Exploring the Curriculum

Early childhood curriculum and theory coincide and impact one another. How an educator believes children learn determines what curriculum methods they will use to facilitate learning in their classrooms. This short dissertation will highlight the prominent early childhood theorists Emmi Pikler’s philosophy, summarize the Creative Curriculum method, and analyze how Pikeler’s early childhood theory relates to the Creative Curriculum method.

For this program outcome I chose my curriculum analysis paper from CUR 512, Curriculum Analysis and Planning. In this course we defined curriculum, the aspects that are considered when writing curriculum, the theoretical perspectives found within curriculum, and the goals of the curriculum. By writing this paper, I was able to focus in on a unit that I teach in third grade social studies to get a full picture of the curriculum. I was also able to see the complex issues surrounding the curriculum that I never previously noticed.

This chapter is all about redefining curriculum themes. The themes teachers do is just topical themes that actually may not benefit the students at all when it comes to development. We need to observe the children and find out what is their interests and use that to expand their learning. If we are going to have a curriculum it should be focus on were the kids are at and not from just a textbook. We need to go from traditional theme planning to developmental theme planning which is focused on the students and helping to develop them. This developmental theme planning will help when students are asking questions, their curiosity, their strengths and interests and their play. Children love to play whether it is pretend, exploration (they want to see how things work, feel, taste and etc.), construction or playing games with rules. Also, using things like birthday parties, fears of children like floods, earthquakes, cleanup, and setup to help provide developmental themes for the systems. It is important we have props beside toys that children can use when it comes to playing so they can explore different things. We should make themes off of observations that we see from our students.

A study conducted in 2003 by Ofsted that involved England, Denmark and Finland, showed England’s national curriculum compared to the other two countries was:

In a non-standardized curriculum, students have more control over their learning. The teacher sets the umbrella of the standard but the students can choose what they want to learn from that standard. Student’s freedom of thought, right to question, and the freedom to spread ideas are encouraged in this classroom.

Any student, whether in elementary or college, learns better when the subject matter is thought-provoking and appealing. Traditional and old curriculum provides a baseline for students to meet and follow. Also, traditional curriculum is based of individualism and discourages exchanges between the student and teacher. Individual work teaches the child to develop internal critical thinking skills but it may bore the student. Teachers should continually interact with their students and challenge the student to think outside the box. Great teachers in today's system should help students develop a new way of thinking about history, math, english, and science and their education in general.

When curriculum are designed, planed daily activities follow. Curriculum designed by the interest of the children and go through steps. Include philosophies of education, theories, standards, principles values, research, and views on how children learn best. Usually contained different domains that children develop through the activities. Socio emotional, intellectual. Then, goals and objective are written and say how this goals will be recognize. A plan is coming for outside and inside environment, the activist have to be planned to be out or in the classroom.

The review of the Australian Curriculum, undertaken by Kevin Donnelly and Ken Wiltshire recommended that students in Prep to Year 2 should focus on English, Math, History and Science and the arts content of the curriculum should be reduced. This means that the core content of the arts curriculum of music, visual arts, drama, dance and media arts would be not introduced until Year 3. (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-13/the-conversation-expert-verdict-on-the-curriculum-review/5809706). There is evidence for both sides of the reduction of creative arts for the Australian curriculum and this essay will attempt to address possible issues and solutions to the reduction of the arts.

Eight years ago, when I was employed as a teacher at BYLC, it was only in its second year of operation. Therefore, I played and integral part in developing an alternative curriculum that would successfully engage our students and also enable us to receive full accreditation as a secondary school. Since the introduction of the Australian Curriculum (AC), I re-developed our programs and they have again been approved during an accreditation review.

Curriculum can be broken into three forms: intended curriculum, implemented curriculum and attained curriculum. Intended curriculum is the goals for instruction, that are set through: schools, school districts, states, and national organizations. The TIMSS illustrates intended curriculum through the school’s textbooks, curriculum guides, programs, and surveys of educational higher-ups. Implemented curriculum is the pursuit of desired goals within the classroom, and the teacher’s performance in the learning process. The TIMSS studies for implemented curriculum include videotapes and surveys from a teachers’ course. The surveys include the teachers instructional practices, beliefs on education, subject being taught, and other factors that influence the student’s test scores. Attained curriculum is the

The curriculum that Ontario students were taught is important in order to understand the experience of youth during the nineteenth century. As school attendance began to increase, the curriculum became more regulated and structured. During the time when the curriculum was being designed during Ryerson’s tenure as superintendent, there were questions and debates concerning the content that children were taught, as well as assessment methods. The main debate concerning content was centred on textbooks (resulting in Ryerson eliminating the majority of American textbooks) . The curriculum was critiqued by reformers, who believed it was highly impractical. However, the view that the majority of government and educational officials held was that

The Utah Schools for the Blind consider the Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) as part of the daily studies for students with vision impairments, however, they do not consider it to be an intensive need of the students, and therefore do not give adequate instruction to students.

A progressive classroom looks different, and a progressive teacher inspires unique thinking in individual students differently, as well. Instead of being strict with a set curriculum and specific subject to cover, teachers find their students’ present interests, abilities, and needs. Developing individualized education plans based on student interests and

Curriculum is a term often highlighted during discourse about education and most commonly understood as a policy with overt leaning outcomes for teachers to apply and achieve. Ornstein and Hunkins (1998), as cited by Selvaraj (2010), defined curriculum based on two lenses; micro and macro, which identify the term as both policy towards certain goals and what students experience with consideration for relevant theories and principles central to its development and implementation. However, Wilson (n.d.) argued that curriculum is not restricted to certain individuals, subjects and environments, since teaching and learning can also occur beyond the scope of official curriculum (Ebert & Culyer, as cited in Marsh, Clarke & Pittaway, 2014). I believe this interpretation is the closest to the true nature of curriculum, or education, as there are more complex layers to curriculum than just a written guideline. For example, not one curriculum is similar to another because it is subjected to influences from continuum number of factors, such as politics and economy. Hence, it is wise to conclude that curriculum could not be defined based on a singular perspective due to its dependability on context.

Prospective student teachers were required to choose a curriculum document from either the primary or secondary school sector for evaluation. They were required to conduct such an evaluation using the Daniel Stufflebeam’s CIPP (Context, Input, Process and Product) Model. The CIPP Model would be used to determine the usefulness of the curriculum in meeting the needs of the Trinidad and Tobago society. Based on possible weaknesses found in the document, prospective teachers were to offer appropriate alternatives to improve the document’s content and implementation.