EDUC 207 - Advanced Curriculum Development – MAED

(Kianna Marie D. Vitug)

Answer the following questions comprehensively.

1. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CURRICULUM AND EDUCATION?

Answer:

As we know, the curriculum is the heart and soul of education. Curriculum is the
essence of education because it specifies what should be taught. Curriculum, on
the other hand, is a more specific, tangible subject that is always tied to
decision-making within institutions, whether they are schools, churches, non-
profit agencies, or governmental programs. Curriculum, unlike education,
requires those who discuss it to address what subject matter should be taught.
Education is frequently discussed without regard to subject matter, but every
curriculum discussion must address subject matter in some way. At the same
time, subject matter is only one source of content for curriculum development.

2. WHAT MAKES CURRICULUM SIMILAR TO PHILOSOPHY?

Answer:

A curriculum, according to Bobbit (1918), is a collection of deeds and

experiences that a child goes through as he grows from a child to an adult in a
society. First, the curriculum must be designed in such a way that it provides the
deed-experiences that a student needs to become the adult that he or she
should be. Second, those designing the curriculum must be aware of the
desirable characteristics in an adult society. Philosophy correctly values this
knowledge of the good in society. As a result, the curriculum has an intimate
relationship with philosophy. 

With regard to philosophy, curriculum is prescriptive in the sense that it provides

general guidelines or specifies what types of courses or topics must be covered
in order to achieve a given level of grade or standard. That is to say, curriculum
is normative in the same way that philosophy is. 

In short, both curriculum and philosophy have the ultimate goal to establish the
required standards, principles, values, knowledge, and skills in any particular
field of study. They are both ideal rather than a concrete reality.
3. WHAT DOES THE PHRASE “A LIBERATING CURRICULUM“ MEAN?

Answer:

A liberating curriculum draws on all of a student's talents and abilities to make

him or her more fully human. A liberating curriculum connects students to the
traditions that serve as the foundation for our social and political worlds, while
also preparing them to deliberate wisely and make decisions that advance these
traditions. A liberating curriculum, in addition, is one that transforms a person's
inner constitution so that she can live a life full of reason, reflection, deliberation,
and happiness. The attempt to reduce curriculum to a mechanical script that all
teachers are expected to parrot, without teachers thinking for themselves or
taking into account the students they teach, is one of the reasons why liberating
curriculum is surfacing.

4. WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR THE CURRICULUM TO BE A “MORAL PRACTICE“?

Answer:

The primary objective of integrating moral values into curriculum is to ensure

that students graduate with not only the knowledge and skills needed to work
and succeed, but also the compassion and emotional fortitude to be a part of a
safe, peaceful, and cooperative society.

Failure to teach moral values with academic concepts in schools negatively

affects our students and induces societal issues. Furthermore, if they develop
poor ethics and no moral values, they may seriously affect society.

Knowledge acquisition in school is only one of the goals of education. Another

primary goal of education should be to instill moral values in students. To be
good friends, parents, colleagues, coworkers, and citizens in society, our children
will need both knowledge and morality.

5. WHAT SHOULD WE DO TO MAKE A GOOD CURRICULUM AND WHAT SHOULD

CURRICULUM DEVELOPERS DO IN ORDER TO MAKE THE CURRICULUM
BETTER?

Answer:

A good curriculum must be inclusive in order to help all students (regardless of

ability, ethnicity, cultural background, gender, socioeconomic status, or
geographical location) reach their full potential as learners and develop their
capabilities. It is all too common for children to be excluded, in whatever sense,
because they are "different". The curriculum is an important means of redress,
inclusion, and compensatory provision, a means through which a society can give
practical expression to its values. 

In line with this, a good curriculum also allows and promotes learning

differentiation. In other words, it allows teachers to tailor the curriculum to the
students in their classes. It does not require that all students learn the same
material in the same way or for the same number of hours. It gives teachers the
freedom to tailor their content delivery to their students' needs and abilities.