Social Science Mod. 1 Assignment (W)

Module 01 NAEYC Curriculum Activity

· Curriculum development is responsive to families' goals and priorities as well as the individual needs of children.

· Curriculum planning and intervention are based on specific observations of each child made by parents and the intervention team in natural contexts.

· To the maximum extent possible, educational experiences are derived from research-based practices.

· Learning is an interactive process. Children's interactions with adults, peers, and the physical environment are all important.

· Programs must be able to meet a wide range of interests and abilities. Teachers are expected to individualize instructional programs.

· Learning activities and materials must be concrete and relevant to children's lives. Teachers should make use of real-life objects and activities (e.g., make a trip to the fire station, not just read a story about fire engines).

· Educational goals are incorporated into all daily activities. Objectives are not taught in isolation but are integrated into meaningful activities and events.

· Teachers must increase the difficulty and challenge of activities gradually and skilfully.

· Teachers must accept and appreciate cultural differences in children and families and avoid ethnic and gender stereotypes.

· Programs must provide a balance between rest and activity and should include outdoor activities each day.

· Teachers must be able to facilitate the engagement of each child by offering choices, making suggestions, asking questions, and describing events in ways that are meaningful and interesting to the child.

· Programs must create careful transitions from one activity to the next. Children should not be rushed, and schedules should be flexible enough to take advantage of impromptu experiences.

· Children should be given opportunities for self-initiation, self-direction, and repeated practice.

· Outdoor activities should be planned, not simply opportunities to release pent-up energy.

Module 01 Curriculum Design for Learners with Special Needs

How does this fit with special needs populations?

The curriculum design process for special needs populations follows the same format as planning for any type of class instruction. The key difference is the need to make individual accommodations based on the specific exceptionality for the learner. The type of modification needed will be contingent on several factors:

· The specific learning needs of the learner

· The goal of the activity

· The type of resources and structure

When designing curriculum, a good rule of thumb to consider is if the activity can be completed by all children in some manner. If the answer is no, then this is not a good activity. The curriculum plan should provide ways for every child to be successful with the right type of support and modifications or accommodations. If any activity or curriculum plan cannot be implemented with at least one child, the plan should be re-structured to provide support and guidance to allow everyone to engage in the learning experience.

Points to consider with curriculum design

· DAP - When designing curriculum for any population of early childhood learners developmentally appropriate practice should be a primary consideration. Developmentally appropriate practices focuses on the individual learning needs and interests of every child in the classroom. The process addresses cultural experiences and the unique characteristics of the individual that makes the learning experience meaningful.

· Accommodations - The type of accommodations needed to support children with special needs ranges greatly based on the specific needs of each child. A child with a physical delay will have very different accommodations needs than a child who is a second language learner. The type of accommodation can be a large adjustment to the curriculum model or it could be a minor addition to the activity. For example, the child with a physical delay might need a chair to sit in while using the sand and water table. In comparison, the child who is a second language learner may need someone to show her how to use the materials in the sand and water table by modeling and speaking in the second language. These modifications are very different but allow both children to engage in the same activity.

· Physical environment - The physical environment is a key piece of the curriculum design process. The physical environment sets the tone and can help communicate the goals of the activity. Some children with special needs will require the teacher to modify the physical setting to support the learning goals.

· Communication with others - Communicating with others is an essential part of the learning environment. When designing curriculum consider what would need to be shared with other teachers, parents, or children to support the learning process.

The following video addresses the role of the environment and the connection to supporting the learning process. As you view the video, please consider how the room guides the tone and learning of the children in your care.

As you move further into the course, you will focus on ways to modify the curriculum to accommodate specific learning needs of children in the classroom. While you begin your first assignments for this course, reflect on what are common accommodations you could make to enhance learning for children with special needs in the classroom.

Classroom Environment

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Module 01 Defining Curriculum Design

What is Curriculum Design?

The term curriculum design is a broad concept that can have many different meanings and applications. At the base level, curriculum design addresses how one creates the learning activities and environment for those engaged in the learning process. As you begin this course, curriculum design will be addressed with a specific focus on learners in an early childhood setting to support children with special needs. The goal of this course is to enhance how early childhood practitioners create meaningful learning experiences for all children in their care while meeting key developmental needs of individuals. When thinking of curriculum design, this applies to an individual activity as well as the plan for the entire week or even the school year.

As we begin this course, consider what your initial goal is with curriculum design. As you move through the modules, reflect on what you have learned and how it can support your personal and professional goals.

Curriculum Design in ECE

Curriculum design typically follows a standardized structure that can vary slightly based on the specific needs of the learning environment. Some design models must follow a uniform template created by a school. Others may need to use specific materials or follow specific standards. Regardless of the unique requirements, all forms of curriculum design should be intended to support specific learning needs and help individuals achieve goals to enhance learning and development.

