Roles in Curriculum Development

Roles in Curriculum Development Free Online Research Papers Throughout the 20th Century curriculum development went through several phases as the nation embraced different philosophical views. Starting with Cremin at the turn of the Century, then into the progressive movement with John Dewey, early curriculum planning required that developers understand two things. First they needed to â€Å"understand all three focal points for curricula and, second, to bring them into some appropriate balance in making practical decisions† (Marsh Willis, 2003, p. 41). When J. Franklin Bobbitt published his book on curriculum in 1918 curriculum development entered a new era as, for the first time, much of educational leaders’ work focused exclusively on curriculum issues. This sentence is grammatically awkward. This focus would continue until after World War II as progressive educational philosophies dominated national thinking until the beginning of the Cold War. The launch of Sputnik changed the nation’s collective psyche and resulted in a dramatic shift in thinking about curriculum. The result would eventually be the release of A Nation at Risk, and with its release came a serious disconnect from how curriculum development had matured th roughout the 20th Century. â€Å"Its recommendations and example ignored the bottom-up, grassroots approaches to curriculum planning based on traditional American values of individual initiative† (Marsh Willis, 2003, p. 61). The report set a tone which has greatly influence the early years of the 21st Century as individuality and uniformity collide. How do educational leaders strike a balance between the two ideals? Perhaps the best way to accommodate these conflicting views is through the use of committees that accept the views and needs of all stakeholders in the curriculum development process. Good point Gone are the days of an expert developing and delivering newly developed curriculum. The developer will need a team to ensure the new curriculum meets all the requirements of the institution and the community it serves. Is this always the case? â€Å"Ideally, the design team will be composed of faculty who are responsible for the content of the program or course, a process person, and as needed, experts in assessment and technology† (Diamond, 1998, p. 23). The team, to be successful will require a combination of faculty, facilitators, evaluators, and support staff. Finally, political sensitivities must be considered. Parents, students, and administrators should all have a voice in this process to ensure acceptance and support from the local community, otherwise the proposals may well d ie, no matter how good the ideas may be. Roles in Curriculum Development Content. At the content level, curriculum development roles are primarily those of state officials and local administrators. Community members also have a stake in content, since graduates will make up the bulk of the local workforce. Effective leadership, motivation, and data analysis are vital in the content development stage (Stark, Briggs, Rowland-Poplawski, 2002). State officials charged with curriculum and instruction must use their positions wisely. Leading educational change takes committed, innovative leaders who are motivated by their own ideals as well as political mandates. Additionally, practical application of data and research are necessary to develop timely curricula objectives aligned with modern goals and agendas. How would you define modern goals and agendas? Would they relate to meeting criteria for federal funding? Would they relate to popular theories in pedagogy? Would they relate to agendas of special interests within the community? How would administrators deal with conflicting input from these groups? Administrators’ roles in content development involve substantive data collection in addition to ongoing training and resource support. School boards approve textbook expenditures and it often falls to administrators to make their case for purchase of required curriculum. The role of the administrator requires him to be knowledgeable about the content and goals of state and national standards and have the ability to communicate those needs to local stakeholders. Community members also have a role in the content of any given curriculum. Business leaders require a certain level of expertise in fields appropriate to the local community. New development in an area often depends largely on the quality of graduates found in local systems, providing impetus to real estate and development partners to ensure an adequate curriculum. State-level education officials, local administrators, and community members share the duties in their roles in curriculum development content. Process. At the process level, curriculum development roles are primarily those of facilitators, instructors, and support staff. Parents and students, however, play key roles. Facilitators include assistant principals, curriculum coordinators, and trainers. Teachers make up the bulk of instructors, but instruction is also a responsibility of media specialists and counselors. Support staff includes all facility-level personnel, such as food and maintenance service employees and office staff. Stark, Briggs, and Rowland-Poplawski posit three important questions in role consideration: 1) who takes responsibility, 2) specific activities of the role, and 3) curriculum expertise of the involved parties (2002). Although some system hierarchies specifically delineate a curriculum coordinator responsible for processing of objectives, many times staff find themselves as de facto processors of state goals. Teachers retain the majority of the curriculum processing role, since their daily duties center largely on their ability to convey and implement the state curricula. Marsh and Willis define teachers as the â€Å"filter through which the mandated curriculum passes† (2003, p. 195). No matter who ultimately develops the content of state curricular standards, teachers make daily lesson plans and choose activities and methods to implement those benchmarks to their students. Facilitators and support staff roles generally evolve to complement teacher directives. Parents and students play a key role in the process stage of curriculum development because they must learn and apply the objectives through their own methods and styles. Experts. Experts in the fields of development, technology, and evaluation make up the final component of curriculum development. Ideally, states use curriculum and instruction experts to develop a feasible curriculum that meets