Developing Curriculum

Q1
Describe in general how you currently develop curriculum. Please use the unit you brought to class as an example.

I work in a fully inclusive preschool program for three and four year old students.
Our classes serve students who are in a wide range of developmental stages. Some of these students, approximately 50% have IEPs.

Currently, our program uses a scripted curriculum. It is a theme based curriculum that uses global monthly and weekly themes to organize the experiences of our students. The goals and objectives covered therein are aligned directly with the New Jersey State Expectations for Quality Preschools. Each unit outlines specifically why we teach the content, what outcomes we would like to see, the schedule which will be followed, how it will be taught, and what will be needed.

As a staff we put great effort into focusing on why we are teaching what we are teaching and what outcomes we want for each student. While our curriculum is very comprehensive, I suppose we could say that we further develop the curriculum in two ways. Year to year we develop it by examining what worked – what activities were successful in achieving the outcomes from the year before and what outcomes and activities need to be re-planned based on students incoming developmental levels. Finally, we develop curriculum on an ongoing basis by examining ongoing assessment.


Q2
Using the figure below, reflect on how you develop curriculum and how it reflects the different learning environments and their relationship as illustrated in the figure. What do you use in your current planning strategies? What might you be able to change so that you “teach to the whole child?”

Learner Centered, Knowledge Centered, Assessment Centered

As a whole, I feel we have a strong belief in the equal importance of all three. However, in practice, we definitely tend to be heavy on learner centered and knowledge centered and somewhat weak on the assessment centered. We put great emphasis in planning on using developmentally appropriate practices for all the students varying levels. We put a great deal of effort into making sure we cover the content as well. However this is where the area on need of improvement comes in. We want assessment to drive our instruction but do not always feel that is does so fully. We without doubt find ourselves moving on to keep on schedule when we really should slow down and ensure that knowledge is really embedded and really being observed in practice before moving on.

The unit I chose to work with is the first unit we introduce to the children. It is called Creating a Classroom Community. A broad base outcome is a group of children that are a cohesive group who care about one another, who are increasingly independent and who learn to work through problems. They will learn to be valued and to respect, how to explore and use materials, ask questions, recognize, and express emotions. It is not one that is particularly challenging, but one that I feel is very representative of the big picture of what preschoolers need to be experiencing and learning.

Bravo!

Just a quick blog to say BRAVO to all our classmates who have presented thus far. The best resources we have in any profession are our fellow professionals. I have, as I am sure many of you have, run into some who don't like to share - they don't want to borrow because they don't want to share or vice versa. It is not only enlightening to learn about content areas that I do not teach but it is also wonderful to see things through the eyes of other professionals who are looking to better the world of teaching and who are not hesitant to share their opinion.
It is good to be in a forum where we can be critical without being cynical or negative. Thank you to all so far. Looking forward to the next round.

NJCCCs - Mathematics - Handout

Summary of Mathematic Standards

The New Jersey State Core Curriculum Content Standards (NJCCCS) for Mathematics imply that the following attitudes and beliefs are most important to successful learning in the discipline:

Learning environment should be motivating, process oriented, meaningful, cooperative and metacongnitive.
High expectations must be set and supported by the belief that all can learn it.
Math will always be a part of the success of civilization and individual success.

The NJCCCS also lists 5 main standards for math:

The first 4 speak about what students will know-their knowledge. Each of these four sets covers an average of 25 skills per school year.
The 5th standard speaks to what will they be able to do-their skills.

Critique of the Math Standards

Math standards strengths are that they are clear, well organized and well delineated per grade level.

These standards strengths are:
Prepare students for standardized tests at the appropriate grade levels.
Address the principle that knowledge, understanding and understanding in organized content are imperative.
Address the principles of how people learn, specifically by building on prior knowledge, practicing and utilizing metacognitive skills.

Some weaknesses can also be noted:
100 line items in 183 days.
Must provide enough opportunity to practice
Standards do not meet the entire student population.

The standards imply overall that in teaching its quantity instead of quality. These standards are knowledge centered and provide a truly solid foundation for the core mastery. They limit curriculum development and they do not think about the learner.





Connection to the Readings

The standards are formulated by state. These standards give the promise of success based on one skill area. They are part of a hidden curriculum that math is more important than art, academic achievers are more successful than social achievers and that tests measure of a learner and a teacher. It is hard to imagine that a teacher would have time or energy left to invest in research that would bring about change.

Related Articles

Becker, J.P. (2000). The Politics of California School Mathematics: The Anti-Reform of 1997-99. Phi Delta Kappan, 28, 529-537.

Cavanagh, S. (2005). New NSF-Funded Research Center To Advance Study of Math Content. Education Week, 24(39), 10-11.

Desser, D. (2006). Questions and Answers Related to the Revised Core Curriculum Content Standards in Mathematics Adopted by the New Jersey State Board of Education on July 2, 2002 and Readopted on October 6, 2004. Retrieved September 26, 2007, from State of New Jersey Department of Education Web site: http://www.state.nj.us/education/genfo/overview/faq_cccs_math.htm

Leicester, M.P. (1996). What's Happening in Math Class?: Reconstructing Professional Identities. New York: Teachers College Press, 2, 191-193.