In an early childhood setting, the focus of curriculum design is intended to help individual children grow and learn in alignment with their individual learning needs. While academic concepts are often embedded in the ECE curriculum, the focus on curriculum design should be on development and growth. Early childhood educators use curriculum to support developmental goals and enhance specific domains for individual children in their classroom. For example, ECE practitioners in an infant classroom might design curriculum to support fine and gross motor skills. A teacher in a three-year-old classroom might focus on emotional development as part of the learning plan. What is unique about ECE curriculum design is the focus on supporting the development of the whole child beyond one specific learning area.

How is curriculum design used?

Curriculum design is used to plan out the learning experience for individuals in the classroom aligned to specific standards and goals. Curriculum design focuses on specific objectives and outlines a plan to support learners mastering concepts or growing in identified areas. Many programs have a standardized template to guide the design process and to offer consistency between classrooms. When designing your own curriculum, you can find templates online, if you do not already have one for your classroom. When selecting a curriculum design template, it is important to keep in mind the needs of your classroom and select a template that will communicate the plan effectively.

Common Elements Included in a Curriculum Design Template

· Objectives - The specific learning target of the activity.

· Goals - The main learning outcome of the activity.

· Theme - The specific theme for the activity or a specific academic concept associated with the curriculum plan.

· Topic - What is the main topic of the activity? For example, a theme could be farm animals and the topic could be where each animal lives on the farm to connect with classification.

· Materials - This section provides a list of materials needed to complete the activity.

· Step-by-Step instructions - This is the step-by-step guide to lead the learner in the activity. Think of this activity as a recipe. You want anyone using the curriculum plan to be able to follow the intended procedures to execute the activity.

· Accommodations - What accommodations or changes are needed for the activity to meet the needs of each learner in the classroom? For example, do you need to provide extended time or instructions in another language?

· Transitions - How do you transition into the activity and out of the activity?

An example of a lesson plan template is found below.

Lesson Plan Template

Please look over the specific areas and comments to gain an idea of what would be included in each area. Note the section that addresses modifications for children with special needs.

Annotated Lesson Template Guide

When creating your lesson you will use this template to design the activity. The areas in Black indicate what should be addressed in each box. The Red text provides you with examples and tips to help fill out these sections. When you complete the lesson, ALL sections should be filled in on the chart.

Your Name:

Age/level of Student:

Demographics of Students:

Date:

Length of Activity:

Developmental Domain(s) Covered:

Activity Title:

Remove all red writing

Goals: What do you want the students to learn in this lesson? *Think in terms of developmental goals/levels/outcomes Rationale: What is your reason for wanting the students to learn this? *What are developmental needs for the age group?

DAP (Developmentally Appropriate) How do you know this is DAP? According to what standards will you know this is developmentally appropriate? *Provide specific examples of how this meets elements of developmentally appropriate practice. *If you have specific state standards, you will include these here.

How will you assess the student’s prior knowledge in order to do this activity successfully? What do students need to know in order to do this activity correctly? *This portion should address key developmental abilities needed to successfully carry out the activity. These are not just academic skills; think in terms of developmental levels. You may need to include developmental concepts beyond the specific focus of the activity. For example, a lesson plan focusing on language development may also require social and emotional areas to be present.

Lesson Activities and Steps In this column, you will tell the details of your plan	Materials & Resources In this column, you will tell what materials you will use.
Assessment of Activity How will you know that the students have met the goals that you have for them? What will you look for? How will you know it was a success? *This is not a numerical score. Think about the outcome for your activity and what type of behaviors you would anticipate.	Assessment Tools Is there a tool you will use to show how students did with this activity? *Tools can be a variety of methods, including observations or a sample of the child’s work.
Procedures Indicate, in great detail, how you will do this activity. *This should be a step-by-step guide to follow. If you were to pass this to another teacher, would the teacher be able to carry out the activity based on your directions? Before you begin, you should think about: · How will you start? · How will you gain the children’s attention? · What materials will you need to gather? · What specific statements would you use to introduce the activity? · What prep work will you need to do beforehand? Main Activity · Write step-by-step procedures of how you will do this activity. Be VERY specific. · Indicate what the teacher should say and do. · Indicate what you want the children to do. · A good way to look at it is if you were sick and you had a sub, does that person have all the directions needed to do that activity? Closing the Activity · What will you do to let the children know the activity has ended? *Do you have specific words to use? · Will the children have to help clean up? · Do they need to transition to another activity? For example, if they will go outside, how will you keep them engaged while you wrap up the activity and move them to the next stage?	What resource or materials will you use? *List the specific materials and resources you will use in this section. Think of this as a recipe and include the ingredients.
Response Required How will you extend the learning after the activity has been completed? *How can you connect this to another learning center or activity for children? How can you continue to promote the same developmental goals?	Response Required Will other items be needed for the extension? *List materials, resources, support needed to extend learning activity
Response Required Evaluation and Reflection Take time to reflect and evaluate your current lesson plan. Provide a substantial response to each of the following questions: · How does this activity align with the developmental needs of children for your selected age group? Be specific in your response. · How does this activity support the specified developmental domain? · How could this activity be modified to meet the specific learning needs of individual children?