The Definition of Curriculum

My definition of curriculum is currently more comprehensive and no longer based on a generalizations. I understood the curriculum to be a set of academic tools designed to educate and prepare students for the future. Based on course readings and class discussions, I view the curriculum as not only being a set of academic tools but also a comprehensive guide and implementation structure for all education stakeholders to follow. The curriculum should be used alongside other documents in order to effectively meet the state standards. The curriculum includes all that is written, tested, and taught. The written is based on the curriculum guidelines, common core standards, curriculum standards, and professional standards. The taught is implementation of the curriculum, and tested is the assessments decided to ensure that the written and taught were implemented and addressed effectively.

The curriculum helps school stakeholders to plan, organize, and implement instruction. It serves as a guideline which gives a specific outline of what academic material should be taught. Although it outlines academic guidelines, in order to implement the curriculum effectively it takes the efforts of all stakeholders. The curriculum is just a document without the expertise of administrators and teachers, the participation of student families, and all stakeholder's support in providing and maintaining the necessary resources to implement the curriculum.

At my school, teachers in testing grades 3-5 are encouraged to focus on teaching areas in Reading and Math that coincide with state test content when we should be focusing on the curriculum itself. The guidelines provided in the curriculum, if implemented correctly, will help students be successful in all tested areas. The curriculum should not be isolated to the specific guides but it should encompass everything that helps execute the curriculum.

I define the curriculum as a body of documents that help promote student achievement. It's not only the curriculum guides, state standards, and curriculum, but it should also include professional standards that hold teachers accountability and promote family and community involvement in education. Curriculum is a group of documents that guide the academic success of students through effective implementation and participation of all stakeholders. The content of curriculum and implementation should change and be redefined based on new technologies and discoveries in education. What is written should be followed but flexible, what is taught should be aligned with stakeholder accountability, and what is tested should coincide with continued student success on a global scale.