Defining Curriculum

ECS 210Winter 2013

Starting with what we know…

• The objectives and goals that teachers strive to teach their students. These objectives and goals largely come from government (standardized tests, written curriculum documents) and change over time. Underlying these goals is a general expectation of growth emotional, intellectual – ‑that encompasses a student’s whole being. There is also an informal curriculum that is based on the lived experiences of students.

Some Definitions

• Formal Curriculum (written curriculum, overt curriculum, official curriculum)

• the planned programme of objectives, content, learning experiences, resources and assessment offered by a school.

• http://www.curriculum.gov.sk.ca

Another…

• Hidden Curriculum (tacit or informal curriculum)

• the things that students learn in school that are not part of the formal or explicit curricula

• It is often seen as negative thing.• It can also be positive.

More…

• Curriculum as Place• Sees curriculum as grounded in students’

experiences, in local events and places, and more than in formal educational setting, curriculum is connected to families and communities.

• This might include elements of culture, history, the social, religion, economies …

Even more…

• The Null Curriculum• What schools do not teach

…

• Curriculum as Lived• Curriculum as Taught / Planned• Curriculum as Learned / Experienced• Curriculum as …

Seeing Curriculum

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2vrgx6GrPY

• A clip from Dangerous Minds

Complicating Curriculum Stories

• Nice White Lady• http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=JaewfHk9KiA

• The objectives and goals that teachers strive to teach their students. These objectives and goals largely come from government (standardized tests, written curriculum documents) and change over time. Underlying these goals is a general expectation of growth emotional, intellectual – ‑that encompasses a student’s whole being. There is also an informal curriculum that is based on the lived experiences of students.