Children are naturally curious about the world around them. Once a child gains mobility it is a constant exploration to absorb all they be able to. Bringing this exploration into the classroom is the focus of this lesson. It is created to both allow for investigation and to present their discoveries to others and share what they learned on their expedition. With educational funding as it is today it is difficult to take students out of the classroom setting to explore their world so it is up to teachers to creatively find ways to incorporate the outside world into the classroom. Using technology, students’ imagination and a few objects of interest you can construct a world of discovery in your own classroom. Through this lesson I have created an excursion to travel through the United States along Route 66. Students will discover new landmarks, search through local histories and spread their imaginative wings exploring the world outside of the classroom.
Stephanie Jayanandhan wrote an article surrounding the difficulty of defining place (Jayanandhan, 2009). She takes a deeper look into the educational philosophy of John Dewey and his connections to the ideas of environment, experience and democracy (Jayanandhan, 2009). My unit on Route 66 stands firm on the principles of environment from Dewey’s standpoint. It is designed to take the classroom and transform it into an environment outside of the classroom by representation of landmarks, locations and historical events. Jayanandhan mentions, “Dewey’s understand of environment as potentially miseducative and his call for education environments to be “wider and more balanced” than individuals’ environments, is overlooked in some conceptions of place-based education. (Jayanandhan, 2...
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...ave found thus far but I look forward to working throughout my life to stay current and develop the perfect curricula.
Works Cited
Braundy, M. (2004). Dewey's Technological Literacy: Past, Present, and Future. Journal Of Industrial Teacher Education, 41(2).
Flinders, D. J. (1997). Curriculum and Consciousness. The curriculum studies reader (4th ed.). New York: Routledge. (Flinders, 1997)
Flinders, D. J. (1997). My Pedagogic Creed. The curriculum studies reader (4th ed.). New York: Routledge.
Jayanandhan, S. (2009). John Dewey and a Pedagogy of Place. Philosophical Studies In Education, 40(104-112).
Kilfoye, C. (2013). A voice from the past calls for classroom technology. Phi Delta Kappan, 94(7), 53-56.
Stoddard, J. (2009). Toward a virtual field trip model for the social studies. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 9(4), 412-438.
Connected to this theme is the development of a shared, lived experience, where students and teacher are involved in an ongoing negotiation of curriculum. In the first 13 chapters, Paley’s central focus is to develop a learning community within the safety of the classroom. In the second half of her book, Paley illustrates how the combination of these two themes in turn offers an opportunity for what we call an opening up of the definition of curriculum. This review is an analysis of these three themes within the organizational framework of Paley’s book. The theme of children and teachers as co-creators of curriculum is established in the first chapter when Paley says, “Each year I wait to be reawakened by a Reeny … something to ponder deeply and expand upon extravagantly” (p.10). Reeny responds to this call by asserting herself early on as a curriculum leader in Paley’s classroom. Because children themselves are curriculum makers and leaders, curriculum cannot be imposed upon the learner. Ultimately, this opening up of the discussion of what curriculum means is established by Reeny in the last lines of the book when she announces: “But I’m thinking, why don’t you stay and we’ll talk about it. Don’t fly away. See we can keep talking about it, okay?” (p. 99). It is in Reeny’s utterance that we understand—the curriculum conversation must necessarily begin with students’
Dewey had a holistic child in mind as he developed his theory. Dewey encouraged teachers to involve students within their learning environment (Webb, Metha, Jordan 2013). Dewey wanted each child to learn through experiential means. This meant the task at hand for teachers was to change their teaching methods and to encourage their students to play a part in their learning. This changed education by allowing students to ask questions and to learn by trying direct experiences. John Dewey wanted teachers to take on a whole new thinking process when approaching education in their classrooms. This approach was meant to get rid of the scientific approach and to embrace a new child-centered approach (Schrag 2009). A large area that Dewey influenced and continues to today is within the early education classrooms. Although Dewey helped teachers to make advancements, the Cold War brought up a new challenge; the Science and Math Education
Dewey’s philosophy of pragmatism and his creation of progression education, simply emphasize the need to learn by doing (Rivera-Castro). His idea that children learn best by doing and exploring the environment around them plays well into Greene’s idea of being wide-awake and allowing teachers and students to create
Marples, R. (2010). What should go on the curriculum? In Bailey, R. (Ed.), The philosophy of education: An introduction (pp 33-47). London: Bloomsbury
Australia is entering into a new phase of curriculum whereby there will be no state by state curriculum. It will be a national curriculum that is developed by the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). By introducing a national curriculum, the Australian Government is hoping to unify what is taught throughout the states/territories. It is possible to analyse the Australian Curriculum in terms of the definitions of curriculum it incorporates and how it is structured and how this is similar or different to various curriculum models. By using references from various readings and analysing the National Australian Curriculum, this paper will also address the purpose and goal that is promoted by the Australian Curriculum, how it is informed by factors such as learning theories, how it informs the teaching and assessment process and how it will cater for the needs of the 21st century learner.
