For those that haven’t worked as educators, the curriculum might bring back haunting memories of test scores, report cards, and complex numbers that stand for codes and digital learning. What is a curriculum? And why is it important to teachers and students? Read on below to find out about the importance of curriculum to teachers, and why teachers should strive to constantly improve their curriculum in order to lead to better learning outcomes for their students. One of the best ways to do this is through obtaining a Master’s in Education with a focus on curriculum development!
What is a Curriculum?
A curriculum is a set of experiences that students undergo in order to become proficient and learn certain skill sets. Put simply, the curriculum can be thought of as the framework that allows students to learn and improve their skills. The curriculum is designed by the teacher, state and local authorities, and even federal authorities.
A curriculum can be robust and include activities such as:
- Music
- Art
- Hands-on learning
- Visual guides
- Powerpoint presentations
- Book reports
- Speeches and debate classes
- Tests, including pop quizzes and standardized tests
How Can Teachers Design Their Curriculum?
Fortunately, there are now protections in place that can help students with disabilities get their education, as set forth by the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA. In addition to helping students with disabilities learn, teachers also design curriculums based on:
- Individual learning needs, such as providing visual aids and hands-on activities for students
- Providing feedback on test results and homework assignments
- Integrating the latest changes in historical text or studies, made possible through continuous education on behalf of a teacher’s part
In addition, new studies show that it’s important for teachers to integrate multimedia and real-life, 21st-century skills in their coursework. This can include planning ideas, expressing opinions, and using multimedia in the classroom.
Changing the curriculum this way encourages students to express their thoughts and ideas, share their ideas for change, and also encourages them to continually participate in education without fear of retribution or being “shut down.”
How a Master’s in Education Can Help
As a teacher, you might be lost in the everyday workflow, forgetting how important it is to continuously improve your own skills for the betterment of your career and your students. Earning a Master’s in Education can help teachers not only learn how to give back to their students and teach using the latest strategies, but can also help educators catapult their careers and become valuable members of administrative staff.
A Master’s in Education that focuses on curriculum is unique, and is a valuable resource for administrators and educators alike.
Learning to make a new curriculum is no easy task. It can take hours upon hours to develop a curriculum for the entire school year for some teachers. In addition, sudden changes in students, changes in the current history, and changes in culture all need to be taken into account when a teacher creates a new curriculum.
By taking a master’s in Education course, teachers can learn how to:
- Implement new changes to their curriculum
- Design curriculums that embrace change and adversity and are better suited for different types of student bodies
- Know how to understand which types of curriculums work best for some students
- Do research to continually improve their curriculum and see changes in test scores
- Use other forms of measurable outcomes to determine if changes in curriculums are necessary for certain student groups
Takeaways From the Curriculum
Designing a curriculum is much more than opening a book and reading from it. For teachers with a diverse group of students, the curriculum can help students learn and retain information for years to come.
