Capitol University
Cagayan de Oro City
Graduate Studies
Dear Dr. Alonsabe,
In our curriculum implementation class discussions, a school manager has a great role to influence teachers to have a conscious effort for the input, the process and the desired output for a better change. I learned that in the Hilda Taba ; Linear Model that curriculum and instruction are not separate independents component but contagious parts of a continuum or system. The first subsystem is the learning objectives which indicates the direction and intention of educational effort. For me goals has a broad meaning .Each person has silent goal in life to set a direction to take and as a guide to move forward. In our daily walks of life we have to plan, a continuous planning like works to be done at home before leaving to the office, foods to prepare before meal time, and even the dress to wear. I have also a long range plan for personal development. For the curriculum development ,I am happy to know and learn the types of curriculum such as recommended curriculum, written curriculum, taught curriculum, supported curriculum, assessed curriculum, learned curriculum and the hidden curriculum. All the types of curriculum have a high intentions and impact to address the various needs of the students, school staff, parents that would knowingly and unknowingly influence them to work for a greater heights of academic achievement , for improved performance and for development of the school and community as a whole. A school vision and mission served as a guiding post which all educational effort should be directed. As elementary principal , our goal is to produce the quality basic education following the curriculum set by DepED national. We need a curriculum development that is planned ,purposeful and progressive. The learning continuum provides objectives / subject matter arranged from simple to the most complex as a process geared towards developing the knowledge , skills and attitudes and answering the need of every learner. The goals aims to develop the domains ;the cognitive, affective and psychomotor
The second sub system is the curriculum content or subject matter. Planning the curriculum implementation is expected to be subject -Centered and Learner-centered. Learning objective and learning content are sequenced to suit the maturity level and learning experiences and resources to produce quality outcomes. I also learned the basic principles to be followed in organizing the learning content; balance, articulation, sequence, integration and continuity. As what I observed and experienced the Revised Basic Education Curriculum (RBEC) of which it was also an observation of the many educators that the curriculum seems to be overloaded; too many subjects to cover, to many topics to teach ,unfortunately , the learners life is not compartmentalized. According to Comenius “ the teacher should teach less so that the student could learn more ” The subject matter overlaps that there are many objectives need to tackle that the teacher has to be hurry in finishing the objectives to answer the needs of few fast learners while the majority slow learners were left behind. It has been said that the curriculum is a kilometer wide and one inch deep. For some, focused was given to few fast learners to become contestants representing the school . Winning in such contestants would mean glorifying achievement to the teacher ,principal and the school. In learner-centered curriculum, it relates to the reality the worthwhile to be taught and learned . The science and humanities provide the basis of selecting the content of school learning and the field of study known as “discipline” ;different areas in the present curriculum like Communication arts, mathematics ,science, social studies ,Music , physical and vocational education .
The third subsystem I learned is the curriculum experience. There are instructional strategies and methods will be put into action the goals and the use of content in order to produce an outcome. There are time-tested methods, inquiry approaches and other emerging strategies field trips, experiments, computer programs and experiential learning which also form par in the repertoire of teaching. In the elementary level spiraling has been commonly used while in secondary its more on discipline . I am also with the concept that there is no perfect strategy and as stressed by expert in the book No Excuses “if a child cannot learn the way you teach then learn to teach the way the child learns”.
The subsystem number four is about the curriculum evaluation. I agree that it is through evaluation that the curriculum can be determined its effectiveness and value for use. In the DepED, our concern is to make measurements about the student’s progress in the class , teachers effectiveness or to measure how well our school fairs with the rest or even how our country measures up to the international standards. Apart from measuring the cognitive or academic achievement of students, attitudes ,values, traits, mechanical skills and all other aspects of the learner as the we attempt to mold them into a well-rounded individual. I learned that there are approaches in curriculum to be applied in planning, implementing and evaluating such as Behavior Approach, Managerial Approach, System Approach and Humanistic Approach. As I analyzed it, I have not used a single approach in dealing with the staff but an integration across the approaches.
I realized that as principal ,I have to be committed to spearhead in monitoring the Teaching-Learning Process and Curriculum Development . The cycles of planning ,implementing and evaluating are tedious tasks but I have to give more focus on this atspects. The K-12 curriculum for me is designed to improve and develop the Filipino generations. I would like to caught the concept from former US President Kennedy “ Do not ask what your country can do for you but ask what you can do for your country”. I am optimistic that with this curriculum, the millennium generation will create jobs rather than find jobs.
From now on , I will focus more on evaluation because in my previous years I am more in planning and implementing not so with evaluating. I have experienced about evaluation specially in National Achievement Test and other unfavorable experiences as far as evaluation is concerned. As school administrator I would take that as a learning experience to move forward to become an effective and efficient school administrator in the eyes of God. I will influence teachers to learn how to learn and how to be creative in the midst of limited resources . I might not be able to meet the standards and expectations of the higher ups but I have aimed to be efficient and be effective for the betterment of the generations.
Linda Saab
