this is a group project, this student only take in charge of Jean Piaget.

Our group is proud to present this proposal for a ground-breaking curriculum. We would like to thank the Educators in Partnership for sharing the Innovative Pedagogy Grant with us to make this possible. Our team has worked hard to develop a unique and beneficial guide to educating students using multiple philosophies.

1. The curriculum will be all-encompassing: We have made sure that all areas of development and subjects of learning were covered in our ideas for education. This ensures that every detail was examined and teachers will have a very useful guide to use.

2. The curriculum will use combined theories: We have taken the best pieces of multiple theorists to create the perfect balanced curriculum. These theorists include Montessori, Dewey, Erikson, Piaget, and Vygotsky.

Montessori- According to the website for the American Montessori Society, Maria Montessori was born in Italy to a mother who was very passionate about education and knowledge (Who Was Maria Montessori). This passion passed onto Maria who dedicated her philosophy study to determining how we can educate students by building off of their natural curiosity. She aimed to create a child-centered learning environment that is thought through to encourage hands-on experiences. In a Montessori school, one would find varying age groups learning together, moving about from one thing to the next at their own leisure. This changes the role of the teacher dramatically compared to a traditional lecture-style classroom. They are to assess students on a daily basis to create an academic environment appropriate for each student. Educators are to create individualized learning plans for each student, however the learning is very much student-guided. They are free to choose what they work on and for how long, but they are also responsible for self-assessment through looking at their work critically. The instruction would include small group discussion and collaborative activities following a curriculum that moves from concrete to abstract. Students demonstrate their knowledge through performance rather than through paper tests. A recent journal article suggested the importance of focusing on teaching students acceptance of differences leading to a culture of unity (Raimando, 2018). This will be useful when discussing social emotional learning further in the proposal. The curriculum also would encourage interconnectedness across subjects. Patrick Frierson very accurately noted that Montessori’s theory is deeply rooted in the idea that life and the evolution of life should be the main focus of pedagogy (Frierson, 2018) . Thus, the curriculum will grow with the child, rather than expecting the child to grow to the curriculum. As for school’s role in society, the Montessori method welcomes parental involvement so that ideas in school can be reinforced at home. This can occur through open houses, classroom observations, and frequent communication between teacher and parent. As for play, Montessori believes that we should stick to realistic play instead of fantasy by using toys such as cooking sets, gardening tools, and wooden puzzle blocks. Angeline Lillard’s recent article entitled “Pretend Play and Fantasy: What if Montessori Was Right?” shows how research backs up this theory. In one study, pictures of pretend toys and realistic toys were shown to kids of all ages. The children were asked to select the picture of the toy that they would like to play with. At no age did the child choose the pretend toy. Lillard points out that students prefer real toys because they feel like they have accomplished something (Lillard, 2018). Not only is pretend play not something children prefer, it also doesn’t set up students with the most beneficial skills for life. Montessori believes in giving students toys that represent things they might experience in their lives at home or in school so they can practice using tools that are relevant to them. Thus, the various research-backed theories of Montessori will prove to greatly contribute to the new curriculum.

