Curriculum Defined
by Randy Ewing
March 15, 2007
Defined
Curriculum has many different conceptions. It may include any educational experience. It may also be conceived as a conversation, relationships, and it is this phenomenon of plurality that is inherent in the new paradigm view of curriculum.
Classified
Note that the term curriculum may relate to the range of courses that students can select from (as defined above) but may also relate to a specific learning programme. In the latter context, the curriculum describes the collective teaching, learning and assessment materials that are available for that particular course.
A crucial part of the curriculum is the definition of the course objectives which are often expressed in terms of learning outcomes and normally includes the assessment strategy for the program. These learning outcomes (and assessments) are often grouped into units (or modules) and the curriculum, therefore, comprises a collection of such units, each specializing on a specific part of the curriculum. So a typical curriculum would include units on communications, numeracy, information technology, inter-personal skills together with more specialized provision.
Scope and Sequence Defined
Scope: The vision of what the students should have achieved at the end of their entire school experience. Sequence: A series of age-appropriate achievements that students succeed at during their school experience in order to master the scope.
Vertical Teams Defined
Vertical team is a group of educators from different grade levels in a given discipline who work cooperatively to develop and implement a vertically aligned program aimed at helping more students acquire the academic skills necessary for success. In addition to teachers, successful vertical teams also include counselors, principals, and other stakeholders.
