Curriculum development is a process, it is a scientific process, as far as I know, and it should follow principles of learnings. Curriculum is the way to teach ways for better life. That is, I think the best learning I had during our first and second day under the course, curriculum development.
Man had devised the curriculum development not only to have a something to follow learning but also to enrich it to cope with the changes happens in the environment in order to survive and ease the living.
Before, I thought curriculum is a book with the list of learning objectives, steps of teaching-learning process and list of educational materials. I thought it is the PELC, Teacher’s Guide, Curriculum Guide Book and Learner’s Material. My knowledge lacks about the curriculum, curriculum could be a whole community. For me, the scope of the curriculum transcend from the learner, to the teachers and to the community.
Relating the current curriculum in the public schools in the country, the K-12 curriculum, there are lots of critiques and opposing groups against it. K-12 curriculum seen un-timing and the country is not yet ready for it. There aspects of the educational system cited as either incomplete or not yet ready while others are afraid of losing their jobs. Personally, I see K-12 is a medicine for a long overdue illness. Our country failed to prevent the educational dilemma like unfit or jobless graduates. Though, I also believe that there are unpreparedness for the curriculum, I hope that K-12 will prosper and so the Filipino.
My group, under this course and I had an interview with the school heads from public and private schools. We asked them question related to the development of the curriculum which their school following through. I believe we found out that private schools differs in curriculum development. School heads, such as administrators and supervisors from the private schools have more freedom on development of their curriculum. They can revise the curriculum as long as their stakeholders approve it but in the public schools, lines of authority longer than the private schools should approve revisions in their curriculum. Since it is running by the government revisions must adhere the legal laws and provisions. Even localization shall be approved first by the administrators, though, which I think, a good thing.
Curriculum Development follows different but complementing principles; most of these principles are educational or related to teaching and learning processes and tools. However, I as have learned these principles narrows down to the basic need of human being to survive.
At the end, a curriculum could be one of the great invention of humankind for himself. It is a proof that humankind is really a thinker.