Definitions of curriculum present different perceptions and beliefs. Stenhouse describes: ‘On the one hand curriculum is seen as an intention, plan or perception….on the other, it is seen as the existing state of affairs in schools’ (Stenhouse, 1975 in Wilson, 2009: 507)). Shirley Grundy defines curriculum as: ‘A programme of activities designed so that pupils will attain so far as possible certain educational and other schooling ends or objectives’ ( Grundy, 1987:11). Curriculum in generally need to consider the syllabus as the knowledge, the pedagogy as the process, the assessment as the product, the praxis as the style of delivery. Providing planned studying programme with consideration the grounds of its justifications, curriculum informs what and how is to be learned and taught.
Simon, G. (2002). Technology and pedagogy: Why don’t we see the promised revolution? Educational Technology, 42: 71-75.
John Dewey was one of the most influential American philosopher born in Vermont in 1859. He graduated from the University of Vermont and eventually got his Ph.D. and went on to teaching at other universities. In his book Experience and Education he talks about traditional education, the theory of experience, criteria of experience, social control, the nature of freedom, the meaning of purpose, progressive organization, and at the end he raps it up with the means and goals of education. Dewey was a well-known philosopher and his ideas travel all around during the early 20th century. He had two main principles; the principle of continuity and the principle of interaction that led to what he believed was the proper way to educated students.
The days of arriving to school early with a sack lunch, eagerly awaiting roll call and then to board a bus and go on a fieldtrip are becoming very rare these days. Fieldtrips are becoming too expensive for schools to provide and parents do not want to dish out loads of money for something that could potentially be taught in a classroom for free. In all age groups fieldtrips are slipping into a memory. Yet, a new way to take fieldtrips has emerged and is growing in popularity: Virtual fieldtrips. A virtual field trip is “a guided and narrated tour of website(s) that have been selected by an educator… and arranged in a “thread” that students can follow from site to site with just a click of a button” (Tramline, 2007, p.1). Virtual fieldtrips can take the shape in many different forms; this includes websites, PowerPoint, posters, and brochures (Rallis, 2013). What is nice about virtual fieldtrips is that you can adapt them to the age group that you will be teaching as well. They can range from simple ones to ones that go into greater depth and detail depending on the lesson and age group. This paper will discuss how to get started with virtual fieldtrips, differences from real field trips, and the pros and cons of a virtual fieldtrip in a junior high setting.
Dewey criticised the traditional schooling and supported pragmatism. He argued that the traditional schooling disconnects the experiences and lives of children and it also disconnects from the practical activity. Traditional schooling disconnects the experiences and practical activity in sense that the school provided knowledge to students from the knowledge of others such as the teacher being a provider or the knowledge was delivered through sets of text books which was very formal and did not link to students’ previous experiences from home. Dewey (1940) stated “I believe that all education proceeds by the participation of the individual in the social consciousness of the race” (Dewey, 1940, p.8). However, this participation of individual and the lives and experience of students were not being processed and it limited child’s ability o...
Dewey, John, and Reginald D. Archambault. John Dewey on education; selected writings.. New York: Modern Library, 1964. Print.
An Australian Curriculum has been en route for almost three decades, but due to inadequate support of its implementation, the ongoing developments had been short-lived, until now. This essay will discuss how an Australian Curriculum is a major priority for the 21st century and will look at the construction of this new curriculum including the impact that historic and current learning has had on present developments. Models of curriculum have always provided support to educators, so how do these models relate to the Australian Curriculum? Are they still suitable reference points? And what is the view of the learner? There are many definitions of curriculum, but this essay is going to discuss which definitions are valid for defining the Australian Curriculum and look at what the purpose of this new curriculum is. The teaching and learning cycle and assessment are the three dimensions to education; therefore the processes of each dimension are going to be highlighted. The 21st century and new ways of life t has pushed education to change. The need for this change has seen phase one of the Australian curriculum implemented. However, what else is going to be in the curriculum and how does all of these changes impact on the 21st century. The impact of these changes is going to be discussed in relation to current learning needs.
There seems to be a lot of controversy and uncertainty as to ¡¥what is the curriculum?¡¦ As such, there is a distributing lack of consensus on an all-embracing definition of this comprehensive concept. This is, in part, due to the various interpretations, meanings, emphasis and approaches that the scholars of curriculum studies embark upon. This, in turn, leaves the education practitioners and the general public in the dark as to what constitutes that which should be considered as ¡¥good curriculum practice¡¦ in educational institutions.
A National Curriculum has been of some importance within the Australian Governments for some time. Previous national planned curriculums have been developed and failed a number of times. The Australian Governments with the guidance of the Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians have developed ‘The Australian Curriculum’; A planned national curriculum from Foundation to Year 12 covering a variety of learning areas or subjects catering for Diversity, Differences and the needs of the 21st Century. The introduction of the Australian Curriculum is designed to supply all young Australians across the States and Territories an education that is of equal and high standards. This Essay will discuss the structure of the Curriculum, definition of the Curriculum, Outcomes expected to be achieved, Teaching, Learning and Assessment process and the needs of 21st century learners as well as the influences from Learning Theorist and Curriculum Models.
The Australian curriculum clarifies what students need to learn and what teachers need to deliver in education. It is expected that while the curriculum provides the framework of education, individual schools can combine teaching experience, pedagogical strategies and knowledge of their school community to form a comprehensive learning experience for each individual student (ACARA, b, 2010). Subjects such as English, Science, Mathematics and History are covered in the curriculum with a general overview and set of aims along with an idea of how this works for year levels.