Learning to See

Learning to really see what is going on around us, in the classroom, in the community, in cultural/religious values, and even the politics of the community will help the teacher and in turn the children really connect to their place.  Planning a meaningful curriculum takes time and a sensitivity to understanding what is going on around us.  Some classrooms may be microcosms of things going on in the bigger world, with authentic curriculum that is connected, or we may have curriculum guided by national norms. Most classrooms have a combination of the two so learning to really see your children, what they can do, what their families and cultures expect will help to show how you value what each has to offer.  This shift is building a curriculum, one that meets and guides our children based on both standards and family and community values will help make the teaching and learning experience more meaningful to all involved.

 

As Deb Curtis and Margie carter state, “Listening, observing, and documenting is a pedagogy”

 

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What is Curriculum?

Curriculum is a word that is thrown around in educational settings, in schools, and is in every education book you read.  Yet, it is a nebulous word that can mean a broad set of meanings as they relate to schools.  So, for purposes of this book and the larger setting of schools and educational settings as they relate to curriculum, we will define curriculum as: a framework based on standards, ideas, questions or other relevant items in an educational setting that guides the instructor, the student and the environment to promote learning.  The curriculum will include a set of content, materials and/or developmental matter that students are expected to learn and accomplish through a variety of experiences.  The outcomes of the experiences are tested through an assessment to know if the curriculum worked.  Then the great teachers add one more component to their curriculum – their own reflection and connections. They will ask, what did I learn about the experience and what will I do to build on that learning? To better understand these concepts, we must deconstruct the above statements as we will below in the section of Four Parts.

 

 

Four Parts

There are basically four parts to a curriculum:

1. Planning – Where does our curriculum come from and What do we want kids to know
2. Teaching and Pedagogies – How are we going to facilitate the learning and experiences
3. Assessing – How will we know if we were successful
4. Reflecting – What should I do next

 

 

  Planning a Creative Curriculum

 

 

 

Cultural bias

Accountability

Standards

Teaching and Pedagogies that Promote Creativity

 

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Early childhood educators have been exploring various ways to incorporate 21st century pedagogies into their classrooms.  These pedagogies include a variety of practices including, interdisciplinary curriculum models, developmentally appropriate technologies, place-based curriculum, project-based learning and the Reggio Emilia practices.  Two areas that rise to the top and that are part of all of these models are Culturally relevant teaching (sometimes referred to as Culturally Responsive Teaching) and the 21st Century Skills (4Cs and innovative learning model) (New, 2007; Gandini, 2016; Fickel, MacFarland & MacFarland, 2017; Burke & Grosvener, 2015; Hammond, 2017). Connecting the two strategies and approaches in schools and building on the strengths of the other models above supports young children’s learning.  Having an authentic curriculum, one that is meaningful and based on the student’s identity and culture.  Using an emergent curriculum or a project appoach that is based on relevant topics can help students connect to their surroundings (Seitz, 2007, Curtis, Lebo, Cividanes, & Carter, 2013; Gandini, 2011).

 

 

 

Place-Based Learning

Having a superpower

 

Culturally Relevant Learning

To get a superpower,

 

Project Approach and Reggio Emilia

To get a superpower,

 

STEM/STEAM/STREAM

To get a superpower,

 

Making, Creativity labs, Art Studios

To get a superpower,

 

 

Assessing Curriculum that Supports Creativity

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Reflecting on the Curriculum to Promote Creativity

 

Critical Thinking and Reflection thoughts

 

Teaching is a very complex act that includes many facets.  Some teachers are better at one part than another.  Which part of teaching seems the easiest to you?

•  Planning
•  Teaching
•  Assessing
•  Reflecting

If you answered all four then you are ready for the classroom!  Most teachers work at each element in particular they look at ways to encourage creativity and to connect to the children, their families, their cultures and backgrounds and the community.  Think about the four elements again with the creativity and cultural lens.  Does that make it easier or harder to teach?  Does your curriculum allow for flexibility to address student needs?