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Curriculum Implementation:

There is nothing easy when it deals with curriculum, especially when it comes to the implementation. It is due to the complexity of the process. However, the implementation is very important as it will give us evidence and the interpretation of the curriculum from teacher’s perception though it may take times. It can be a very slow process, step by step as teachers must be familiar with it. However, the implementation of it depends on few themes, firstly, adoption, implementation standardization through testing, and lastly restructuring. However to see the success of curriculum implementation through one lens which can be measurement upon the easiest measurable character is not desirable as it does not give exact feedbacks. Usually, they will depend on exam result. I disagree with it as I think it is just an effect from a fidelity approach that denies the dynamicity of teachers and his/her involvements in curriculum. It is like a dead body, because teachers’ autonomy has been restricted. I prefer to have mutual adaptation in implementation of curriculum. Teachers will only implement the curriculum if they think it benefits the students.

I am grateful to read in depth of Action Research that I used to be involved few years ago. It gives me understanding of the 2nd, 3rd and more cycles of it but while reading this chapter, the author said that it can lead to greater school-staff collegiality and feelings of empowerment. However, I failed to see or sense that at that moment. Reflecting again the political nature in my department, I realize there is not much connectedness between management and teachers. I think it is not just teachers that should do action research on curriculum, management should do it as well, and the findings should be shared and criticized. It can lead to horizons’ broadening and corrective steps. Head of Department/Principals should do action research as well.

Curriculum Evaluation and Student Assessment:
When reading this chapter, I ask myself this question again and again;” What is the best way (precise, exact and fair) to evaluate curriculum that is very complicated and dynamic in nature?”. Looking at the lists and variety types of student assessment, I am satisfied as the writers understand there must not be one way to assess students achievements rather it must have various strategies and ways. It can be a good way to determine the success of curriculum on the condition that I stated above, or else, it can be a bad way as it cannot provide a full scope of curriculum ability or students capabilities. The best example that I can put here is using the only standardized test to approve the capability of students’ success.
I am thinking by doing curriculum evaluation, we can see and decide which curriculum is above and has priority over xyz curriculum. Method of curriculum evaluation must not be done at the end of the curriculum being implemented as it will lose the strength of its dynamicity. Something (curriculum) complex worth a chance to be evaluated from many angles. Limitation to only specific foci or depending only on essential information in determining the good and the bad of curriculum evaluation make it equal to what standardized testing does to students.

Creating New Inequalities: Contradictions of Reform.

Reform can be irony, though it means good. Our failure to see the reform from others perspectives might lead to it, anyway, blaming to our hectic schedules and responsibilities to cloud our minds to see others perspectives should not be our way. Teacher can avoid that by being proactive in sensing the effect of mandating a non curriculum. Among the questions that teacher should ask themselves such as; is it necessary to create relationship with teachers and businessman? What if consultants/businessmen have more power to decide than teachers?
Teachers that implement the curriculum should see it from beginning as it is crucial as we must not let any reform to become tools of certain elite groups because the negative effects behind them are big. Firstly, the performance criteria of education entirely will be one side, which is based solely on standardized test scores, so basically it is a doomsday for whole school quality which emphasized on quality and equality. When this norm becomes persistent in society, we are giving away our freedom because local school will act not be empowered and act according to policy of a powerful and elite groups that create it. Less can we see teachers do trial and error on ideals they have on curriculum because they are directed to achieve higher test scores. Less learning, more drills, remind me on behaviorists style of education. Secondly, I can sense the idea of equity promoted based on set of indicator which is again belongs to majority is the based for the norm, which is to me unfair if the minority is in the system.
After all, test scores are statistic that can be manipulated and viewed from many angles of interpretation. I saw too many manipulations in favor of the policy intended, so what is so great about that?