Erikson - In the book Theories of Childhood, An Introduction to Dewey Montessori Erikson Piaget & Vygotsky by Mooney,(Mooney, 2013) explained that Erik Erikson’s believed that there were eight psychosocial stages of development that an individual would go through, starting in infancy and continuing into adulthood. Erikson thought to believe that at each stage there would be a psychological crisis that would result in further developing an individual's personality. Trust vs. Mistrust is the first stage that and it begins at birth and continues until the child is eighteen months old. Since the infant is so new to the world they will turn to the primary caregiver in search of stability and consistent care. Essentially if the child's needs are not been consistently met the child may develop anxiety and mistrust, but if the needs are being met the child will develop healthy trust that will carry into their adult relationships. The next stage is Autonomy versus shame this stage begins right after the trust versus mistrust ends and continues until three years of age. Erikson believed that child are developing a sense of independence within their environments if the child is not given the proper opportunities to be independent and assert themselves the child may develop a lack of self-esteem which can carry into adulthood. Initiative versus guilt is stage 3 within the eight stages that lasts from age three to six. The main idea behind this stage is that children need to feel confident with interacting with peers so they can assert themselves and learn leadership skills while also developing a sense of purpose. From age six to eleven is the industry versus inferiority, during this stage, the child needs to be encouraged for their initiative in order to feel confident in their abilities to complete tasks. During adolescence, the children are in identity versus role confusion. While children are trying to find their sense of self and develop their interests, if the child is pressured into an identity the child may rebel and this can result in the child never developing fidelity. Young adulthood is when individual ages eighteen to forty will go through intimacy versus isolation, this stage is critical for the development of intimate and loving relationships with other people. Stage seven occurs during middle age and this is when an individual is in the stage of generativity versus self-absorption were the strength that they are trying to develop is care. The final stage in Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development is Integrity versus Despair, this stage occurs around age sixty-five and ends at death, during this stage an individual needs to develop a sense of integrity to reflect on their lives and feel like they have to lead a successful life. Erikson believed if a person views their life as unproductive they will become dissatisfied which will lead to depression. Erik Erikson firmly believed that the parents and teachers help babies develop a sense of trust which is crucial for a child to move on to the next stage of development and will affect them in numerous ways from then on. Teachers can support the development of trust by holding babies during feedings, respond to crying, and support attachment through caregiving. Teachers can also provide older children with simple choices and setting clearly defined limits. It is also important that teachers realize and be accepting of individual factors that control what children are capable of any given day. Therefore it is crucial for care centers and schools to provide an environment that the children can thrive in. In an article titled Lessons from Erikson (2006), they state, “Parents and caregivers must be consistent in their efforts to encourage and support the child’s explorations while keeping the child safe and protected throughout his experimentation with cause and effect” (p.8). Some other examples of how Erik Erikson's theories would look within a classroom can vary depending on the age group of the class. For example, in an infant classroom, the infants would be held during feedings and there would be a safe place for mothers to come and nurse their children in a quiet environment. The classroom would respond to a crying baby in a timely manner because they have few coping skills developed at that age and it is important that babies are able to trust that their needs will be taken care of. It is also important to a baby that the same adult is there when they wake up from a nap in order to support healthy attachment. Within a higher age classroom, you will notice that the children are given simple choices. The teachers will also set clear limits for the children so they know exactly what is expected of them. Teachers also will be accepting that children swing from independence to dependence regularly so it is important to be patient and understanding.

Vygotsky - Lev Vygotsky’s theories originally stemmed from having teaching experiences and an interest in children that eventually led to his interest in cognitive and language development and their relationships to learning. Vygotsky’s theories stress the fundamental role of social interaction in the development of cognition. Most of his ideas center around the idea that social learning happens before other kinds of development. Vygotsky himself stated that “learning is a necessary and universal aspect of the process of developing culturally organized, specifically human psychological function” (Lev Vygotsky, McLeod). He believed that this social learning occurs when children play. Not only are they building upon their social skills, but developing important language skills through their interactions as well. Perhaps the most well known aspect of Vygotskys’s theories is what he named the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). This is an important concept that relates to the difference between what a child can do on his or her own and what a child can achieve with the help of someone else - a “More Knowledgeable Other” (MKO). For example, if a child is working on a puzzle and is unable to complete it herself, but is then able to complete it with the help of her teacher, she has developed competence that will help her in solving future puzzles. This assistance is called “scaffolding” (Mooney, 63). Vygotsky sees this Zone of Proximal Development as the area in which the “most sensitive instruction or guidance should be given… developing higher mental functions” (Lev Vygotsky, McLeod). This is where the term scaffolding comes from - a More Knowledgeable Other is helping a child “reach” a new level of understanding. Each and every teacher is an MKO, and if looking to implementing Vygotsky’s theories into their own work, a teacher must plan activities that encompass not only what children are capable of doing by themselves but what they can learn with the help of others. This could mean simply providing many opportunities for children to help one another or work together on projects or assignments (Slavin, p.47). Teachers should keep in mind, however, that each and every student in a classroom may have a different Zone of Proximal Development. They may have to modify activities or pair students who have similar ZPD’s. Vygotsky’s theories are clearly very centered around social interaction, so this means that teachers should consistently be modeling appropriate behavior and providing “hints and cues about how and when children should regulate their behavior” (Mooney, 69). However, teachers can slowly withdraw this kind of support when they see that a student has mastered the kinds of self-regulation skills they have been modeling.

Specifications

Below you will find the proposal broken down by subject area of learning. Underneath we have listed our ideas on how it should be taught and backed it up with a theory of learning.