state and national guidelines. Technology has become increasingly important in not only making curricular goals assessable to all stakeholders but in allowing state agendas to serve as dynamic entities, providing flexibility as online, accessible documents. The role of evaluators is one of measuring progress and goal attainment within the curriculum, and also to convey those results to the professional and public communities. Good point The role of assessment has changed in recent years from one that measured content knowledge acquisition to the current focus on self-directed learning aptitude and understanding (McCormick Murphy, 2000). Despite what is being measured, however, the role of ongoing evaluation is vital to any curriculum development and implemen tation schedule. Regular assessment of student outcomes and staff support for directives allows state and local officials to address concerns early, before they become costly and time-consuming restraints. Responsibilities The responsibility of the educational leaders and stakeholders in curriculum vary depending on their role in the design process. Curriculum emerges from the attempt to match individual learning styles and interests with the type and amount of structure the individual needs to gain the knowledge, skills, and competencies associated with each goal of the specialization (Bruner, 2002). It is essential that each member of the team concentrates on the experience its members bring and on the skills they seek and need. Each person needs to be sensitive to the individual needs and the academic rigor that characterizes the curriculum and learning environment that encourages excellence by releasing the potential of its members instead of locking it in. The designs for curriculum decision-making that are put forward have only limited predictability. In this academic dimension, a student concentrates on analyzing and extending existing designs, and on internalizing a personal approach to curriculum decision-making. Priority is given to the advancement of existing knowledge and to the creation of new ways to view curriculum problems. Responsibilities include: Analyzing theoretical frameworks that underlie the methods used for curriculum development. Evaluating ideas of major theorists and their designs for developing curriculum. Developing skill in theory building. Identifying assumptions that guide various approaches to curriculum decision-making. Defining a specific meaning of curriculum in terms of its expressed, hidden, and emerging aspects. Interpreting associations between the historical development of the curriculum field and future priorities for curriculum improvement. Analyzing the impact of learning theories on curriculum development (Wiggins, McTighe, 1998) The educational leader has a responsibility of making the curriculum visible; academic skills and calculated risk are mixed with intuition and sensitivity and then applied to the task of writing an expressed curriculum (Buner, 2002). The development process demands the ability to translate ideas into actual decisions. The priority here becomes the integration of theory and practice. The site team must develop and apply their design(s) to specific school settings. Also, the curriculum developer perfects sensitivity to the values, contributions, and history of cultural groups typically neglected by conventional curricula (Billig, 2000). This dimension fosters skills for teaching others how to develop curriculum, and extends the concern of the curriculum worker into decisions that affect the hidden and ever emerging aspects of curriculum. The true leader knows that when they leave the curriculum design process and all other systems are still in tact. The organization should not fall ap art when they leave. That is the true test of leadership. That is when the leader knows they transformed the organization and left a legacy behind. To master skills for developing curriculum. The leader’s jobs include assessing individual, instructional, institutional, and societal needs. They must also develop and articulate specific departmental objectives for specific curricula (Wiggins, McTighe, 1998). They should monitor and screen selected objectives through examining various philosophies of education and learning theories. The leaders should also design instructional strategies and learning opportunities to implement formulated objectives. They have the responsibility of designing quantifiable evaluation procedures to measure student performance. Leaders should analyze the connections among curriculum, educational environment, and learning and design research based, effective curriculum materials (Wiggins, McTighe, 1998). They should then apply designs for curriculum development to actual writing of curriculum and consider leading others through the processes of curriculum development so to increase the effectiveness of school curriculum for meeting individual pupil needs. The ability to move theoretical ideas into curriculum practice demands knowledge about educational change, leadership behavior, and human relations (Billig, 2000). The responsibility of the leader is based on the emphasis that an evolution of a personal leadership style best suited to the individual and to the educational environment he or she works to improve. The leader should constantly evolve, grow, and learn ways to foster school reform, and to aid school personnel in finding desirable directions for change. Yes! To intervene appropriately in a classroom, school, or school system, curriculum leadership team needs to understand the process of planned educational change. Changes in the learning environment, unless carefully implemented and followed-up, seldom pass through the classroom door (Wiggins, McTighe, 1998). Because of the commitment to the process of planned change, students of curriculum studies develop a perspective of continual evaluation and improvement as a way of life for institutions and human beings. Over a period of time, a school, much like an individual, becomes characterized by certain modes of behavior which are like a personality. An organizational personality is infused with a system of values that reflects its history and the impact that various administrators, parents, teachers, and pupils have had on its development (Bruner, 2002). Effective analysis by educational leaders interested in improvement must include an understanding of past influences as well as current conditions of the school and compare various theories of educational change (Wiggins, McTighe, 1998). Professional Learning Community Leaders should form