Ashley Claire

Curriculum Theory Paper

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Curriculum Design

When I think about having the opportunity to design my own curriculum based on my own core beliefs, I immediately picture a classroom buzzing with activity where students are given the opportunity to build on their own interests independently and with peers. Some might say that I am a constructivist, however, I do not believe I practice one teaching philosophy. I try to add a mixture of philosophies and beliefs into my practice to help meet the various needs of my students. Philosophers John Dewey, Maria Montessori, Jean Piaget, and Lev Vygotsky share the belief that “education should be child-centered; education must be both active and interactive; and education must involve the social world of the child and the community” (Mooney, 2000, p. 4).

Throughout this paper, I will be discussing and explaining my very own curriculum approach. The goal of the school, faculty, and staff is to meet the individual needs (academic, social, emotional, behavioral, and physical) of all learners represented in the school. Students will be encouraged to explore and construct knowledge regarding their own interests, build meaningful and trusting relationships with teachers and peers, reflect and discuss positive and desirable behavior.

The curriculum will address all content areas. The lessons and strategies incorporated throughout the curriculum will involve preparation such as class grouping, goals and objectives, team planning, and a timeline. Topics selected will be student-centered encompassing content that sparks students’ interests. The topics will be chosen by students based on dialogue with peers and teacher. The resources will be gathered from a variety of sources such as the internet, and print materials (books, magazines, etc.) from the classroom library or school library. Students will be encouraged to visit and collect additional resources from their local public library as well.

Many of my ideas and beliefs have been acquired from the textbook, The research ready classroom: Differentiating instruction across content areas (Anderson & Dousis, 2006), which includes many strategies and activities that are scientific and research-based. I have also attained a variety of teaching strategies and educational philosophy from Theories of childhood: An introduction to Dewey, Montessori, Erikson, Piaget, & Vygotsky (Mooney, 2000). Lastly, my own experience as an educator has a significant impact on my beliefs about curriculum and learning in the classroom.

Defining Curriculum

I believe curriculum is content that allows students to learn information, build on skills and make connections with prior knowledge. The curriculum is student-centered and research-based allowing students to identify their own beliefs. The instructional strategies integrated into curriculum supports students questioning note taking skills, while meeting common core standards, and instilling intrinsic motivation. Lastly, the curriculum is the “what”, “how”, and “why” of teaching.

The sources for my curriculum includes myself, standards, teaching team, parents, and text book publishers. I believe in having multiple resources. This provides students with balance, diversity, and multiple perspectives. My teaching strategies will be student-centered and standards-based. The standards provide a checklist for educators to follow as they teach. I do not think teachers should feel restricted by the standards. Teachers should take advantage of spontaneous teaching moments because it creates valuable discussions and unforgettable learning opportunities for students.

Curriculum Environment

The environment needed to support the curriculum will be inviting, positive, stimulating, and encouraging. The teachers will know their students well. Teachers will make personal connections with their students through discussions, which will help them identify their students’ talents, interests, and personal backgrounds. Students will have the opportunity to interact and engage with all faculty and staff through morning meetings, school activities, and specials. Students will be encouraged to discover their hopes and dreams with their peers and teachers. Teachers will practice a school-wide discipline policy where all students, teachers, and parents are aware of the rules and consequences. All faculty and staff will be expected to model and practice desired behaviors just like students. Everyone in the school will be paired with an older accountability partner who encourages them to stay on track and exhibit positive behavior. Students will have the opportunity to interact with one another through a variety of games, activities, and class meetings where students are placed in mixed-gender and mixed-friend groups.

Instructional Techniques and Teaching Strategies

The instructional techniques practiced in the classrooms will revolve around a purpose. The teachers will identify and define goals, objectives, and meaning of the content being learned. Broad and narrow questions will be encouraged throughout whole group and small group discussions and higher order thinking will be practiced during hands on activities, projects, and presentations. Students will utilize graphic representations, reading, math, and science journals, technology, print materials, and manipulatives to build on and monitor their own understanding and learning. Teachers will assess students’ knowledge by using authentic informative and summative assessments.

Curriculum Focus

The curriculum will be focused on all content areas (math, science, art, language arts, music, social studies, and movement). Lessons and activities will be standards-based. Students will participate in math and reading centers where writing, manipulatives, music, art and hands on activities are integrated. For science and social studies, students will be a part of experiments, research projects, and individual and grouped authentic presentations.

The learning process for my curriculum will be centered on dialogue among whole group and small group discussions, teacher-student conferences, and application of content. Students will be given numerous opportunities to build, share, and reflect on their own learning through discussions and learning activities.

Curriculum Assessments

I will assess students on their knowledge and understanding by having conferences with them weekly to discuss their learning and progress. I will also use formative assessments such as discussions involving questioning and higher order thinking, check lists, rubrics, and journals. I will use progress checks every six weeks in reading and math to measure students’ knowledge of content. Lastly, I will administer a standards based assessment every 9 weeks assessing students in reading, science, social studies, and math.

