For this assignment, you will select a document (or set of documents) that describes a curriculum or school program with which you are familiar (or that you have always wanted to take a look at). Then, over time, examine your selection carefully and critically. Present your conclusions in a formal paper that includes examples and references from your chosen program/curriculum as well as from our textbook readings.
Identify a curriculum that reflects elements that Posner, in his textbook, Analyzing the Curriculum (2004), indicates a quality document should include:
A rationale for why the curriculum is important that includes goals/objectives;
Information about the experts involved in the program?s development;
A statement of what students are to learn (goals/objectives);
An outline of what is to be taught (content) and the sequence for teaching it;
Strategies for meeting the objectives and teaching content;
Methods for evaluating student performance;
A record of how the curriculum has been implemented and what results it yielded;
When you have identified a quality curriculum document, proceed to a critical examination, using the following set of questions as your guide. Take some time with your analysis. You should address all questions in the course of your analysis, but can add additional inquiries if you choose. The questions are:
What basic information have you learned about the curriculum?
What is the title? Subject matter? Grade/age level(s)?
Where/when implemented? Any evidence of effectiveness?
What materials/documents are part of the curriculum (i.e., list them)?
What local/state/national standards provide a foundation for the program?
Who developed the program? How was it developed?
What is the role of technology with regards the content of the curriculum?
Does the approach to teaching/learning seem likely (or unlikely) to contribute to a ?hidden curriculum? as the curriculum is delivered? What ?hidden? concepts, skills and/or dispositions does the curriculum seem likely to convey to students? (For example: the curriculum depends heavily on small group activity; students seem likely to emerge with the skills for collaborative problem solving);
Does the program seem teacher or learner centered (or a combination of both)?
To what extent does the curriculum take into account the students? cultural, ethnic, or social backgrounds? To what extent does it accommodate gender differences?
Do the curriculum developers provide evaluation data for the curriculum?
If so, how valuable are these data in determining program effectiveness?
If not, what evaluation steps would you recommend?
If your curriculum has already been implemented, what approaches characterized the change efforts? If it has not been implemented, what approach(es) would you recommend?
What are the probable costs and benefits associated with implementing the curriculum?
What perspective, if any, does the curriculum reflect? Does the curriculum reflect the ideas of a curriculum thinker(s) or a particular theoretical point of view?
What would the theorist you studied for the Theorist assignment likely say in defense (or condemnation) of this curriculum?
What is your overall assessment of the curriculum?
What are its strengths and weaknesses?
What issues might arise if you implemented it?
How would you adapt it to maximize its benefits and strengths and to minimize its limitations and risks?
