edu 555 assignment 5

Introduction

Curriculum proposal planning is entailing the making of several choices. There are three basics of curriculum, which is knowledge, learner, as well as society and should be put into consideration. Each of the three factors should be equally considered when coming up with a proposal of a curriculum. The foundations of the curriculum are plating a crucial role in the planning of the curriculum alongside shaping and influencing the mind of individuals developing a curriculum (McNeil & Thompson, n.d., p. 66). The curriculum is categorized under three categories which psychology, philosophy, as well as sociology, which affect the way developers, do plan curriculum and the curriculum development process. This paper is a proposal that is to be used for a newly established curriculum that is outlined on various curriculum foundation areas towards meeting the new state of standards that are created alongside coming up with an improvement to the school that is selected. Gold Elementary school will be the school chosen for this assignment, whereby the proposed new curriculum will be developed. The paper will begin by summarizing aspects that are submitted from the task that is describing a specific curriculum area regarding the pilot project as well as the core instructional goals to be used for the curriculum. The paper will also be describing various curriculum development approaches which are used alongside the theoretical methods as well as psychological strategies that are in line with the essential instructional goals of the planned curriculum. Similar, cultural influences that are significantly impacting the selected school alongside the effective ways of integrating my planned curriculum with the cultural influences. The paper will summarize by outlining the strategies I have developed to have critical thinking skills incorporated into my proposed plan by the use of “Bloom’s Taxonomy of Cognitive Objectives” not forgetting their rationales that are corresponding (AHN, 2017, p. 107).

Area of Target and Type of Curriculum Education

The pilot curriculum that is proposed is planning to incorporate STEAM Education in all the grade students to grade five students in Gold Elementary School. STEAM education is consisting of disciplines like science, technology, engineering, art as well as mathematics. STEAM knowledge is crucial in keeping the students with technology alongside ensuring that they are engaged in the process of active learning. The STEAM knowledge is also useful in transforming ideas that are new into the best innovation and inventions as well as making the students more innovative. The proposed curriculum is using the concepts as well as approaches that entail enhancing the curiosity, exploration, creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration of the students which are essential in helping the students become more successful in their higher learning. As a result of the use of STEAM education, it is possible to connect subjects for the students thereby opening the door to curriculum that is more exciting and meaningful and relevant to the current situations (McNeil & Thompson, n.d., p. 55).

Core Instructional Goals of STEAM education

i. The STEAM education is aiming at educating, encouraging as well as preparing the current youth towards pursuing careers that are in the related field alongside developing them for higher learning. He approaches focusing on the learning environment that is student-centered aiming at engaging the students in collaborating, solving problems, critical analysis as well as hands-on activities (McNeil & Thompson, n.d., p. 65).

ii. Student undertaking STEAM education is incorporated with questions that are complex, investigating issues that are global alongside finding solutions to the problems especially for the situations that are challenging and in the real world alongside applying technology, science engineering, mathematics and arts contents in an interactive learning process. Thus, STEAM education is aiming at developing the logical abilities of the students alongside teaching them to become individuals who are scientifically, mathematically and technological literate alongside having effective communication (Voogt et al., 2015, p. 270).

iii. STEAM education is capitalizing in the early experiences and interest of the students as well as identifying and building creativity and knowledge alongside providing the student's opportunities of engaging on several practices especially in mathematics and other sciences to have their interest sustained. The student will be able to enhance their abilities to solve problems through investigating questions that are about the world just like the way mathematicians, and scientist is doing (Voogt et al., 2015, p. 271).

iv. STEAM education is aiming at providing as well as enhancing the development of teachers. It is giving course, classes alongside internships that will be useful to the teachers as they can get the crucial knowledge and skills in areas they previously never had. Instructors will have a chance to learn the technologies that are current as well as current approaches that are beneficial to the student through the use of competency training alongside online course (Mannathoko & Mamvuto, 2018, p. 149).

The different approaches to student learning

This new pilot curriculum will be using both humanistic as well as behavioral approaches to learning. The behavioral approach is playing a significant role in emphasizing on guiding the students towards reaching pre-established learning outcomes. The method is beginning with the plans of education, and it is ending with the setting of objectives and goals that are crucial for the learning process. The behavioral approach is more significant being that is scientific alongside having measurable outcomes. When the learners can attain the expected results of learning that are put in place towards achieving the curriculum objectives, then learning is considered to have taken place. The main aim of the behavioral approach to the process of learning is to provide appropriate opportunities to learners helping the students in demonstrating that they can show that they have learned something. High priority should be given to lessening the problem behavior intensity within the classroom by the teachers towards ensuring that the leaning, as well as interventions impact, are maximized (Mannathoko & Mamvuto, 2018, p. 150).

Humanistic learning Approach is putting more emphasis on the role of non-cognitive variables in learning, for instance, the requirements of students as well as their values, emotions, and self-perceptions. The approach is based on the principle the students will be motivated to learn is the materials used in the class are personally meaningful. It is aiming at helping the students to understand better their behavior alongside creating a classroom environment that is positive, having the ability to activate learning desires. The instructor who is establishing an atmosphere that is humanistic within the class is expressing interest that is genuine in every learner alongside guiding the students into the right actions. The learners are having more opportunities of discussing their views, feelings, problems in an open manner within a school environment that is humanistic thereby increasing happiness and motivation to the students (Grote, 2016, p. 1329).

