How can you create a research-based curriculum that reflects your professional growth?

Before attempting to define specific learning objectives, you need to find your broader purpose and vision. One model that is helpful in considering the full purpose of the curricula is to consider each of the Circles of Context the student exists within in the present, and will exist within in the future, and how the education will benefit different contexts. 1. Their physical selves 2. Their minds 3. Their families 4. Their social groups 5. Their culture 6. Their careers and economy 7. Their civic engagement 8. All humanity 9. All life 10. The physical universe While the curriculum does not necessary need to focus on all these contexts, at least by considering each context, there is less chance for gaps in your vision.

Yes, learning objectives that are aligned with your mission and vision. Who are you? What do you value and believe about ____? Beginning with the end in mind is always the way to go!! Next, ask for feedback and track progress towards the learning objectives.

Make sure you also conder: What level of learning will the curriculum consider sufficient? In the end of the learning, the student will generally earn some type of designation about how well they learned. This may be a letter grade/mark and/or it may be a certificate/diploma/degree/etc. Research should be conducted about what "cutpoints" of evaluation should be considered for a pass or fail, and for specific grades, and what these specific grades should represent. Unfortunately, this is rarely considered in traditional curricula.

Start with history...where has this person/institution been with education? Again, what do they believe in and value? These other details come later. What pedagogy will you use? Why?

This process is usually iterative with conducting research. In that while doing your research of literature, especially the research about what competencies/content should a student learn, you will likely be starting to build the outline of the full curriculum. Further, while doing the research on promising practices for how to develop students' competencies/deliver content, and how to validly evaluate this learning, and how to provide feedback, and what level of learning should be considered sufficient; all of this research should be helping to fill out the curriculum framework/map.

Curriculum should never be "final". The world and our understanding of it is changing all the time. Even in subjects like "history", our understanding of what happened is changing, and an idea that was once mainstream may often no longer be valid. Further, the needs of the students are changing, as their world is changing around them. And, to think that the methods used in the curriculum to facilitate learning are perfect is foolish and conceited. Thus, as the curriculum is applied, there should be a way to learn from its implementation. The method of Lesson Study as developed in Japan is one excellent way to do this, as is simply reflecting after each student lesson, and thinking of improvements.