Elements+of+Effective+Curriculum

Darryl Smith I went to several states dept. of education to see what I thought would be ideal elements of an effective curriculum and Missouri's handbook was nicely presented. It also aligned with most of our thoughts. I even went to my school website to see if provided an outline. We had a powerpoint presentation on how to write curriculum. [] 1. ****Meaning ** a. Sets measurable objectives that focus on fundamental knowledge and processes b. Includes a clear, defensible rationale c. Contains explicit course descriptions d. Articulates the scope and sequence e. Provides assessments and instructional activities to measure established objectives a. Provides opportunities at each level to build on prior knowledge and processes a. Promotes learning at different grade levels that is appropriately sequenced and related b. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Connects topics within grade levels/courses by unifying themes/concepts <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msolist: Ignore;">a. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Establishes a core set of challenging standards for all students <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msolist: Ignore;">b. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Promotes in-depth learning <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msolist: Ignore;">c. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Addresses student learning styles through a variety of instructional strategies <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msolist: Ignore;">d. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Utilizes a variety of assessments to evaluate levels of student understanding <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msolist: Ignore;">a. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Exhibits strong connections between the written, taught, and the assessed curricula. <span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; msobidifontfamily: Calibri; msobidithemefont: minor-latin; msolist: Ignore;"> b.  <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Supports the process and content State Standards through appropriate objectives, instructional activities, instructional practices, and assessments
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msolist: Ignore;">
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msolist: Ignore;">2. ****<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Coherent **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msolist: Ignore;">3. ****<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Articulated **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msolist: Ignore;">4. ****<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">High Standards for All **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msolist: Ignore;">5. ****<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Aligned **

Nicole Dupree []

An effective curriculum should be designed to meet the standards of the school, students, teachers and the expectations of the community. 1. The curriculum should be relative to students. 2. The curriculum should be age appropriate. 3. The curriculum should focus on skills students need to learn. 4. The curriculum should provide various methods to teach the skills that students must learn. 5. The curriculum should allow skills to be assessed and students should have benchmarks and timeframes. 6. The curriculum should tie into a larger organization like the NJCCS. 7. The curriculum should embody various methods of instruction. 8. The curriculum should be reviewed, modified, and implemented. Again and again.

Steve Tobar

As a high school math teacher, I think an effective curriculum should contain the following principles.

1. The curriculum should be concise and understandable for parents, teachers and students. 2. The curriculum objectives should be useful and significant to the students needs. 3. The curriculum objectives should be feasible for the students to accomplish. 4. The curriculum objectives should be measurable on a cumulative basis. 5. Each curriculum objective should encompass previous learnings and require the student to integrate and then apply certain knowledge, and skills in order to demonstrate achievement of the standard.

http://www.neola.com/dewitt-mi/search/ag/ag2131.htm


 * __Jason Solomon__

Searching for a picture that illustrates good curriculum was much more difficult then I thought it would be at first glance. I decided on this picture because I felt it highlighted the most important elements of good curriculum, which are: 1. Student centered 2. Inquiry Based 3. Interpersonally communicative 4. Technology Infused. I interpret the picture as students working on a problem based assignment, in pairs or perhaps small groups, using technology and different forms of communication to arrive at the learning objective. The teacher is taking the role of facilitator more then didactic instructor. I feel focusing on the process of learning and communicating in the 21st century is more important then the accumulation of fact. Students must be confident that they have learned how to learn to be successful in the modern marketplace.

__Gregg Braff__** I am not a Social Studies teacher just yet, however I feel it is important to have the following in a curriculum 1. Students should not only learn the Social Studies content, but should learn important life skills, such as how to properly research. 2. Students should be able to identify a good source from a bad one. 3. Use the web to post articles, write blogs, edit other their classmates' work. 4. Students will eventually be put in situations where they will need to work with others once they graduate from school. Group projects will benefit their group work skills.

[]

Sara Schechter 1. Goals should be clear to everyone involved in the learning process. (teachers, students, parents) 2. Goals should be possible to accomplish by teachers and students. 3. Skills should be cumulative--built upon previous years. 4. Skills learned should be useful to students after they finish the grade they learn a particular skill in. 5. Assessments should accompany objectives. I teach Biology. One would think //the study of life// would just some how lead itself to be important in the lives of students today, but I rarely find that to be the case. This is most-likely because of the way content is approached in science classrooms. With so much vocabulary and so many time constraints with the new science test, Biology can quickly become BORING. I think a science curriculum is most effective when science is taught by DOING. I believe any curriculum, for that matter, is most successful through really being able to have students explore the content actively. In the article, //Henry David Thoreau, Forest Succession and The Nature of// //Science//, Eric M. Howe (2006), dicusses the importance of evaluating the tenets of the Nature of Science through relevant, problem-based learning. Howe, (2006) also includes lesson ideas which tie in the history of the nature of science.

