Elena Kuzmenko EDUC 202 Carol Billing Journal #5 Curriculum There are so many aspects to consider when deciding

on whether the United States should have a national curriculum like other industrialized nations. Both students and teachers are affected by the curriculum and both need to be considered when making the decision. What are some possible pros and cons of having a national curriculum instead of fifty different versions? Of course having one national curriculum would be easier to deal with than having to deal with all the different curriculums and the issues and changes that need to be attended to concerning the curriculum. One national curriculum would provide the possibility for schools that do not have enough resources to have a better curriculum. Students in these schools would have a greater opportunity for equal success. With the positive aspects always come possible negative ones. Having a national curriculum could mean that the voices of the dominant culture would be heard and not those of cultural minorities. Not every school would be heard with their suggestions for improvement and change and so the national curriculum would always represent only the ideas of the dominant culture. Each school, depending on their location, has different needs. The national curriculum could not be adjusted in a way where it would meet the needs of all schools. Curriculum is important but even the best curriculum cannot make up for poor instruction. Curriculum is what needs to be taught, while instruction is how the curriculum is taught. They go hand in hand, however I believe instruction has a greater influence on students. Instruction is in the control of the teachers and they choose how they want to teach the curriculum. It is unfortunate that some teachers are not committed enough and their lessons fail to meet the standards of the curriculum. It is up to the teacher to make decisions and plans on how best to present the lesson so that the students are engaged and so that the curriculum standards are met.

Curriculum is not just the intellectual content of the subjects taught, but also the methods used to teach them, the interactions that occur among people, and the school-sponsored activities that contribute to the life experience. Do you think the United States should have a national curriculum, as do so many other industrialized nations? Why or why not? Which has a greater influence on students learning, curriculum or instruction? Why do you think so? Is our current curriculum balanced in attention to the contributions of women and cultural minorities? Why or why not? Should we be doing more in this area? Why or why not?