learning communities that identify their team’s leadership style collectively, analyze the influence of internal and external conditions on human behavior; identify the advantages and disadvantages of planned change, and develop procedures for diagnosing the constraining and facilitating forces existing in organizations (Diamond, 1998). They should constantly be proactive in identifying conditions in organizations that are hindering the learning process; and implementing strategies for involving teachers, parents, and pupils in curriculum decision-making. This is a great ideal, but how can the other stakeholders see that this can happen? Authority and Hierarchy In the realm of K-12 education, curriculum development usually becomes the responsibility of the school principal/director, leadership team, and community stakeholders. The leadership team could consist of various instructors across several disciplines within the school, leading teachers within the school, or even a combination of both. What must remain important is that all facets involved in curriculum development remain on one accord when developing curricula for the school. According to Marsh (2003), â€Å"If most schoolwide attempts at curriculum planning are to be successful, they require some form of involvement and commitment by the school principal. Numerous research studies point to the leadership of the principal as critical to constructive curriculum change in individual schools† (p. 207). The principal should provide the foundation for curriculum development and present the charge to the â€Å"curriculum team† or the educational faculty charged with develop ing the curriculum. Quoting studies by studies by Leithwood and Montgomery (1982), Leithwood and Stager (1989), Fullan (1988), and Heller and Firestone (1994), Marsh states that the goals that elementary school principals should pursue include the following: Principals should have a vision of what they want for their school in the years ahead. Principals should make their goals public to all concerned parties. They should ensure that their expectations are made known, particularly to teachers and to students. Principals should take action, directly or indirectly, to see that their goals are acted on and accomplished. Principals should develop and maintain good working relationships and a keen understanding of the work and progress of each teacher on their staff. (2003, p. 207) The principal, clearly, is responsible for the strength and continued welfare of the â€Å"curriculum team† and the team should rely on the principal for effective guidance and leadership. Teachers serving on the leadership team, charged with curriculum development, must strive to maintain the focus on the student. Diamond (1998), mentioned that a shift in the faculty role in the learning process has begun; the process should move from teacher-centered to learning-centered (p. 151). Teachers may tend to want the curriculum to suit their own needs. In shifting from teacher-centered education to learning-centered education, teachers must relinquish their â€Å"comfort zones† Is this a direct quote? Quotation marks should only be used for direct quotes with in-text citations. and perform in a manner that is more conducive to student learning. This can seem a daunting task for some teachers who have taught one way for an extended period. Truly progressive instructors, concerned about the educational welfare of their students will effect the changes, especially in the curriculum planning stage, in order to produce a more student-centered learning environment. Community stakeholders exhibit a vital role in curriculum development because the community stakeholders find themselves in a position to aid the school from an outside perspective. According to Marsh, Schools and districts are subject to curricular pressures from special interest groups both within the community and from further afield, especially over controversial issues that arise. Such issues might concern the inclusion of a particular book in a course or in the school library; the adoption of a new teaching method; or the introduction of curricular units dealing with sexuality, race, politics, or religion (2003, p. 206) Single space black quotes With this influence, community stakeholders wield tremendous influence over the ultimate decision on the direction of the curriculum (Billig, 2000). Parents as stakeholders possess ideas about what they deem appropriate for inclusion in the curriculum. The community wants to see the curriculum designed so that ultimately the students in the schools become interested in the industries within the general population. As a whole all entities exert influence in the development of the curriculum, but the ultimate goal must remain the effective education of all children within the school. Responsibility The responsibility of the educational leaders and stakeholders in curriculum vary depending on their role in the design process. Curriculum emerges from the attempt to match individual learning styles and interests with the type and amount of structure the individual needs to gain the knowledge, skills, and competencies associated with each goal of the specialization (Bruner, 2002). It is essential that each member of the team concentrates on the experience its members bring and on the skills they seek and need. Each person needs to be sensitive to the individual needs and to academic rigor that characterizes the curriculum and learning environment that encourages excellence by releasing the potential of its members instead of locking it in. The designs for curriculum decision-making that are put forward have only limited predictability. In this academic dimension, a student concentrates on analyzing and extending existing designs, and on internalizing a personal approach to curriculum decision-making. Priority is given to the advancement of existing knowledge and to the creation of new ways to view curriculum problems. Responsibilities include: Analyzing theoretical frameworks that underlie the methods used for curriculum development. Evaluating ideas of major theorists and their designs for developing curriculum. Developing skill in theory building. Identifying assumptions that guide various approaches to curriculum decision-making. Defining a specific meaning of curriculum in terms of its expressed, hidden, and emerging aspects. Interpreting associations between the historical development of the curriculum field and future priorities for curriculum improvement. Analyzing the impact of learning theories on curriculum development (Wiggins, McTighe, 