[|//**Sharon Wilson**//]

I believe an effective curriculum should contain the following:
 * 1) It should be clear and concise while being geared towards a worthwhile goal.
 * 2) It shoul prepare our students for the jobs of tomorrow not tests at the end of the year.
 * 3) Valuable assesments that are built to gage our students' ability to think critically, logically work out a problem, and present themselves verbally.
 * 4) <span style="color: #3366ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">They should allow time for classroom activities to be done to allow students the time the explore and connect curriculum accross the content areas.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> Post what you think elements of an effective curriculum are. If possible, try to find a link to a research-based article that supports your opinion OR to go the Daniel Pink route, find a photo or a graphic that you feel represents what an effective curriculum is and explain why you chose that photo or graphic. Be sure to save after you post. Be sure not to overtype over a classmate. Put your name by your entry.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Christ<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">opher Perlin
A curriculum is a guide for guiding, monitoring and pinpointing what students should know and learn throughout their educational journey. Even though the school curriculum ends at 12th grade, students need to continue the curriculum far beyond that. The interesting thing that I have found is that it is not necessarily all about how the curriculum is written (although it is important) but the way in which the teachers examine and use the curriculum EFFECTIVELY in his or her classroom. An effective curriculum is a structured method of bringing values, ideas, concepts and theologies and developing a way of connecting these thoughts to ways they can be used in everyday life. With this said I have developed my own list of five of the most important areas that I feel make an effective curriculum. 1. The curriculum should be examined and taught in a way that is most relavant to the students learning the material 2. An effective curriculum must be built upon through incorporating real life concepts within the larger society and world in mind 3. An effective curriculum must be designed in a way that allows for a continuous and seamless transition of concepts from day to day and year to year 4. An effective curriculum must focus on the core standards and using the idea that it is more important how the material is taught rather than how much material there is. 5. An effective curriculum should engage the students and promote the idea of learning from each others experiences, thoughts and opinions

- Children have to be educated, but they have also to be left to educate themselves. ~Abbé Dimnet, //Art of Thinking//, 1928 (Students need to learn through the curriculum, but part of their learning should be learning and thinking for themselves) - Do not train children to learn by force and harshness, but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of genius of each - Plato (The curriculum is guideline to follow not the only thing that should be taught) - Children need models rather than critics - Joseph Joubert (An effective teachers knows the curriculum, and should be show and demonstrate rather than just tell - learn by doing is a powerful concept) - The object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives.-- Robert Maynard Hutchins ( Students should be taught in a way they enjoy so that learning throughout their lives feels like an accomplishment not a burden) - The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn. - Alvin Toffler (Students need to know that learning is not always black and white - life long learners constantly adjust their style to continue learning)

** I included these photos to show that learning is not just reading, writing, math, or science that teach, but life skills that also make continuous learning possible. (chris perlin) **

I believe that an effective curriculum needs to be based on state standards. It should emphasize the standards that are most important according to student test scores. It should be examined by administrators who should then make sure it is being implemented.
 * Brenda Hernandez **

In Results Now, Mike Schmoker makes the case, “if teachers lay out a sound set of standards and can guarantee that they actually get taught; we can raise levels of achievement immensely.” (p 36) He cites research by Sparks that states that, “There is a huge gap between what is taught and what is tested. “ Another researcher, Andrew Porter, states, “What gets taught is the single greatest predictor of achievement. “ (p 36) He shows evidence from a study that within the same school and grade level, that one teacher taught 28 times as much science as the teacher down the hall. (p 37) He states that sample tests and state assessment guides are not utilized in planning curriculum. (p 39) I believe that curriculum should be separated from the way in which it is implemented. The varied instructional techniques such as differentiated instruction and incorporating technology are important but if they are not utilized to deliver a sound curriculum, then it will be like building a house on quicksand.

__** Carly Turley **__

Along with Omar I teach Special Education. When I think about curriculum I often cringe. Although my students are in a particular grade, typically they are not completing work on that grade level, even with modifications. To make matters worse they are expected to take the appropriate grade level standardized tests. Some may say, "But they get accommodations." Yes, this is true, but for a child who cannot read and has delays in processing and/or language, reading the directions to him or repeating them numerous times does not always make the material a task that can be accomplished. To me effective curriculum is driven by assessment and by the needs of my students. I do not believe that because the state or district says that because my students are in a particular grade they should be learning a particular skill is effective at all. I feel that effective curriculum varies from day to day. As I get to know my students, I get to know what their needs are and how I can best meet them. Effective curriculum and instruction for me is student centered and is made of goals that are attainable for each of my students. It is the reality that not all children fit into a category or style of learning. It is ever-changing and provides opportunities for developing life-long learners.

