- Step 1: Crack open the standards. …
- Step 2: Create a scope and sequence for your units. …
- Step 3: Develop the final assessment for each unit. …
- Step 4: Develop lessons or activities. …
- Step 5: Differentiate. …
- Step 6: Do a mental walk through.
Curriculum Design Part 1: The High-Level Planning
Why learn how to write a curriculum?
An organized and coherent curriculum can help you teach the material effectively so that they can learn it easily if you need to teach a group how to complete a series of tasks or help them understand a set of concepts. If you are in charge of a youth group or your colleagues’ professional development, you might want to create a curriculum. Some professionals, like teachers and curriculum developers, specialize in writing curriculum. Knowing how to create a curriculum will help you keep your instruction focused and relevant.
How to write a curriculum
When designing a curriculum, it’s crucial to keep in mind that learning frequently recurs. This means that as students advance toward new concepts and ideas, they frequently go back to concepts they already know. For instance, if you were instructing a group of interns on the software used by your company, you might start by reviewing technology they are already familiar with before moving on to more advanced ideas. A good curriculum is typically structured so that both the teacher and the students know what to expect and how to succeed.
You can use the following steps when writing a curriculum:
1. Identify your content
Make sure you understand the curriculum’s content, materials, or ultimate goal before you begin planning. Planning with the overall goal of your curriculum in mind can be simpler than making significant changes once the process is complete. Find out if you can create your own organizational strategies or if you must adhere to a specific template. If it would be beneficial, ask your boss or colleagues clarifying questions.
2. Consider your learners
If you are teaching professional development, there are times when you will be aware of your students’ age, demographics, and industry in advance. When designing a curriculum, one way to support the best learning outcomes is to keep your learners’ identities in mind. When creating a curriculum, considering your students’ needs can also assist you in organizing your thoughts and choosing resources and activities that they will find engaging.
3. Brainstorm learning outcomes
Create a list of specific learning outcomes you hope your curriculum will lead to based on the subject matter you want to teach and the students you are expecting. Try to keep your learning objectives clear, measurable, and related to your lessons. One of your learning objectives, for instance, might be, “Students will explore appropriate workplace email language by comparing and contrasting examples of professional memos with a Venn diagram.” “.
4. Gather materials and activities
Create concepts for materials and activities that can help students achieve those objectives based on your learning outcomes. Consider your timeline carefully and group your materials into pertinent sections or units. Keeping your material organized will help students connect concepts and maintain the coherence of the curriculum. You can review current curricula and decide which lessons or exercises you want to keep. You can ask other instructors or teachers for suggestions as well. Many educators are willing to share lesson plans that you can use or adapt for your own needs.
5. Plan assessment and reflection
Your curriculum may benefit from including assessment time to help students build on their prior knowledge and identify areas that require additional teaching or review. Formative and informal assessment methods include quick activities where students show you a hand sign to indicate understanding and a different sign to indicate a lack of understanding. A test at the conclusion of a curriculum module that determines whether students receive a certain certificate is an example of a more formal and summative assessment.
Students can identify their own learning and demonstrate their understanding to their instructor through self-reflection. To assist students in expressing their own learning, think about using a reflective discussion or writing exercise.
6. Revise
Consider taking careful notes when delivering your curriculum. Pay close attention to what worked well, what could be improved, and what you can change to assist students in achieving learning objectives more successfully. You could request the instructor to make notes on what went well and what could be improved if you are not delivering the curriculum you prepared. In order to make significant curriculum revisions, you may also want to ask the instructor specific questions about your course material. For instance, you might inquire as to whether or not students engaged with a particular activity or example.
7. Collaborate
Collaboration with other experts can be beneficial at any stage of the curriculum development process. Other educators can be a resource for coming up with ideas and giving feedback if you’re a teacher. Other experts can provide their feedback if you are creating a curriculum for the workplace. To manage the workload of curriculum design and produce creative teaching ideas, take into account teamwork.
At any time during the process of developing your curriculum, you can solicit assistance from your team. For instance, you might want to inquire with them about the type of material you ought to cover. When you’re done, you can also ask them to evaluate your curriculum.
FAQ
What is an example of a curriculum?
The particular learning standards, lessons, assignments, and resources used to plan and teach a particular course, for instance, would be that teacher’s curriculum.
How do you structure a curriculum?
- Describe your vision, focus, objectives, and student needs.
- Identify resources.
- Develop experiences that meet your objectives.
- Collect and devise materials.
- Lock down the specifics of your task.
- Develop plans, methods, and processes.
- Create your students’ experience.
- Go!
How do you write a curriculum and give an example?
…
How to write a curriculum
- Identify your content. …
- Consider your learners. …
- Brainstorm learning outcomes. …
- Gather materials and activities. …
- Plan assessment and reflection. …
- Revise.
What are the 3 elements of curriculum?
Curriculum can be divided into three main categories, regardless of definition or approach: objectives, content or subject matter, and learning experiences.