1998). The educational leader has a responsibility of making the curriculum visible, academic skills and calculated risk are mixed with intuition and sensitivity and then applied to the task of writing an expressed curriculum (Bruner, 2002). The development process demands the ability to translate ideas into actual decisions. The priority here becomes the integration of theory and practice. The site team must develop and apply their design(s) to specific school settings. Also, the curriculum developer perfects sensitivity to the values, contributions, and history of cultural groups typically neglected by conventional curricula (Billig, 2000). This dimension fosters skills for teaching others how to develop curriculum, and extends the concern of the curriculum worker into decisions that affect the hidden and ever-emerging aspects of curriculum. The true leader knows that when they leave the curriculum design process, all other systems are still intact. The organization should not fall apart when they leave. That is the true test of leadership. That is when the leader knows they transformed the organization and left a legacy behind. The leader’s jobs include assessing individual, instructional, institutional, and societal needs. They must also develop and articulate specific departmental objectives for specific curricula (Wiggins, McTighe, 1998). They should monitor and screen selected objectives through examining various philosophies of education and learning theories. The leaders should also design instructional strategies and learning opportunities to implement formulated objectives. They have the responsibility of designing quantifiable evaluation procedures to measure student performance. Leaders should analyze the connections among curriculum, educational environment, and learning, then design research-based, effective curriculum materials (Wiggins, McTighe, 1998). They should then apply designs from curriculum development to the actual writing of curric ulum and consider leading others through the processe to increase the effectiveness of school curriculum for meeting individual pupil needs. These are excellent points, but can this be done in environments such as public education? The ability to move theoretical ideas into curriculum practice demands knowledge about educational change, leadership behavior, and human relations (Billig, 2000). The responsibility of the leader is based on the emphasis that an evolution of a personal leadership style best suited to the individual and to the educational environment he or she works to improve. The leader should constantly evolve, grow, and learn ways to foster school reform, and to aid school personnel in finding desirable directions for change. To intervene appropriately in a classroom, school, or school system, the curriculum leadership team needs to understand the process of planned educational change. Changes in the learning environment, unless carefully implemented and followed-up, seldom pass through the classroom door (Wiggins, McTighe, 1998). Because of the commitment to the process of planned change, students of curriculum studies develop a perspective of continual evaluation and improvement as a way of life for institutions and human beings. Over a period of time, a school, much like an individual, becomes characterized by certain modes of behavior which are like a personality. An organizational personality is infused with a system of values that reflects its history and the impact that various administrators, parents, teachers, and pupils have had on its development (Bruner, 2002). Effective analysis by educational leaders interested in improvement must include an understanding of past influences as well as current conditions of the school and compare various theories of educational change (Wiggins, McTighe, 1998). Professional Learning Community Leaders should form learning communities that identify their team’s leadership style collectively, analyze the influence of internal and external conditions on human behavior; identify the advantages and disadvantages of planned change, and develop procedures for diagnosing the constraining and facilitating forces existing in organizations (Diamond, 1998). They should constantly be proactive in identifying conditions in organizations that are hindering the learning process; and implementing strategies for involving teachers, parents, and pupils in curriculum decision-making. Conclusion Although many consider curriculum development to be somewhat akin to a black art, what has become clear throughout this paper is that it is anything but mysterious. What is a black art? It has been seen here that although proper curriculum cannot be developed without the careful input of experts, it also cannot be fully completed without the assistance of amateurs. Curriculum development is truly a team effort that functions best when all stakeholders in the process are fully included. Proper acceptance by the community in general is not possible if parents and students do not have a voice in the process. Experts may craft the technical aspects of the curriculum, but the community will test its feasibility. If the plan fails at any level of the process then the entire team must revisit the plan to determine why it failed. A strong team can move a curriculum development project with great speed and accuracy; a weak team effort will doom the overall process to failure. References Billig, S. (2000). The effects of service learning. The School Administrator, 5(7), 9-14. Bruner, J. (2002). The process of education. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press Diamond, R. M. (1998). Designing and assessing courses and curricula: A practical guide. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Marsh, C. J., Willis, G. (2003). Curriculum: Alternative approaches, ongoing issues (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. McCormick, R. Murphy, P. (2000). Curriculum: The case for a focus on learning. Routledge International Companion to Education, 204-234. Stark, J. S., Briggs, C. L., Rowland-Poplawski, J. (2002). Curriculum leadership roles of chairpersons in continuously planning departments. Research in Higher Education, 43(3), 329-356. Wiggins, G., McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision Research Papers on Roles in Curriculum DevelopmentStandardized TestingThe Project Managment Office SystemOpen Architechture a white paperRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeResearch Process Part OnePETSTEL analysis of India19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided Era