The Nature and Scope of Curriculum Development

Reflection # 6

In our discussion about the nature and scope of curriculum development it was mentioned that some authors define curriculum as the total effort of the school to bring about desired outcomes in school and out-of-school situations. I would like to highlight the word “effort” or the determination of the school in making the curriculum.  It is the school who sets the curriculum but it is the student who is the reason of this effort. The curriculum should address what the learners should learn and what are their needs in order to live a meaningful life.

I was also struck by the quotation that was mentioned by Dr. Alonsabe “Failure to plan is planning to fail” which is extremely true. As a teacher, we should plan what to teach before coming to class and plan what to do before facing your students. According to Stephen Covey in his 7 habits of highly effective people “Begin with the end in mind” which means that before you start doing something you should know what the output is. This is his explanation of the second habit “Begin with the End in Mind means to begin each day, task, or project with a clear vision of your desired direction and destination.” For me, as aspiring teacher “since I am not yet in the field of teaching” this is really my goal, before coming to class or even before the school year begins I should have a clear vision of what I wanted my students to learn after the school year. This is very idealistic as what others say but it would be better to aim for what is ideal than become a mediocre teacher.