Parent and Community Involvement

Parents and community will be highly encouraged to be a part of their child’s educational experience. The school will have seasonal events (fall festival, 5K, etc.) to bring families and community together. The parents will be invited to reading/math/science night where students will have the opportunity to share what they have learned thus far in their class with their classmates. Teachers will encourage parents to volunteer in a number of ways. Parents can attend field trips and help decorate the classroom/hallways for different events. Parents can also sign up to be the “mystery” reader for the week or share their career or cultural background with students. The community helpers (fire fighters, police men, mail men, nurses, etc.) will be invited to come to the school on career day to share their role in the community.

Curriculum and Transmission, Transaction, Inquiry, and/or Transformation

The curriculum will be a combination of transmission, transaction, inquiry, and transformation. The teacher will share content information as well as personal knowledge and experiences with students. The students will be given the chance to share their personal connections with content through whole group and small group discussions and conferences. Students will explore their own interests throughout their learning and build on it through hands-on activities involving problem solving skills, making connections, and higher order thinking skills. Additionally, the class will be given the opportunity to serve in the community around them (i.e. writing letters to elders, visiting the sick, recycling, etc.).

Supportive Sources for my Practices and Beliefs

The sources I found that support my practices and beliefs in education include the following:

· “Raising healthy children is a labor-intensive operation. Contrary to the news form the broader culture, most of what children need, money cannot buy. Children need time and space, attention, affection, guidance, and conversation. They need sheltered places where they can be safe as they learn what they need to know to survive.” Mary Pipher

· As an educator in a Title I school, I have received addition funds to help support the instructional needs and materials for my classroom. Although these tools have been supplemental in my students learning progress, I firmly believe that attention, engagement, and conversation is much more valuable and meaningful to a child’s overall development.

· “As we speak today of dispositions for learning purposeful curricula, shaping experiences through well-planned environments, and many other theoretical and practical conditions of teaching, we are discussing the issues that interested Dewey and that he wrote and talked about” (Mooney, 2000, p. 3).

· Students need to be placed in an environment that is rich, stimulating, and purposeful. Students and teachers need to set personal goals for themselves for every lesson and activity. In doing this, students and teaching are giving learning value and meaning.

· “There is in every child at every stage a new miracle of vigorous unfolding, which constitutes a new hope and a new responsibility for all.” Erik Erikson

· Every individual is continuously entering new stages of life with new challenges and experiences. As we enter these different phases, we need to be open to new opportunities and willing to take on new responsibilities.

· “Open-ended activities and questions support children’s cognitive development because they ask children to think. Instead of putting children in the position of being right or wrong, they put them in the position of inquiry, of finding out what the possibilities are, or how fast the bean sprout grows” (Mooney, 2000, p. 75).

· Students thinking should never stop; just like our learning. Educators should continuously be questioning their students to promote higher-order thinking skills. In doing this, students are encouraged to use their own imagination, which creates new ideas to discuss and share.

· “Vygotsky believed that a child on the edge of learning a new concept can benefit from interaction with a teacher or a classmate” (Mooney, 2000, p. 85).

· Dialogue and discussions are a key element for everyone; including students and adults. Social skills should be learned and developed at a young age. Teachers can help students practice social skills by integrating small group activities, centers, whole group discussions, and teacher-student conference. Students can also be compelled to practice dialogue by sitting in table groups rather than in an individual desk.

Role of the Teacher and Students

My role as a teacher in planning and implementing the curriculum is to primarily be behind the scenes while students learn. I am facilitating groups, modeling and coaching for improvement, managing time and behavior, observing, assessing, reflecting, encouraging, and transitioning. The role of the students in the classroom is to identify interests, respect others, set academic and behavior goals, display responsibility and respect, construct knowledge, practice learning, self-evaluate, reflect, explore, play, and converse with others.

Graphic representation

Resources:

Anderson, M. & Dousis, A. (2006). The research ready classroom: Differentiating instruction across content areas. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Atherton J S (2013) Learning and teaching; curriculum [On-line: UK] retrieved 10 July 2015

from http://www.learningandteaching.info/teaching/curriculum.htm

Mooney, C. (2000). Theories of childhood: An introduction to Dewey, Montessori, Erikson, Piaget, & Vygotsky. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

McGonigal, K. (2005). Teaching for transformation: From learning theory to teaching strategies. Speaking of Teaching, 14(2).

Parent and community involvement

Differentiated teaching strategies and activities

Constructive , interactive, and reflective learning

Student-centered environments

Authentic summative and formative assessments

Consistent rules and expectations

Purposeful and meaningful curriculum

Exploration, experimentation, and imagination practiced