Stevens, J. (2006). Curriculum & Culture: Implementing Higher-Standards Curricula. Retrieved October 2, 2007, from Building Blocks Web site: http://www.buildingblocks.org/cfm_User/pg_SearchResultsOneStrategy.cfm?snap=15018.html

Trafton, P.R., Reys, B.J., Wasman, D.G. (2001). Standards-Based Mathematics Curriculum Materials: A Phrase in Search of a Definition. The Math Wars, 83(3), 259-264. Retrieved October 2, 2007, from Phi Delta Kappan database.

Just when I had calmed down...

So, I left last week's class feeling a little upset. Comments flying around that implied the worth of one's life being completely based on their education and occupation. I thought perhaps I would go home and begin blogging immediately, but by the time I got home I thought 'let me take some time to calm down and step back'. I decided to focus my thoughts on my belief that we need to guide curricula of the future to educate all with, not only respect for their personal passions, but a commitment to value and showcase those choices equally.

So, two nights later I went to Junior Parent Night to learn about the college search process for my son who plans to choose that road as his. The evening starts with statistics '98.5 % go on to four year colleges'. A well meaning guidance counselor then decided to speak of their 'equal' commitment to placing students who want to go on to, and I quote here "alternatives, such as , trade schools for plumbing, music school, beauty school, or historically black universities" - I kid you not those words came out in that order. I looked around, expecting to see the shock I was feeling on others faces - but not a flinch. The evening continued with a plenitude of information for applying to the four year universities without another mention of the "alternatives".

Am I hyper -sensitive, or are people really so unable to see the 'hidden' curriculum in that? Maybe both.

I'll take the combo

"The increased deskilling of teachers and the dissemination of teacher-proof curricula.." Anderson, p.28

My district purchased a scripted curriculum for use in Pre-k and k classes a few ears ago. Now this might go against the very purpose of this class but I just feel the need to defend its usefulness. I stress that I defend its usefulness, and not its godliness.

It had two major things going for it:
1. It forced teachers stuck in their ruts to climb out
2. It was an enormous support to first year teachers

These are major issues, as most of our teachers came from these two groups - those too long in the district and those just out of school desperate for a job.
This scripted curriculum forced them to cover state expectations and utilize developmentally appropriate practices. The use of this curriculum without increased the experiences of our disabled populations. Just because they don't look at the book or engage in conversation about it doesn't mean you shouldn't read to them!



So how does this relate to the readings you ask. Well it relates directly to the quote above. This and all curriculum need to be a base from which teachers - experts if you will - can start. It is not the bible, and teachers need to be able to use their valid knowledge from day to day classroom experiences to create progress for their students. We do not need curriculum company consultants coming into our classroom and devaluing our adaptations. We need to support these teachers to participate in action research on the smallest of scales and value that if we are to hope they participate in it on a larger scale.

Why does it always seem to have to be one way or the other?

Where to begin..

So I spent a long night re-reading and re-reading trying to gain some undersanding. After a short night of sleep two thoughts keep coming back to me.
The first is regarding Back to School Night and curriculum leadership. Our Back to School Night was last Thursday and as always, parents ask what curriuculum do you use? What kind of homework will they be doing? How are you preparing them for next year? ... Mind you I teach Pre-K. I do my best to answer the questions they are asking and them guide them to the questions I wish they would be asking. So often this envolves helping them to think about curriculum as not just a list of clearly and definitively achieved outcomes. I want them to know that learning how to learn is a more important part of our curriculum than any other; I want them to know that we want them to learn are pre-school skills not jump ahead to kindergarten. This is very thin ice - trying to value their understanding of curriculum and change it at the same time. Unhappy parents are a very strong outer curriculum I suppose. In my desire to be a good curriculum leader, I find myself exhausted by this effort to enlightend parents, but, fortunately, envigorated agian the next day by teaching their children.
The second is about hidden or evaded curriculum and a story I saw on the news last night. It had to do with a no PDA rule in a local middle school. That is 'No Public Dipslays of Affection'. Seemlingly some parents were upset about the extremity of it - girls not allowed to hug each other on their Birthdays or boys & girls not being allowed to hold hands or something. ( A father made some strange reference to a camel with his head in a tent?!) I have to say I can see the value in this rule - in fact not touching friends is common lesson in my preschool world. A young man I know, OK my son, was suspended lrom high school last year for five days for sexual harassment - he asked his English Teacher to the Prom. (He is not a conformist and would probably like defintion number 8 of curriculum from Mullen.."..the questioning of authority, etc., etc.) Some said this was extreme and I should fight it - I said he'll never cross that hard to see line again. In all honesty, it may have been one of the most important things he learned in that class.
Anyway I feel myself straying from the topic... time for some coffee.

I used to be the kind of learner who had to know if the outcome was right or wrong. The type of subject matter I used to study had that type of material - correct answers and incorrect and there was a certain amount of comfort in knowing that if I worked at it long enough I would get it right. I reaaaaallllllyyyyy had a hard time getting used to work that required my opinion and that didn't necessarily have a correct and incorrect answer. I took particular note of the running theme in action research about it being ongoing and spiraling. Chapter One in Anderson comments on how change can be thought to be confrontational by the people who have been doing things a certain way. Not only am I personally experience this with staff but also with parents. It is amazing how much time I spend defending developmentally appropriate practices. I am frightened honestly of how daunting it seems to be able to embed this type of research in the already too short school day, but I think knowing it is a process without a definite right and wrong answer takes the edge off it.