An effective teaching curriculum will equip and empower students for the 21st century. Students will need to know how to function as ordinary citizens as well as operate as leaders in their communities. Therefore, the right teaching curriculum must meet the various needs of students as well as meet the academic, intellectual, creative and ethical requirements necessary for making progress as responsible citizens.
Educating students without the right curriculum will go a long way in doing harm to students by setting them back academically and intellectually.
Things to Consider when putting Together a Curriculum
When constructive a curriculum for 21st students, your staff must consider many factors, including:
- Establishing objectives
- Current educational situation
- Content Selection
- Strategies
- Scope
- Methods of teaching
- Strategies & Activities
- Methods of assessment
The effective discussion and analysis of these ideas when putting together the right curriculum will determine the success or failure of your school or district.
The current educational situation will determine the selection of the right academic, material and objectives for student learning. Today, the biggest consideration when putting together a curriculum is the national standardized test requirements that every school must meet to remain legitimate.
Most curriculum objectives are centered around this test. The controversy regarding the standardized test is that it hinders the creativity of teaching and may be unfair to underprivileged students who attend low quality schools.
Nevertheless, all schools must meet the standardized test requirements.
Establishing Objectives
When establishing objectives, the staff or district must consider the knowledge level of students, the current society, instructional process and procedures, and degree of knowledge and skills required to satisfy educational milestones.
Effective Content Selection
Selecting the right content will depend on many factors. Choosing the right ones will equip students with the best possible education as well as prepare them for the next grade level.
Factors to consider during content selection:
- Age level of students
- Quality of subject matter
- Number of course options
- Competence of teaching staff
- State and national evaluation system
- number of educators on staff
- available resources and materials
- demands of society
Selecting the right content is necessary for preparing and equipping students with what they need to know for the appropriate grade level.
Developing Powerful Teaching Strategies
After teachers have put together an effective teaching curriculum, the staff must develop an assortment of teaching strategies for engaging and delivering instructional content to students. Some of these strategies may be pre-designed, depending on the books and materials selected.
In some schools, in which creativity is a key factor, students can participate in helping to formulate fun and exciting teaching methods. Studies prove that students, who are allowed to participate in the academic planning process, take an enhanced interesting in academics and learning.
An effective teaching curriculum will go a long way in equipping students and preparing them to make intelligent choices and become progressive citizens of their communities.
