Curriculum Development

Curriculum Project

Creating this curriculum project has given me a framework for the process of designing

quality and effective music curriculums for any teaching situation. I found it very challenging to

design an essential question at first, but I persisted and approached the issue in a different

manner so that I could solve-my problem and create a workable essential question (Dweck).

Once I switched the context of my curriculum to beginning band, I was able to envision my

teaching scenario better. This impressed upon me the importance of taking context into

consideration when designing curricula and assessments (Da Feltre, Dewey). Once I narrowed

my focus by creating an enduring understanding, a plan started falling into place.

I have learned the importance of planning curriculum by following a backwards design

approach, starting with an enduring understanding and an essential question. This is essential

to the design process because these elements help provide a focus for the curriculum. This

process starts with the big idea, or the enduring understanding, then switches to the smaller

parts, and then requires editing and refinement of the overall product. This reminds me of

Gordons whole-part-whole method of teaching. It also provides a better way for me, the

designer, to connect all of the learning activities to the enduring understanding and the essential

question. As a class, we discussed the importance of making informed decisions by taking into

consideration the National Core Arts Standards so that students can better connect ideas

(Piaget, Herbart), and be set up for successful learning through a spiral curriculum method in

which the same concepts in the NCAS would return time and time again in different forms

(Bruner).

After creating my enduring understanding and essential question, I began thinking about

the concepts and skills that a person who could answer the essential question would have. My

essential question is: To what extent do aural skills improve music literacy? A person who would
be able to answer this question would be comfortable learning songs by ear, improvising, and

responding to music in an informed manner. For the purpose of my curriculum, I chose to focus

on the performance and creation aspects (playing-by-ear and improvising). The next step in the

process of creating my curriculum was to determine appropriate and beneficial assessments

and learning activities that can be implemented part of the learning process.

Finally, the process of creating my own curriculum has allowed me to experience

designing a curriculum based on the importance of contextual teaching, backwards design,

enduring understandings, essential questions, and appropriate assessments. Instead of merely

discussing the importance of these concepts, I am now able to understand them more fully and

personally because I experienced creating them. I also believe that I will continue to develop my

understand this process because I will be able to apply my curriculum in the upcoming school

year (Comenius, Dewey).