**Lisa Sarinelli** __An effective curriculum should include following:__
 * Student centered
 * Organized, concise, reachable goals and objective
 * Assessment and evaluation
 * Cross-curricular instruction
 * Professional development and teacher support
 * Real word connections
 * Formative and summative assessments
 * Room to allow the student's needs into the curriculum
 * The above components must be in place in order to be considered an effective curriculum. However, administrators, teachers, staff, students, and parents must work as a united team in order for the curriculum to be successful. Like a puzzle, all of the pieces must work in conjunction in order to achieve the desired results.

Wraga W. Toward a Connected Core Curriculum. Educational Horizons [serial online]. December 01, 2009;87(2):88-96. Available from: ERIC, Ipswich, MA. Jacobs H, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development A. Interdisciplinary Curriculum: Design and Implementation. January 01, 1989. Available from: ERIC, Ipswich, MA. []

An effective curriculum is one that actually finds its way into the classroom. Teachers really need to understand what the curriculum means and should be able to apply it in their classroom. The curriculum should be a living, breathing one in which the students are actively engaged. It should be a guideline for the teacher. I am posting an example of how a curriculum can be applied, where it becomes a physical experience, where learning really becomes "hands on." I also viewed the video that Matt S. refers to and I agree that this type of learning is essential. It is similar to what Daniel Pink writes about when he writes, "Stories are easier to remember--because in many ways, stories are how we remember." The students will not remember what is said, but are more likely to remember what they did. ** I read all of the posts and found them all to be very informational and effective. However, I guess I see things from a different point of view. I guess the fact that I teach special education makes me looks at things from a different angle. You see when you teach students with special needs you begin to get used to adjusting, not just the way you apply the curriculum to the students, but also, the way the students can apply to the curriculum. You see as soon as I see a curriculum all these thoughts and ideas start running through my mind as to what modifications am I going to do, and how am I going to make these accommodations. One thing that has made a difference in my teaching career has been the "fist bump", better known as "the pound". I always knew is was effective, but hearing Aric Bostick speak about it gave me a lot of confirmation. If you had read my previous blog you would have noticed that I spoke a lot about this motivational speaker named Aric Bostick. He did a small seminar on how to engage with a student in 30 seconds or less. The pound was one of his examples (you may look him up on aricbostick.com). When you see a teacher and a student give each other the pound it says a lot. It says that there is some kind of trust between them, or it might say that they are happy with each others actions, or it might be a sign of respect. The pound can be interpreted in countless ways, but one thing is for sure... it says there is some kind of relationship that is building between them, a relationship based on trust. I give my students the pound whenever they do something that makes them feel good. I tend to give some of the girls hi 5's and they think it's silly but they laugh and do it anyway. This pound has made an impact on the trust my students have in me. Students build trust in me when they engage with me with the pound on their way in to class every day. No one likes to be wrong and my students would rather not be engaged than be wrong. So as I build trust with them they are more likely to be engaged in class and therefore become better learners. Sometimes small things make big impacts. In my opinion, an effective curriculum is one that takes into consideration the following conditions:
 * Larry Manning
 * Omar Minaya**
 * Kevin Smyth**
 * It has clearly defined goals that build upon previous learning.
 * It is driven by active student inquiry and discovery, and aided by the teacher.
 * It has content that will be useful and transferable to the student's post school life.
 * It utilizes a variety of information resources and media outlets reflective of 21st century communication.
 * It allows for multiple means of assessment including both objective and subjective measures.
 * It provides opportunity for the student to apply what has been learned.

Below is an article by Diane Howard on Effective Curriculum in the 21st Century http://dianehoward.com/effective_curriculum_for_21st_cen._learners.htm

