Altavas College

Altavas,Aklan
Education Department
THE TEACHER AND THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM (PEC 8)

Week 1 Module 3. Teachers as Curriculum Planners and Designers

Axel M. Sadongdong Instructor: Mrs. Sheryl Ann Belarmino Braquis

BSED 3 MATH
Introduction
A Curriculum as a planned sequence of learning experiences should be at the heart and mind of
every teacher. Every Teacher as a curricularist should be involve in designing a curriculum. In fact, it
isone of the teachers’ roles as a curricularist. As much, you will be a part of the intellectual journey of your
learners. You will be providing them the necessary experiences that will enable the learner what you
intend them learn.
As a curriculum designer this task was not given much attention in the past. Every single day, a
teacher designs a lesson or utilizes a curriculum that has been made and was previously written.
Designing a curriculum is a very challenging task. It is here where the style and creativity of the teacher
some in. thus this module will provide the necessary concepts and activities that you as a teacher can
refer to as you prepare yourself to be a curriculum designer.

FUNDAMENTALS OF CURRICULUM DESIGN

According to Peter Oliva, every curriculum designer should take in mind the following
general principles or axioms as a guide in curriculum development :
 Curriculum change is inevitable, necessary and desirable. Teachers should
respond to the changes that occur in school and its context. Societal
development and knowledge revolution come so fast that the need to address
the changing condition requires new curriculum designs.
 Curriculum is a product of its time. A relevant curriculum should respond to
changes brought about by current social forces, philosophical positions,
psychological principles, new knowledge and educational reforms. This is also
called timeliness.
 Curriculum changes made earlier can exist concurrently with newer
curriculum changes. A revision in a curriculum starts and ends slowly. More
often, curriculum is gradually phased in and phased out, thus the changes that
occur can coexist and overtimes overlap for long periods of time.
  Curriculum change depends on people who will implement the change.
Teachers who will implement the curriculum should be involved in its
development, hence should know how to design a curriculum. Because the
teachers are the implementers of the curriculum, it is best that they should design
and own the changes. This will ensure an effective and long lasting change.
 Curriculum development is a cooperative group activity. Group decisions in
some aspects of curriculum development are suggested. Consultations with
stakeholders when possible will add to a sense of ownership. Even learners
should participate in some aspects of curriculum designing. Any significant
change in the curriculum should involve a broad range of stakeholders to gain
their understanding , support and input.
 Curriculum development is a decision-making process made from choices
of alternatives. A curriculum designer must decide what content to teach,
philosophy or point of view to support, how to provide for multicultural groups,
what methods or strategies and what type of evaluation to use.
 Curriculum development is an ongoing process. Continuous monitoring ,
examination , evaluation and improvement of curricula are to be considered in
the design of the curriculum. As the need of learners change, as society
changes, and as new knowledge and technology appear, the curriculum must
change.
 Curriculum development is more effective if it is a comprehensive process
rather than a “piecemeal”. A curriculum design should be based on a careful
plan, should clearly establish intended outcomes, support resources and needed
time available and should equip teaching staff pedagogically.
 Curriculum development is more effective when it follows a systematic
process. A curriculum design is composed of desired outcomes, subject matter
content complemented with references, set of procedures, needed materials and
resource and evaluation procedure which can be placed in a matrix.
 Curriculum development starts from where the curriculum is. Curriculum
designers should begin with existing curriculum. An existing design is a good
starting point for any teacher who plans to enhance and enrich a curriculum.
PRINCIPLES OF CURRICULUM DESIGN IN THE CLASSROOM
 Teachers create the conditions necessary for curriculum to be enacted effectively
in a variety of different learning environments.
 Teachers attend to the social aspects of learning while creating environments
that encourage students to take risks and express different viewpoints or
perspectives.
 Teachers make professional judgments about curriculum design in order to be
responsive to student’s needs, interests, background, curiosities and passion.
  Teachers ensure that learning experiences are meaningful and relevant.
 Teachers understand the progression of learning in order to make effective
decisions, bridge transitions, scaffold and support each student toward success.
 Teachers craft learning intentions incorporating student voice, choice and
flexibility.
 Teachers allow students to access curriculum through independent, small group,
large group and flexible groupings.
 Teachers use curriculum planning to structure appropriate levels of challenge and
multiple entry points which allow all students to develop their skills,
understanding and knowledge.
 Teachers co-construct curriculum with students and colleagues, working
collaboratively to maximize expertise.
THE TEACHER AS CURRICULARIST
 A curricularist is a professional who is a curriculum specialist. A person who is
involved in curriculum knowing, writing, planning, implementing, evaluating,
innovating and initiating may be designated as “curricularist”.
 To be a teacher is to be a curricularist even if a teacher may not equal the likes of
John Dewey, Ralph Tyler, or Hilda Taba.
 According to Bilbao et.al. (2015) the following are the seven different roles which
a responsible teacher does in the classroom everyday.
1. Knower. Learning begins with knowing. The teacher as a learner starts with
knowing about the curriculum. As a teacher, one has to master what are included
in the curriculum. It is acquiring academic knowledge both formal (disciplines,
logic) or informal (derived from experiences). It is the mastery of the subject
matter.
2. Writer. A classroom teacher takes record of knowledge, concepts, subject matter
or content. These need to be written or preserved. The teacher writes books,
modules, manuals, instructional guides and reference materials in paper or
electronic media as a curriculum writer.
3. Planner. A good curriculum has to be planned. It is the role of the teacher to
make a yearly, monthly, weekly, or daily plan of the curriculum. This will serve as
a guide in the implementation of the curriculum. The teacher takes into
consideration several factors in planning a curriculum. These factors include the
learners, the support materials, time, subject matter or content, the desired
outcomes, the context of the learners among others. By doing this, the teacher
becomes a curriculum planner.
4. Initiator. The teacher is under obligation to implement the new curriculum. There
will be many constraints and difficulties in doing things first or leading, however, a
transformative teacher will never hesitate to try something novel and relevant.
 5. Innovator. A curriculum is always dynamic, hence it keeps on changing. A good
teacher therefore innovates the curriculum and thus become a curriculum
innovator.
6. Implementer. The curriculum that is prescribed or recommended has to be
implemented. An implementer gives life to the curriculum plan. The teacher is at
the height of an engagement with the learners, with support materials in order to
achieve the desired outcome. It is where teaching, guiding, facilitating skills of the
teacher is expected to the highest level. It is here where teaching as a science
and as an art will be observed. It is here where all the elements of the curriculum
will come into play. The success of a recommended, well written and planned
curriculum depends on the implementation.
7. Evaluator. How can one determine if the desired learning outcomes have been
achieved? Is the curriculum working? Does it bring the desired results? What do
outcomes reveal? Are the learners achieving? Should the curriculum be modified,
continued or terminated? These are some questions that need the help of a
curriculum evaluator.
Conclusion
The important part about teaching is the opportunity to design and be creative; to
design learning that meets the needs of students, to try new things. Effective teachers
must have the space to design for their students while still remaining within the
framework of the prescribed curriculum.
Whether it is a question, a mini task or an assessment, teachers still have, and
must have, the space that empowers them to design. If we want our students to be
empowered, then we must model this empowerment to be a learning designer. If you
have not designed or been given the space to, this will be difficult. Look for spaces that
can challenge your design thinking about what a learning space can be.
Ken Robinson beautifully likened a teacher to a gardener by saying: Great
teachers create the condition for success, just as gardeners do. You can’t make a flower
grow but you can design and improve the condition for that flow of naturally occurring
events. It is the same for our students. We have the duty to create the best conditions
for students to flourish.