Can+We+Talk+About+Curriculum?

We need a place to start the dialogue regarding curriculum... so let's start with several essential premises.


 * Premise 1: Learning Happens.** This is so fundamental that the premise needs no elaboration.


 * Premise 2: Learning Can Be Measured.** Learning involves higher order cognitive processes that consumate in a new understanding that can in turn, be measured through assessment tools. We can't physically measure the cognitive processes of learning (I don't think) but the "new understanding" that follows the presentation of learning material (a.k.a. lesson plans) can be measured.

Note: there is an entire field of study devoted to the science of assessment that has value to us because poor measurement leads to wasted time and effort.


 * Premise 3: There Are "Good" Learning Materials (a.k.a. Curriculum) And "Not-So-Good" Learning Materials.** Chances are good that you have experienced both of these as students and as educators. Please go to the DISCUSSION page and offer your thoughts about what makes for "good" curriculum and for "not-so-good" curriculum.


 * Premise 4: Instructional Efficiency Must Be The Goal.** The challenge in education is to //effectively channel// curriculum and the resulting presentation (teaching) in such a way that students learn more efficiently (with less time in teaching as one of the key defining attributes of "instructional efficiency").


 * Premise 5: Standards Facilitate The Development of Efficient Curriculum.** Given that Premise 2 is accurate and Premise 4 is a worthy goal for educators, then standards become the "common ground" for developing efficient curriculum because standards enable common assessment which provides for qualitative determinations regarding "good" learning materials and instructional efficiency (Premises 3 and 4).


 * Premise 6: Instructionally Efficient Curriculum Can Be Shared.** The notion of sharing "good" ideas and in our case, instructionally effiicient curriculum, should happen across a community of educators.


 * Premise 7: Curriculum Tools Can Be Easy To Use.** The purpose of this wiki is to generate discussion and ideas related to the concept that "tools" can be created (or exist) that simplify and therefore, make easy the curriculum development process. Inherent to this premise is the notion that __technology is the instrument that simplifies the process__ and helps educators create instructionally efficient curriculum (Premises 1-5) that can also be shared (Premise 6).
 * What is meant by "easy-to-use" curriculum tools? [maybe it's time to voice your opinion on the discussion tab]