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> What are the elements of an effective curriculum? The possibilities are endless as you can see below in this image. When speaking about these effective elements, I will refer to what I know best and that is a school counseling curriculum. However, I do believe that the elements are universal. In my opinion and experience, effective components of a school counseling curriculum include addressing the //development// of //ALL// students. The curriculum must be supportive of the academic teachers and an integral component of the academic mission of your school. The curriculum should be collaborative and systemically implemented throughout the school and throughout the student's four years. It cannot operate in isolation. According to the ASCA (American School Counseling Association), the three areas that a school counseling curriculum must assess and address are academic, career, and social/personal. These standards become the foundation of a curriculum. However, the standards are just that, a base to the curriculum and the heights are //__limitless__//. A curriculum needs to also be //revised// and //updated// continuously through evaluations and assessments. See file for research article:
 * Kelly Riedel:**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Effective curriculum should include concepts to be covered over the course of a school year. The curriculum should serve as an outline for how teachers should structure, pace, and integrate concepts. However, curriculum should not be overly wordy and difficult to use because teachers need to use it as a guide, not as a lesson plan. Curriculum should not be a reiteration of the chapters to be covered from the front of the text book as it is in my district. An effective curriculum should offer suggestions for additional materials to be utilized during lessons, such as novels, picture books, movies, websites, etc. Additionally, the curriculum should include ideas for enrichment and remedial instruction, and should include pacing for teachers to help guide unit lengths. Most importantly, effective curriculum should be created by a team of administrators, teachers, and support staff, and should be revisited every few years. An outdated curriculum is as useless as a missing curriculum. [|http://www.teachervision.fen.com/special-education/teaching-methods/3776.html] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[|for] complete research []
 * Courtney Mellinkoff:**

1. Sequential progression and alignment from grade to grade. 2. Curriculum incorporates a variety of disciplines. (i.e. writing across the curriculum) 3. Includes instructional strategies and assessments. 4. Clear Objectives. 5. Supports Student Development and Performance. I found several websites that supported my opinions. Here are two of them: http://act.maydaygroup.org/articles/Leung3_2.pdf http://www.shschools.com/shhs/documents/course_of_studies/documents/fine_applied_arts/other/400_music_full.pdf
 * Tiffany Treni:** I think that elements of an effective curriculum include:

Inquiry-** stimulating questions for the class to answer as well as ask in the class
 * Jon McBurney- Effective Curriculum should have these 6 points
 * Discourse-** class discussions and conversations to allow the students to take part in the curriculum being taught
 * Equity-** Giving everyone the same opportunity to succeed
 * Authentic-** bring in real life situations where the students can see what they are learning is relevant in the world we live
 * Leadership-** allow students to take control of group situations and help implement the curriculum
 * Service-** that what they are learning will help to benefit the community that they live in

[]

-are student-centered.* -emphasize critical topics in the early grades.* -will eventually lead to practical applications in the real-world -are clearly written and explained* -are well organized -are consistent -are focused**,** yet adaptable to different teaching styles -are able to meet the needs of the stakeholders -link goals to evaluation [|http://www.eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=effective+curriculum&searchtype=keyword&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=kw&_pageLabel=RecordDetails&objectId=0900019b803a555a&accno=ED504788&_nfls=false]Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (UK) [|http://curriculum.qcda.gov.uk/uploads/Disciplined%2520curriculum%2520innovation%2520booklet%2520cover%2520image_tcm8-12826.gif&imgrefurl=http://curriculum.qcda.gov.uk/key-stages-3-and-4/developing-your-curriculum/discliplined-innovation/index.aspx&usg=__kTZhD8bkvNC-VhW0QjDdzVs5fJA=&h=278&w=283&sz=22&hl=en&start=2&um=1&tbnid=LqbjMz0d2ikroM:&tbnh=112&tbnw=114&prev=/images%3Fq%3Deffective%2Bcurriculum%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1]
 * Peter Ianacone**. Elements of effective curriculum:
 * Carolyn Brown, 2009

Dorothy Finkel-Laverty

The article that I found that I used for the basis of this post is “Developing a curriculum for the twenty-first century: the experiences of England and Northern Ireland” by Ian Colwill and Carmel Gallagher, and can be found at http://fa9cv9qa2b.search.serialssolutions.com.ezproxy.montclair.edu:2048/?genre=article&issn=00331538&title=Prospects%3a+Quarterly+Review+of+Comparative+Education&volume=37&issue=4&date=20071201&atitle=Developing+a+Curriculum+for+the+Twenty-First+Century%3a+The+Experiences+of+England+and+Northern+Ireland&spage=411&pages=411-425&sid=EBSCO:ERIC&aulast=Colwill%2c+Ian


 * Dorothy Finkel-Laverty**

It was the reference to 21st century that intrigued me. What an eye opener! It discusses the development of a national curriculum in the UK and Northern Ireland, and chronicles the developmental stages through three review stages: 1998 – 1999 and 2005-2007 in UK and 2000-2004 in Northern Ireland. While they are working with smaller numbers than the US would be in the development of a national curriculum, a study of these phases could shortcut development of a national curriculum in the US by learning to avoid their mistakes. I would love to find a contact in Northern Ireland who is a parent, and get their opinion on this.

