Curriculum Trends
The current society has been tremendously impacted by technology. The telephone, light bulb, as well as television, have fully transformed the way a human being lives, acts and thinks. The perception of a man concerning him and the world has attracted another perspective based on fast communication, artificial lightening and objects moving on the screen. Learners can learn in effective and fast ways coupled with staying awake for longer hours. Place and time are no longer a limitation since day and night are the same. Therefore, the educational curriculum should not be left behind rather it should keep the pace. This will ensure that generations to come are beneficiaries as well as developers of technological innovations.
The paper on a personal view looks at curriculum trends in the coming ten years. It will begin with a review of technological impact for the last few years. The changes in curriculum are reflected by the speed and direction of technological development.
The onset of a PC (personal computer) together with the Internet has to a greater extent changed the learning of school children at their homes independently. The Internet is purported to double in size per year relative to the web which doubles in size in nearly ninety days. This necessitates for a total rethinking of education. Computer usage can be easily used by learners compared to reading a book. Technological literacy will be incorporate into the curriculum from an early age. This is simply because the computer will enhance and foster learning.
Ten years from now learners will get more exposed to information from both the internet and the television in the course of moving images. The curriculum will focus greatly on learning strategies. The curriculum will incorporate brain-based learning ideologies as well as steps necessary to reach students to ensure that learning is meaningful, in that, it will incorporate learner’s feelings. It will be evident that most of the children will spend a considerable part of their time with media rather than with their parents. Hence, necessitating a study of how the brains of the students work to enhance learning. As evident, today’s brains require an environment which is TV like, meaning that tomorrow’s curriculum will use both animations and sound. Lessons preparations will be based on the information that is readily available on the net. In addition, learning will not be limited to only an educational setting, for instance, a university or a school.
Ten years down the line, the curriculum should try to balance things since most of the students spent their night using the Internet. This will ensure that learners utilize online services at a school in the day, hence get an opportunity to sleep at night. Learning should be regarded as an ongoing process, in that, project and homework based tasks should be done at home as well as at school.
The presence of technology will ensure the existence of life-long learners, since learning will proceed into the place of work hence, transcending physical barriers. This means that the curriculum will incorporate distance learning. Learning centers will concentrate on character, sports, art and social education. In addition, school subjects will be thought in teams through means such as project-based tasks that make use of multimedia presentations and visual displays.
Environmental and social factors will be the determining factors of future education. This implies that future curriculum will incorporate community needs since learners are part of the society together with the business world. The curriculum will also include skills such as problem solving. This implies that those skills that are required in solving educational problems should be part of the curriculum.
The content of the future curriculum includes futuristic education, immigrant education, electronic education, technical literacy, lifelong learning, international education, environmental education, nuclear education, health education and physical fitness, middle-grade education, aging education and for-profit education.
The teacher’s role will change from providers of information to facilitators. With technology the way individuals work is modified, hence the future curriculum should incorporate society’s lifestyle, how learners feel as well as how they learn. Teachers will play a primary role of instructional managers.
The school curriculum represents work in progress involving a considerable number of stakeholders inside and outside the educational setting. Administrators, parents, businessperson, students, community representative, and teachers are among those who are responsible for curriculum development and design.
The way information and ideas are to be presented will be based on technology. Films and television programs production as video, DVD or TV should be taught in school. The school counselors will play a role in facilitating learning as well as modeling techniques that will be useful for their students. They should also be technologically advanced compared to their students and have an in-depth knowledge of multimedia. They should involve learners through sharing in the learning process. Through such roles, school counselors will receive respect and equal responsibility similar to that enjoyed by other professionals.
Though it is evident that curriculum must evolve so as to meet the changing needs of the society, the change should be beneficial. The focus mainly on technological and physical knowledge should be guided by wisdom, compassion, and justice. Otherwise, the future curriculum will lead to languish in morals, physically, spiritually and aesthetically. The curriculum should b founded on historic perspective.
