There is no doubt that education is a central topic of conversation across the US today. The curriculum is at the heart of many discussions concerning K12 education, from funding to classroom content. This month on edCircuit, thought leaders from K12 and EdTech will discuss strategies, advice, and recent curriculum and curriculum planning research. To prepare readers, this article outlines a baseline for curriculum, the current challenges, and exciting developments across K20 and edtech.
What is Curriculum?
In the great curriculum debate, there are many different factors of disagreement. A few things up for debate include content, funding, t role of technology, governmental policy, leadership, inclusivity, and more. At the heart of this conversation is a simple question: what is the purpose of education?
This question will never be fully answered as education, particularly in the US, is multi-purposed. However, there are varied explanations, and each has its own merits. Some advocate for a strictly preprofessional approach, that education should be geared towards preparing students for careers and job success. For example, many states have implemented financial literacy as a universal requirement.
Others argue that education is supposed to create well-rounded citizens and people who can engage with life purposefully. In many ways, the curriculum combines these philosophies to create robust and intentional learning for all students.
Because of its all-encompassing nature, curriculum is an often debated subject across K20.
Current Challenges in Curriculum Planning
Ideally, the curriculum is how a school district goes about selectively achieving the goals of education. At every level, thousands of schools, districts, and classrooms have created curricula to help students succeed. However, the curriculum is constantly challenged because of the selective nature of curriculum planning and the ever-changing nature of what is important.
Calls for ‘Transparent Curricula’
One recent challenge that has faced many school districts nationwide is a want for a more transparent curriculum. As a part of a growing parent advocacy conversation, parents are calling for more access and regulation of what their students are taught. A significant topic of friction in the parental rights conversation is content.
Typical parental rights discussions revolve around subjects like religion or sex education. However, there has been a new wave of parent involvement regarding reading content, social studies, and more. Like parental rights, many education advocates have called for more diversity, equity, and inclusion in curricular planning across curricula.
Many parents are interested in curricular material. However, the role parents play in the curriculum discussion is mainly unanswered.
Expansion of Curricular Inclusivity
Another highly engaging topic in the curriculum is how we educate all students.
Particularly in discussions regarding equity and inclusion, many have pointed towards and revolutionary curriculum planning framework- universal design for learning (UDL). Practically, UDL and frameworks like it aim to create curricular content around individual learners rather than attempting to adjust the curriculum to students. Similar to personalized learning, UDL supports the idea of an individually focused curriculum and has garnered support for its inclusive nature.
It will be interesting to see how these conversations play out as schools redesign and implement new curricula with inclusivity as a primary focus.
Role of Technology
Like many conversations regarding education, technology plays a significant role in the future of curriculum planning, and Edtech plays a massive role in developing modern curricula. Many educators and administrators are implementing edtech into their classrooms and face unique challenges to meet the needs of their students. However, with the investment in these tools, there is no doubt that proper integration will be essential for curricular success.
A particular subsection of the discussion around tech and curricular planning is the role of AI in the classroom. With recent developments like ChatGPT, many educators are preparing students for a future where AI will actively participate in learning.
Undoubtedly, technology will be a challenge that educators, advocates, and stakeholders will implement into the curriculum.
Further Reading on Curriculum
If you are looking for resources on curriculum, below are a few edCircuit resources that can help you understand and improve curriculum planning in your home, classroom, or boardroom.
- The Rising Phygital Student – Physical and Digital – If education wants to attract prospective students, it must keep students engaged, increase achievement, and launch students into successful careers.
- Using Improved Curriculum to Turn Around Title I Schools – It takes leadership to implement and support the appropriate curriculum to drive success.
- Fostering A Culture Of Learning – A culture of learning is a collection of mindsets, thinking habits, and skills that help empower us to engage and collaborate.
- Practical Learning with Efrat Furst, Mind the Gap, Ep. 54 – Efrat Furst joins hosts Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner to discuss practical learning from a neuroscience perspective.
- Curriculum Mapping: The Right Tools and Strategies Are More Important Than Ever, Coffee Ed – Jennifer Mitchell sits down to discuss the complexities of curriculum mapping and best practices to succeed.
- An Objective Approach to Curriculum with Becky Allen, Mind the Gap, Ep. 49 – Special guest Becky Allen joins hosts Tom and Emma to discuss teaching, curriculum, and instruction constructs from an academic perspective.
- STEAM for Students with Additional Needs – Safer strategies for teaching students with additional needs in STEAM. Palcik explores using accommodations and modifications to provide equitable learning.
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