Key points made by the article include: · Curriculum should start with a statement of values, aims and purposes. When this was missing, it was not being communicated clearly to the teachers. When it was added, it allowed the teachers to all face in a common direction, instead of guessing where they should go. · Curriculum should focus more on the “acquisition of transferable skills for life-long learning” (p. 4 of the article), including addressing societal issues, development of citizenship as a component. The article cites ineffective curricula as creating a “culture of compliance without engagement” among students. · Curriculum should be sustainable. Recognize that we are educating students who will work at jobs that have not even been invented yet. How can we possibly take on that challenge if we are tied to the 3 Rs? I kept thinking about the Saber Tooth Curriculum article – it is so uncomfortable to move away from teaching about Catching Fish, Bopping Horses on the Head, and Scaring Tigers with Fire, because that is all I know! Teaching young children about transferable skills, and life-long learning skills? Can I do that????? · Curriculum should be collaborative. There should be a lot of cross-pollination among subjects (see the Northern Ireland curriculum web site, which is the preferred way of distributing the curriculum, according to the Council for Curriculum Examinations and Assessment in Northern Ireland (which I think is like the USDOE) at The New Northern Ireland Curriculum Web Site at http://www.nicurriculum.org.uk/ · Curriculum should be easily delivered to and understood by teachers and administrators.

The video I watched is on experimental learning where you take what you learn in the classroom and apply it to the outside world. The teacher in this video is teaching about healthy eating and then takes them on a field trip. On the trip, they were able to see how fruits and vegetables grow and they were able to sample some of the food to experience healthy eating that they might not ever had before. This is something that applys to my philosophy of curriculum. Obesity is an epidemic in this country and creating a section of a curriculum that addresses this problem I feel is very effective. This is a small sample piece, but it is the main theme of my arguement that curriculum's have to be molded and adapted to the current events in society.** []
 * Matt Stanzione

//**Janine Miscia**//

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> I found a great blog entitled “New Progressivism” that addresses many concerns about education systems. This particular blog asks “What is great curriculum? ”   <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 10pt;">[] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Also, the following (very funny) video from Saturday Night Live is a great example of how students learning Spanish are limited conversationally. Are we really preparing them to speak the language? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">[] (This is about 4 minutes) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">I believe that great curriculum should exhibit the following key elements:

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> *Recycling information is something that I haven’t specifically read about, but more or less have experienced. For example, there is one section in our “Circles” Unit of our geometry book that I chose to skip because I realized that <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> a) it is not generally used in Alg. 2, Pre-Calc or Calculus b) I cannot find a real-life application to any specific profession other than “math teacher” c) it does not appear on any standardized test  If I spent time teaching this topic, the only possible useful outcome would be if a student became a math teacher and it was //recycled// back into a Geometry classroom. Does that make sense ?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Establishes a clear and concise outline of objectives throughout the course
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Encourages student facilitated learning (additional technology helps here)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Fosters inter-disciplinary learning as well as connections within a certain subject
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">(i.e. connects Geometry to Algebra)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Promotes independent learning (students learn HOW to be students)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Reflects “real-life” examples so students find relevance (21st century skills)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Challenges students in such a way as to develop all intelligences (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, etc.)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Eliminates “recycling”*

=__ Ahmed Hassanein __= Students can't usually link the world of their classroom and whats being taught in it with the outside world. The bridge between the textbooks or class work should be one of the main concerns of the curriculum. Real life applications, social interactions, decision taking skills and simply what is the relationship between all the number and letters that the students learn to their personal life and the society they live in?. As an example, when teaching Physics to the kids all they see is equations, math, science terminology, homework, etc. on the other hand the curriculum should include some background history on some of the major scientists in the field of physics, how did they grow up? what was their role in their home, society and country?. Also, students need to see examples like their trip back and forth from their house to the school everyday involves motion that is governed by laws of physics. The computers, TV and electrical devices that they use everyday exist between their hands now, because at one point a person just like them had an idea, or discovered a concept and worked hard to achieve it to the point it became a very essential part of everyday life.

http://middle-school-curriculum.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_pythagorean_theorem

The link contains a very interesting example of what i mentioned above. In this case middle school math, particularly Pythagorean theorem is being taught using several real-life examples, like playing baseball and using math to improve your game or trying to meet a friend at a specific location when going to hang out. Also one of the best examples was imagining that the students are moving in a new house or apartment and want to buy a new big screen TV/ Entertainment center, how can they figure out the best size TV to fit their living room?. So they have to take measurements of the room dimensions and apply the theorem in it. Then go to the store and compare what they calculated with the TV sets and their sizes. This example has real-life decision making skill and real life use of math and numbers other than quizzes and tests.A very important element that most curricula lack.