Chapter 10:

Curriculum,
Standards, and
Testing
Opening Activity
List of banned books:

E.B White's Charlotte's Web

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

The Holy Bible

Mark Twain's The Adventures of

Huckleberry Finn

Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Guiding Questions
How are cultural and political
What is the formal curriculum 6
1
conflicts reflected in the school
taught in schools?

curriculum?

How has technology affected the

How does the invisible curriculum 7
2
curriculum and student learning?
influence teaching?

What are some potential directions

What is the place of the extra- 8
3
for tomorrow's curriculum?
curriculum in school life?

4 Do textbooks tell the truth?

What forces shape the school

5
curriculum?
 1.
What is the formal
curriculum taught
in schools?
The Visible Curriculum
Key Terms: Formal Curriculum Throughout History
In the 1660s-
Curriculum:
the "two Rs"
Refers to the set of courses, and

their content, offered at a

In the 1960s-
school or university.
explore courses like Multicultural Education,

Peace Studies, Ecology, and Women's Studies

Formal/Explicit Curriculum:

A school's official curriculum

In the 1980s-
that is reflected in academic
eliminating many electives and increasing the
courses and requirements.
number of required courses

Planned content of

instruction that enables the In the 2000s-

school to meet its aim. shifted to more frequent testing

 2.
How does the invisible
curriculum influence
teaching?
The Invisible Curriculum
Key Terms: Hidden Curriculum
Implicit/Hidden Curriculum:
The hidden-curriculum concept is based on the
What students learn, other than
recognition that students absorb lessons in
academic content, from what
school that may or may not be part of the
they do or are expected to do in
formal course of study.
school; incidental learnings.

Described as “hidden” because it is usually

Null Curriculum:
unacknowledged or unexamined by
The curriculum that is not
students, educators, and the wider
taught in schools.
community.

Running out of time in school is not the only

part of the null curriculum.

 3.
What is the place
of the extra-
curriculum in
school life??
The Extracurriculum Involvement in Extracurricular
Key Terms: Activities:
Extracurriculum:

The part of school life that comprises A majority of students participate in at least

activities, such as sports, academic and one extracurricular activity.

social clubs, band, chorus, orchestra,

and theater. Many educators think that reduces behavior problems

the extracurriculum develops important increases students' sense of belonging

skills and values, including leadership, and academic engagement

teamwork, creativity, and diligence. teaches lessons in leadership, teamwork,

persistence, diligence, and fair play.

Refer to them not as extracurriculum but as

the cocurriculum.
 Participation in Extracurricular
Activities Correlated with:

enriched student life and learning

higher student self-esteem, school

completion, and civic participation

improved race relations

higher grades and SAT scores

better health and less conformity to

gender stereotypes

higher career aspirations, especially for

boys from poor backgrounds

 The Negative Side of Extracurricular Activities
Some view extracurricular

activities as little more than a

distraction.

Students may not be able to as

the family economic status limits

their opportunities.

Injuries

some athletes can have life-

long injuries that occur when

they are participating in

sports.
 Review Activity:
Give examples for each
different type curriculum.

rb.gy/wklyok
 4.
Do textbooks tell
the truth?
Textbooks: A Shifting Foundation
The textbook has been the most visible element of the formal

curriculum.

students spent as much as 95% of classroom time using textbooks.

teachers based more than 70% of their instructional decisions and

as much as 90% of homework assignments on the text.

Only 19 states are "adoption states"

Leeway and easy access to online materials

Open Education Resources (OER)

Critics argue that the quality of open materials isn't as strong as

textbooks
American History Textbooks
While the textbook market may be

changing, adoption states and large

districts do have the power to

customize the text for their schools.

Examples:

gender and sexuality

LGBTQIA+

These textbooks are influencing the

next generation.
 5.
What forces shape
the school
curriculum?
Who and What Shape the Curriculum?

Who?
Teachers

Students

State/Local/Federal Governments

Standardized Tests

Publishers

Professional Organizations

Parental and Community Groups

Marketers and Other Special Interest

Groups

Education Commissions and

Committees

Colleges and Universities

Administrators
 6.
How are cultural and political
conflicts reflected in the school
curriculum?
Tension Points
Key Terms: Censorship and the curriculum

stealth censorship occurs when educators or parents

Intelligent Design: The
quietly remove a book from a library or course of study
argument that instances in
in response to informal complaints or to avoid
nature cannot be explained by
controversy
Darwinian evolution, but instead
Theory of evolution
are consistent with the notion of
in everyday usage, "theory" means an idea or a hunch
an intelligent involvement in the
in science, theory is a thoroughly tested belief unlikely
design of life.
to change, such as the theory of gravitation or cell

theory
Creationism:

The position that God created

the universe, the earth, and

living things on the earth in

precisely the manner described

in the Old Testament, in six, 24-

hour periods.
 7.
How has
technology
affected the
curriculum and
student
learning?
"The motion picture is destined to revolutionize our
educational system, and ... in a few years will supplant
largely, if not entirely the use of textbooks."
- Thomas Edison (1922)

"The time may come when a portable radio receiver will

be as common in the classroom as is a blackboard."
- William Levenson (1945)
The Technology (R)Evolution
Evolutionary pace rather than a revolutionary one

Examples of technology expected to revolutionize

education:

film/images

a film can visually display the context, emotions,

and physical relationships amongst people, places,

and things not possible in other media.

students can learn from short films made by others.

Khan Academy

radio

technology that failed to make the anticipated

impact.

Technology will replace teachers

this idea has not yet materialized

Educational Technologies
Technologies designed specifically for education

How teachers and students use educational technology for learning:

make personalized individual learning plans possible

give immediate feedback to students and teachers about what the students

know and understand

provide visualizations to reveal key concepts

use simulations to let students explore how systems work

encourage collaborations to reflect on and compare ideas and understanding

use games to engage students and teach content and concepts

offer online learning opportunities to give students access to teachers and

curricula not available in current locations

provide opportunities to learn computer science, coding, and computational

thinking

Educational technologies enhance learning

 8.
What are some
potential
directions for
tomorrow's
curriculum?
 A Vision for Tomorrow's Curriculum
Curriculum Vision Includes:

Creativity Wellbeing

Collaboration physical fitness

healthy eating
Communication
natural world
Critical thinking
Kindness and Human
Persistence
Relations
Literacies
understand yourself
information
celebrate others

data
encourage individual

media lives

finance promote purposeful lives

Closing Activity
“Separate what you do and don’t understand”

Make a t-chart, drawing, concept map, or bullet points, and write down what you do

know as well as what you don't know from what you learned/need clarification on

from the Chapter 10 presentation.