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The phrase curriculum planning can mean one of two related things: either the
process of an individual teacher to build a class curriculum, or the means through
which school boards coordinate the various curricula being used by teachers in
order to achieve uniform goals. On its own, a curriculum is basically a lesson plan
that functions as a map for learning. Careful planning is required to ensure first that
the lessons actually touch on all required topics, and also that they meet school or
governmental standards of basic education.
Planning Goals
Teachers must typically have a solid idea of where their courses are headed in
order to teach them effectively. A curriculum plan is one of the best ways for
teachers to look objectively at what needs to be taught over the course of a
semester or year, then organize an effective way to get from beginning to end.
Most of the time, teachers are not working in isolation that is, they are usually
teaching alongside many others who are covering similar ground. A large
elementary school is likely to have four or five third grade classrooms, for
instance. Schools typically want to make sure that all third graders are learning the
same things, no matter the teacher in charge. This is where institutional curriculum
planning comes in. Schools use curriculum plans to set overarching goals and basic
requirements that teachers must follow to ensure at least some degree of
uniformity.
The Process
Teachers often draw up their curriculum plans over the summer, while school is
out. Plans can range from basic outlines to detailed charts and reports, but almost
always include rough ideas of dates, as well as major topics to be covered.
Anticipated exams, papers, and other assessment mechanisms are usually included,
too.
Most schools also host curriculum planning meetings over the summer months,
where teachers gather to exchange ideas and share curriculum plans in progress.
Teachers generally have to submit their plans to a school reviewer before the year
starts. Reviewers evaluate plans to make sure that they meet any set requirements.
Main Components
Most curriculum planning comes in five phases: framing the context, planning the
lessons, implementing those lessons, monitoring progress, and evaluating learning.
Teachers and school boards usually start with context in order to keep the
overarching goals at the heart of the planning process. In a nuanced class like
astronomy, the context is all but self-evident. For broader classes like second
grade or seventh grade math, however, school benchmarks and end goals must
be kept in mind in order to keep a curriculum plan on track.
Individual lesson planning and implementation is where instructors have the most
flexibility. Schools often set required reading lists or text books, but teachers can
almost always organize their lessons and their classroom activities as they see fit.
Teachers are usually in the best position to gauge individual student needs, and are
generally encouraged to adapt lessons as needed to aid in understanding. Some
flexibility is also important when it comes to current events and breaking news:
should something happen in the world that directly relates to a lesson or otherwise
impacts student life, teachers will often try to weave it into the days instruction.
Measuring Success
Curriculum plans are an easy way for teachers and schools to quickly monitor
progress. When lessons are progressing according to a set plan, it is easy to notice
when students are falling behind, or when objectives are being missed. In this way,
planning can be a sort of net to ensure that no major concepts are lost through the
course of teaching.
For instance, in the Philippines, if President Aquino would like the country to
become the Asia-Pacifics tourism hub, then the school curriculum must be
developed along that line. Curricular programs for higher education can be crafted
in such a way that it will boost the tourism industry. For example, different models
may arise such as edu-tourism, eco-tourism, cultural tourism, medo-tourism, biztourism, techno-tourism, agri-tourism, archi-tourism, among others.
If universities have curricular programs that are innovative and in demand in the
local or global markets, many students even from foreign countries will enroll. A
higher number of enrollees would mean income on the part of the universities. As a
result, if the income is big, it can be used for teachers promotion, scholarship, and
remuneration. It can also be used in funding research and development endeavors,
and in putting up school facilities, libraries, and laboratories.
I believe that the countrys economy can improve the peoples way of life through
curriculum development. And to develop it, curriculum experts or specialists
should work hand in hand with lawmakers such as senators and congressmen, the
local government officials, governors, mayors, among others. Likewise, business
communities and industries, and other economically oriented players in society
may be engaged in setting and implementing rules and policies for educational
reforms.
additional
information
on
curriculum
development,
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4 Assessment
5 Concept of Evaluation
6 Purposes of Evaluation
7 Types of Decisions
8 What should teachers learn about evaluation?
Objectives
At the end of this this session,you will be able to
Define the terms evaluation, testing, measurement and assessment.
Describe the ways in which evaluation is relevant to make instructional
decisions.
See relationship between the objectives, teaching and evaluation.
Explain why the knowledge and practice of evaluation is required for
teachers
Concepts of testing, measurement, assessment and evaluation
Testing
An instrument or systematic procedure for measuring a sample of behaviour by
posing a set of questions in a uniform manner. Because a test is a form of
assessment, tests also answer the question, How well does the individual perform
either in comparison with others or in comparison with a domain of performance
tasks? Measurement The process of obtaining a numerical description of the
degree to which an individual possesses a particular characteristic. Measurement
answers the question, How much?. Example:- When the teacher calculates the
percentage of problems of student Geetha has correct, and gives her a score of
70/100, that is measurement.
Test is used to gather information.
That information is presented in the form of measurement.
That measurement is then used to make evaluation.
Assessment
Any of a variety of procedures used to obtain information about student
performance includes traditional paper and pencil tests as well as extended
responses (e.g. essays) and performances of authentic tasks (e.g. laboratory
experiments). Assessment answers the question, How well does the individual
perform?. Note that term assessment is used to mean the same as evaluation.
Concept of Evaluation
Evaluation has a wider meaning. It goes beyond measurement. When from useful
information including measurement, we make a judgement, that is evaluation.
Example:- The teacher may evaluate the student Geetha that she is doing well in
mathematics, because most of the class scored 50/100. This is an example of
evaluation using quantitative data (measurable information). The teacher might
also make an evaluation based on qualitative data, such as her observations that
Geetha works hard, has an enthusiastic attitude towards mathematics and finishes
her assignments quickly.
Evaluation is a Science of providing information for decision making.
It Includes measurement, assessment and testing
It is a process that involves
Information gathering
Information processing
Judgement forming
Decision making
From the above, we can arrive at the following concept of evaluation
Evaluation is a concept that has emerged as a prominent process of assessing,
testing and measuring. Its main objective is Qualitative Improvement.
Evaluation is a process of making value judgements over a level of performance or
achievement. Making value judgements in Evaluation process presupposes the set
of objectives
Evaluation implies a critical assessment of educative process and its outcome in
the light of the objectives.
Purposes of Evaluation
Evaluation is the process of determining the extent to which the objectives
are achieved.
It is Concerned not only with the appraisal of achievement, but also with its
improvement.
Types of Decisions
Instructional
Curricular
Selection
Placement or Classification
Personal
Among the above decisions, we shall learn how evaluation assists a teacher in
taking instructional decisions. Evaluation assists in taking certain instructional
decisions like:
1.
1. to what extent students are ready for learning experience?
2. to what extent they can cope with the pace of Learning Experiences
provided?
3. How the individual differences within the group can be tackled?
4. What are the learning problems of the students?
5. What is the intensity of such problems?
6. What modifications are needed in the instruction to suit the needs of
students, etc.
Evaluation is an integral part of teaching and learning process. This is explained in
the following figure.