The Philosophical Approach to learning

A philosophical approach of realism is used for this pilot curriculum towards shaping the design of the curriculum. Generally, Realism is based on that fact reality is what you one is observing. This philosophical approach is believing that people only sense and observe something that is truthful and that goodness is found in order of natural laws. It is practical education philosophy; thus, this new curriculum will be teaching reality as well as facts that are in the field of education. The realistic approach is entailing three questions; what is the reality? What is good? As well as what are the facts? This approach is discussing the fundamental knowledge, value, as well as philosophies of education. This new pilot curriculum is going to be used on a plan that is more realistic alongside emphasizing in critical reasons with the help of experiments and observations. The approaches encourage lecture methods alongside other teaching methods of learning. It will be crucial in furnishing the cognitive strength of the students preparing them for future life (Grote, 2016, p. 1330).

The psychological, motivational approach

The best approach to learning that will be used in this pilot curriculum is the cognitive-behavioral approach to remediate behavioral deficits alongside problems as the students will be provided with necessary tools that they can use to control their behavior. This approach is involving the teaching of the use of inner speech towards modifying cognitions that are underlying, having impacts on the students. The cognitive behavioral approach is incorporating motive, behavioral, cognitive as developmental strategies. This is line with the help of role plays, modeling, using rewards as well as self-evaluation towards remediating social behavior and student’s deficit. Cognition of the students regarding social situations that are encountered in the class can be modified alongside being examined via self-regulation approach, which is provided by this approach. The method is a student-operated system, therefore, will be allowing the students to have their newly learned behavior generalized by themselves in a better manner compared to systems that rely on punishments and external awards (Adams, 2015, p. 153).

Cultural influence and its integration in the school district

Forces, as a result of various cultures, are having a significant impact on the way students participate in learning. As a result of religion, we can identify understand the differences within the learners alongside enabling use to come with the best curriculum strategies and modifications. Differences in culture in students should be carefully put into consideration so that the teachers do to make assumptions that are based on the cultural background of the students. The transformational approach is one of the cultural influencings that is significantly impacting the school district. The method is aiming at changing how students understand themselves and anybody within the classroom setting alongside being able to be involved in the external contribution to the outside world. STEAM education will be emphasizing on the curriculum that is transforming teaching alongside instilling changes in educators and learners. Primary methods are used to have transformational approach integrated. For instance, provision of mastery and modeling experiences of the members of faculty, establishing the vision of the course, intellectual improvement alongside encouraging and challenging learners, feedback and attention personalization, creation of less of experiments as well as encouraging reflection alongside reflection within the learners (AHN, 2017, p. 99). The transformational approach can be adequately integrated by creating experiences that are constructive within the class with the teacher's role being preparing and transmitting information to the learners as the students are supposed to receive, store as well put the information into action (AHN, 2017, p. 102).

Strategies Using Bloom’s Taxonomy into the Planned Curriculum

Bloom's Taxonomy is providing a basic framework for the educators towards aligning their activity with a specific process of cognitive development level. Bloom's Taxonomy is useful to the teacher regarding the design of task performance, developing questions for the students alongside provide feedbacks regarding the work of the students. To have critical thinking incorporated to all students in Gold Elementary School in the curriculum that is planned by the use of Bloom's Taxonomy of cognitive objectives, I will be developing goals and strategies of learning that will be applied by the teachers in the classes. First, the students will be in groups while performing scientific experiments after which they will be required to recite the activities to have their memory and knowledge tested  ("Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives," n.d.). This will enable the students to recall the activities that they learn in previous classes regarding answer, facts as well as concepts and terms. The strategy will be useful in promoting recognition, remembering, as well as memorization of learning activities (Adams, 2015, p. 153).

The second strategy involves grouping the learner in different pairs whereby every par is required to think of words describing a particular object which will be followed by asking them to write the descriptions. This strategy is useful as the students can demonstrate an understanding of ideas and facts through comparing, organizing, describing, translating, stating as well as interpreting the major conceptual ideas. Thirdly, a strategy that is involving the giving of exercises to the students asking them to give the difference between various disciplines will be used. This strategy is useful in enabling the students to examine as well as break the information into multiple parts through identifying the causes, making inferences alongside supporting their answers with evidence. Similarly, a fourth strategy of giving the students a project that is requiring them to design homework problem that is original and is dealing with a topic that is specified. The strategy is useful in enabling the learners to compile information in various techniques through element combinations into patterns that are new towards solving the problem. It is enhancing the learning of students as well as the ability to resolve the issues and student's critical thinking (Adams, 2015, p. 152).

References

Adams, N. E., (2015). Bloom's taxonomy of cognitive learning objectives. Journal of the Medical Library Association: JMLA, 103(3), 152-153.

AHN, J., (2017). Implications of Art & Culture Area Student-Designed Major to Art & Culture Curriculum. Society for Art Education of Korea, 63, 99-113.