“Not all curriculum that we need to teach is intrinsically and powerfully engaging. As I tell my students when we start units in this category, "Sometimes we have to eat our vegetables because we need what they offer." Grammar is one example” - It is important to note that there are fundamental aspects of courses that need to be taught that aren’t always going to be engaging or life-changing, and thats okay. Being upfront with students about parts of curriculum that might not be interesting is important to building a curriculum that benefit them. 

“at the beginning of grammar units, I explicitly spend time discussing the purpose of learning grammar with students—why it matters, when it's important, and how it plays a role in their present and future lives” Being able to build upon fundamentals and make them applicable to student’s futures is vital in shaping a curriculum that students will find engaging and impactful to their lives. Making the “boring” stuff impactful means explaining why it’s useful. 

“It turns out that this student inspired one of the best units we did all year. Students chose individuals to research who related directly to their own interests and brought a great deal of passion to their projects.” Allowing students to lead their learning when possible is a great way to make courses more influential in a student’s education. Often times, their passion on a subject will inspire them to put forth their best work, enabling them to become active, involved learners. 

“Although learning involves cognitive processes that take place within each individual, motivation to learn also depends on the students involvement in a web of social relationships that support learning” Active learning is inspired outside of the curriculum! Understanding students needs, struggles, and strengths can help alter curriculum to fit the needs of a certain group or class. 

“A more challenging curriculum with heterogenesous grouping can only be successful if teachers are well trained to develop instructional approaches that will meet the needs of a class of students who vary dramatically in their skill levels.” Not only does curriculum play a huge part in active learning, but mindful, skillful teachers do too. Being able to gauge the needs of students at different skill levels and teach accordingly is another way to empower learners. 

“School administrators and teachers should also expand and enrich the high school curriculum by helping students see the real-world meaningfulness of school learning by taking advantage of resources in the community.” Stepping outside of classroom culture to connect with the community can enrich learning. I’ve never thought about using non-academic resources to enhance the academic community. 

"A curriculum is not just about academic subjects, but rather it also takes into concern the extracurricular or co-curricular activities, skill-based learning, lifelong learning, reading habits, and other development programs." - This sentence elaborates on what a curriculum includes and how it is relevant for students' education.

"7 major roles and responsibilities of educators in shaping curriculum are: 

• Curriculum Planning and Design

• Adapting Curriculum to Student Needs

• Implementing Effective Teaching Strategies

• Assessing Student Progress and Providing Feedback

• Engaging in Continuous Professional Development

• Collaborating with Stakeholders

• Ensuring Inclusivity and Accessibility" - These roles can help educators better understand how to make curricula better fit the needs of students, which sums up my interest in my topic.

"It requires an army to collaborate and continuously assess the curriculum and integrate adoption as per the society and technological advancements." - This quote calls for us to collectively work on changing our curricula to meet the needs of the classroom.

"An inclusive curriculum gives the opportunity to all students to access and participate in a course as they intend." -Inclusivity is obviously a huge component in creating curricula that are engaging for students.

"The Hidden Curriculum: Lempp (2004) defined hidden curriculum as a set of unofficial, unwritten, and unintended lessons." - I found this interesting and would definitely be something I would like to research more

"Having reviewed different curriculum models along with diversity, we observed in our workplace that we put the students at the heart of the curriculum design process by recognising students’ multiple identities, avoiding the provision of compartmentalised solution based on specific ‘need’." - Goes along with my point that we should work toward more student-centered schooling.

"A school that has a strict dress code may be sending the message that appearance and conformity are more important than individuality and self-expression." - This is a solid example of implicit learning. Maybe I can include more examples of this in my argument.

"Although the hidden curriculum is taught in a formal institution, it is a form of informal socialization. The hidden curriculum includes things like the way teachers dress and behave, the way they interact with students, the way discipline is handled, and the overall climate of the school." - I thought this was important and can be a point of discussion. How do our behaviors and standards as educators affect our curriculum and teaching?

"While the hidden curriculum is often unintentional, it can still have a powerful impact on students. It can shape their values, beliefs, and attitudes, and it can influence the way they behave both inside and outside of school." - How do we step outside of a lesson plan or lecture to teach students valuable lessons? Should teachers be more mindful of the hidden curriculum?

"Curriculum development is not a static process but a fluid practice that fluctuates with the societal changes. Improvements to a school’s curricula can define and reflect the school’s culture and help it keep up with a changing world." -Again, this quote just summarizes my passion for the need to revise and be critical of our curricula.

"Adopting a high-quality curriculum can allow time for educators to focus on teaching, rather than researching or developing their own classroom materials. A well-developed curriculum has multiple benefits for the school, teachers, and students. The opportunity for teachers to collaborate and examine the big picture of student learning and outcomes encourages knowledge reinforcement over multiple grade levels." - While teachers can make their curricula more engaging for students, it does require extra work that can be hard to measure. How can revised, high-quality curricula become a standard on a large scale?

"Technology connects us to a larger world community, and student learning should reflect the way we process information and connect with various cultures. Incorporating engaging educational content by using technology, keeping up with global trends, ensuring consistency, having clear expectations and developing a system with clear benchmarks can benefit students of all ages." - How does technology add to or change this discussion? How do these ideas apply to all age groups?