Math

Montessori will play a big role in this subject area using the idea that curriculum will move from concrete to abstract. For example, in the area of addition, students will begin by using manipulatives to experiment with the concept of addition. There will be several manipulative options laid around the room for students to choose from based on their interests. This will move to using number symbols to represent manipulatives, and the final step will be to remove the manipulative leaving addition using number symbols.

Vygotsky’s ideas of zone of proximal development plays a role in all different types of subject fields. For math, the zone of proximal development and scaffolding can be a great help for students. For example, you can be working on writing equations in class. With scaffolding, you can ask some questions. A question that you can ask for writing equations would be, “can you think of another way that you can write that equation?”. By asking questions, you can guide your students toward having a deeper understanding of the topic. Another way you can incorporate Vygotsky’s idea in math would be by adding a visual aid. For example, let’s say you are learning about shapes in math. You can make an anchor chart with all the different shapes on it. That way the students can see the different shapes while we are talking about them during the lesson.

Reading

Vygotsky’s ideas can be used to help students that struggle to read. There are many things that a teacher can do to scaffold reading in their classroom. An example would be introducing vocabulary. Not knowing some words is one of the biggest reasons why students struggle with a text. By giving the students the definitions of the unknown words, they will feel more comfortable when they interact with them in text. Since the students now know what the words, they would probably have an easier understanding what the text is about. Another example would be reading aloud. Since you as the teacher is the best reader in the class, you can lead by example and read to the children. By hearing how you read, the students get a great example and they will feel more comfortable reading later on.

Science

Montessori is a firm believer in exploration for learning, and we will incorporate that idea heavily in science. Students will be posed a question in a small group setting, develop a hypothesis, and test it using classroom materials. As an example, students can create a class pumpkin patch and care for their pumpkins over the course of a few weeks. They will be encouraged to take notes about their observations and even diagram changes. Then, they will be able to play with the pumpkin they grew and experiment with how it feels, comparing some of their pumpkins. In addition, they are encouraged to pose questions such as “What type of soil will help the pumpkin grow the best?” and experiment with the possible solutions.

Vygotsky’s ideas in science is very similar to math. With Vygotsky’s ideas, you can ask questions to the students in your class. An example could be that you just went over a new topic in class. Every student would get a white board and you ask them different questions. You give them all the time to write down their answer the different questions. Since the students are answering the question individually, you get to know what each student knows. That way you know which students are getting what and you know what you need to go over again in class.

Social Studies

Montessori believes that students reach an important point from age 6-11 where they become conscious about the people around them. It is in this time that it is especially important to teach a sense of unity and acceptance to create a more kind and compassionate adult. A large part of learning to accept others is learning to accept yourself, which is why social emotional learning is so important. There are countless strategies for including social emotional learning, but one in particular stands out that fits the Montessori method: exploring emotions. This can be done using books or situational discussion. Wondering what emotions are, how they feel, and what causes them creates a spectacular area for exploration at the younger age groups. As students grow, they can begin to explore emotion by putting themselves in another person’s shoes to predict how a situation would make them feel. Thus, moving from concrete to abstract thinking as Montessori’s curriculum indicates.

Erikson Math Lesson Plan

Grade Level: First grade Subject: Addition

Lesson Aim: This activity is aiming to help the students further understand the concepts of addition and practice one to one numbering of objects.

Material: For this activity, you will need 3 cases Colored blocks, legos, or coins. This activity also requires writing utensils for the students to use in order to keep track of their objects.

Instructions: Assign the students in equal groups of 3-4 students per group, ensure these groups are fair in skill level. Once the students are in their assigned groups distribute 3 objects to each group. Instruct the groups to count their objects and explain that you will be going around and distributing more objects but it is their task to write an addition equation as well as count how many objects their group possesses now. Once the objects have been dispersed and the students finish their task, as a class review the answers they have written and if there is any errors help them fix their answer.

Erikson’s theory in action: In an article on ways to apply Erikson's theory in instruction, the author explains the importance of assigning groups that are all fair in skill level. They state, “Ensure that any competitive games or activities have well-balanced teams. If children consistently lose at math games, they may believe they are bad at math. Conversely, even a struggling student may feel confident in mathematical abilities if her team performs well overall” (Kohlar, 2019). This is an important consideration to take before assigning groups if a child is always on the losing team they will eventually lose motivation and it could potentially damage their self-esteem.