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Running head: CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION PHILOSOPHY

Curriculum Implementation Philosophy

Michelle A. Kuby

College of Education, Grand Canyon University

EAD-520: Strengthening Curricular Programs to Promote Continuous School Improvement

Professor Dawn Johnson

April 21, 2021

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CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION PHILOSOPHY
Curriculum Implementation Philosophy

My future curriculum philosophy is a cultivation of my past experiences as an educator

and my new-found knowledge as a continuous learner. I plan to be the educational leader at a

middle school, serving grades 5-8. It is important to me that the faculty and staff have a great

understanding of the surrounding community and the backgrounds of each individual student. I

believe that teachers cannot reach full success without building positive relationships with their

students. Understanding these cultural norms and accepting them into their classroom culture

will be a focus. I also value technology. Technology has become an ever-changing resource and

can open so many aspects to curriculum that were unavailable before and allows teachers to

differentiate more effectively than prior. It is also important to note that standardized testing in

Illinois is completely computer based, so the students must have a solid foundation to be

successful.

I began my educational career as the technology teacher for one year before becoming the

8th grade math teacher. It was during my first year that I fully grasped how important technology

implementation was. My job description stated that I had to monitor and track student progress

on an online program purchase by the district. There were a few red flags I noticed relatively

quickly and decided to take action. First, many of the students hated the program, and it was very

apparent to me why, this program was geared for primary students. Due to the fact that our

students’ academic achievements were so low, their Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA)

scores that aligned to this program slated the students for games and activities that were intended

for first or second graders, even though they were middle schoolers.

Second, my students did not know the basics of a computer, could not type properly, and

sadly, my 40-minute class every third day was the only exposure to technology they had. I spoke
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with my principal about these concerns and was given approval on adapting the curriculum to fit

the needs of the students. “If the district has developed its own vision of a quality curriculum, the

school faculty, under the direction of the principal, can simply build on and supplement the

district vision to address local needs based on location, demographics, and school diversity.”

[ CITATION Gla17 \l 1033 ] The students testing scores drastically increased and I was

recognized for my efforts in technology adaptation and received a small grant through the district

curriculum coordinator. This is why my first priority will be to ensure that all students have

access to technology and know how to appropriately use them.

Trusting my teachers in collaborating with me on the curriculum plan is a must. As

mentioned previously, I approached my former principal with a plan to improve the curriculum

because I had more knowledge about that topic than he did. Although I will be the educational

leader at my future school, my content knowledge is limited. During my curriculum

implementation process, I will encourage all staff members for input. Dotoli and Scanfeld

discuss the importance of using teacher’s knowledge in their article, stating, “Recognize that no

one person or position has a monopoly on wisdom. Push serious questions to everyone and

encourage solutions coming from anywhere.”[ CITATION Dot18 \l 1033 ]

The vision and mission for my future school will include the importance of technology

and the necessary skills required to be successful in an ever-changing society. I also understand

that this process is never ending. To have a successful curriculum requires years of writing,

implementation, data analysis and rewriting. Although the number of rewriting decreases over

the years of implementation, the student body might change and in turn change what the focus of

the curriculum should be. My educational journey has shown me that it is important to trust the

teachers who know the content and the importance of technology use within the classrooms.
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References

Dotoli, V., & Scanfeld, V. (2018). Teacher-Driven Curriculum Development: Do your teachers

have content knowledge and an entrepreneural spirit? Use them! Principal Leadership,

48-52.

Francis, J. (2018). Student centered: Navigating curriculum selection to maximize improvement.

Principal Leadership, 14-16.

Glatthorn, A., Jailall, J., & Jailall, J. (2017). The principal as curriculum leader: shaping what is

taught and tested. Thousand Oaks: Corwin.