What is the Difference between a Curriculum and a Framework?
by Sarah Tambucci, Ph.D.
Director, AECMany talented and knowledgeable art and music teachers have contributed to the production of Imagination and Symphony, the AEC visual arts and music frameworks. The impetus for the creation of these documents was based in good listening. We listened to arts educators as they expressed their lack of understanding of standards based instruction, curriculum alignment, sequential curriculum, spiraling content, and scaffolded learning. So the AEC responded.
Beginning in January 2010, the AEC presented a series of professional development opportunities focused on these two new publications. Response to the frameworks and the professional development workshops has been both positive and encouraging. The positive recommendations for how the frameworks are being used by the field are affirming. “We will build our curriculum revisions on the concept of essential questions and big ideas” is a common theme and plan of action.
Actually, the Pennsylvania Department of Education initiative, Standards Aligned Systems (SAS), is a model for curriculum development that aligns to the AEC frameworks in substantive ways. Also beginning with big ideas and essential questions, SAS models a starting point for curriculum development that embeds the Pennsylvania Academic Standards for the Arts and Humanities and encourages exemplars that model ways in which teachers can design meaningful activities that support rich content. The AEC frameworks can be a starting point for teams of teachers to develop that content.
The frameworks focus on both process and product. Yes, there are both unit examples supported by multiple lessons by age appropriate instructional strategies. However, the frameworks emphasize the collegial dialogue that should happen as teams of K-12 art and music teachers engage in deep consideration of appropriate content and a sequence of learning that requires that teachers grow as students grow.
The ‘rollout’ of the frameworks will continue in the fall, but what’s next?
Look for more AEC opportunities for professional development that use the frameworks as source material. Watch for topics such as assessment, integration, differentiated instruction and curriculum development. Plan to attend your first frameworks workshop and then bring a colleague to learn together, plan together, and make a difference in student learning… together.
The AEC frameworks are a starting point for professional conversations that result in the design of high quality arts curriculum - that’s the difference.
