is consistent in what they are caching, all students will be equally prepared for college and the workplace. This translates to the development of a set of guidelines that are deemed most important for a student to learn. According to N. E.Stators, The majority of definitions given, however, tend to see curriculum as a document consisting more or less of the general aim, objectives, content, methodology, and methods of evaluation of an educational process (Stators, 2006). We have also seen this since the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act (2001). Guidelines were set to schools and districts molded their curriculum to meet these guidelines. While many agree with the main concept of the act, some view these guidelines as unrealistic. Critics also argue that the act limits many schools curriculum development by only focusing on reading and math, giving the impression that the other subjects are not The second definition emphasizes that curriculum deals with the as important. Total learned experiences in and outside the school or institution. According to Allan Orenstein and Francis Hunks, curriculum deals with the learners experiences. By this definition, almost anything planned in or outside of school is part of curriculum (Orenstein Hunks, 2013, p. ). This theory lends itself to a more flexible curriculum, where educators and students have more freedom in the direction the curriculum goes. A. V. Kelly also supports this theory and defines curriculum as the totality of the experiences the pupil has as a result of a provision made (as cited in Stators, 2006). As stated earlier, it is the writers opinion that this is the direction in which curriculum should move toward.The writer believes in avian structure in terms of what is taught but there is also a need for teachable moments which provides teachers and students with leeway to explore academically. Currently, curriculum is seen by many educators as a check list of learning objectives that must be completed in preparation for a particular assessment. Larry Cuban and Baffle Cohn say that, Certain subjects, such as reading and math, are emphasized at the expense of subject matter that has moral, creative, and emotional value (as cited in Orenstein Hunks, 2013, p. ). Although there is retreat value in the creation of standard curriculum guidelines, there is also great value in an organic and creative learning process. Teachers and students both benefit when they have the freedom to explore and create their own learning paths using a standard curriculum as a guideline. Ronald Doll states, Every school has a planned, formal acknowledged curriculum, but it also has an unplanned, informal and hidden one that must be considered (as cited by Orenstein Hunks, 2013, p. ). Orenstein and Hunks further explain that, The planned, formal curriculum focuses n goals, objectives, subject matter, and organization of instruction; the unplanned, informal curriculum deals with psychopathology interaction among students and teachers, especially their feelings, attitudes, and behaviors (Orenstein Hunks, It would be an understatement to say that curriculum has many 2013, p. 9). Definitions.