Curriculum Theory - CT Week 1 Jan 2024 PDF

Curriculum Theory In order to teach young children, ECE must Focus of this course is Purpose of class is understand & continue teaching and...

Curriculum Theory In order to teach young children, ECE must Focus of this course is Purpose of class is understand & continue teaching and learning learning through a to wonder about how in the early years learning community children learn, develop and live their lives They create curriculum RECE’s need to know content (WHAT) and WHAT to teach and develop strategies HOW based on this (HOW) based on understanding/inquiry theory & ongoing pedagogical reflection  Ontario’s Early Childhood Educators Act (2007) defines Early the scope of practice in Childhoo early childhood education. d Educator “The practice of ECE is the planning and delivery of s Act, inclusive, play based learning 2007 and care programs for children in order to promote the well being and holistic development of children” (Early Childhood Educator’s Act, 2007).  RECE’s need to know WHAT to teach and HOW based on this understanding/inquiry Curriculu They create curriculum content m Theory (WHAT) and develop strategies (HOW) based on theory & ongoing pedagogical reflection/inquiry How does learning happen? Reflective Practice The active persistence of and careful consideration of any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the grounds that support it and the further conclusion to which it tends” (Dewey, 1991, p. 9). Recognizes the subjectivity of knowledge and advocate for a critique of the power structures that informs knowledge( Hardware, 2020). Self Reflective Questions 1. What surprises you the most (about yourself) when working with children? 2. How would you describe your pedagogical style? 3. What is one area that you hope to improve about your teaching style? 4. How do you plan to invite more student meaning making in your practice? 5. What is one lesson you learned about teaching children since doing this program? 6. What questions do you still have about working with children? 7. How do you plan to implement equity, diversity and justice in your practice? What is theory? Theory is a model of interconnected ideas and concepts that explain what is observed and makes predictions about future events. e.g. Evolutionary Theory, Attachment Theory The content of Curriculum Theory is a set of ideas and concepts formed from research and practice that explain teaching and learning in early childhood settings… from which curriculum is planned… and strategies that support learning are created. Sociocultural Theory & Research Characterized by: Examining social processes of learning Research conducted in ‘natural’ settings (i.e., homes, classrooms, day cares), rather than laboratories Social and cultural contexts/histories are considered Critical & ‘complicated’ view of biological research Language is the most important milestone is children’s cognitive development Examples of Sociocultural Perspective in learning processes Vygotsky – Tools of the Mind Guided participation, scaffolding emphasize the influence of social others (family members, teachers, other children) in learning In your own words, define ‘scaffolding’. Provide an example from placement. Scaffoldin g Offering support to children which are essential to them learning concepts and completing tasks. Pedagogy and Curriculum Pedagogy is “the understanding of how learning takes place and the philosophy and practice that support that understanding of learning” (College of Early Childhood Education, 2017, p.24). Curriculum ( the content of learning) and pedagogy (how learning happens) in early years settings are shaped by views about children, the role of educators and families and the relationship among them. “How Does Learning Happen?", helps educators focus on these interrelationships in the context of early years environments.  Synapses Early social (connections and between emotional nerve cells) experiences Brain quickly nurture Develop forming in first months neurons (nerve cells) ment and Infant Cognition, Stimulation Learning communicati on and with people and objects language strengthen learning neural intertwined pathways. ©2014 CENGAGE LEARNING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Materials Appropriate at Various Stages (p. 359) Infant Cognitive Development Soc/emotional experiences nurture “Loving the neurons for and Babies future learning learning demonstra are te the Learn language intrinsic complex and intertwinin through relationships Through physical intertwine g of all d for infant aspects of flourishing developme ” ( Honig, nt abilities learn about 1991) the world Language organizes learning Cognitive and language learning are Joint Attention By 3 months ◦ infants develop nonverbal communication which involves turn taking with their caregivers e.g. young infants can initiate interaction by making eye contact and then terminate it by looking away At 6 months ◦ goes beyond face to face and becomes infant - object - other At 9 to 12 months ◦ infant can follow gaze then locate object ◦ Social referencing - alternate gaze between jointly attended object and adult gaze to access the adults’ perception of the object /person At 12 months ◦ child starts to point - infants are expecting others to follow their goal Becoming a Communicator Joint attention is a fundamental step toward understanding others’ minds in a social context Forms the foundation for later ability to follow a conversation and interpret others behaviour based on intentions Before children use language to communicate, they must have intention to communicate Joint attention is based on a positive and affectionate relationship between the infant and caregiver in which one can say that the pair are truly sharing an experience Language Development (Gestwicki, 2017, p. 363) ©014 CENGAGE LEARNING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Nurturing Language/Literacy Development (p. 363) 1. Speak face-to-face 6. Sing and recite from the beginning rhymes 2. Teach language as 7. Begins at birth. Read conversation books with infants 8. Encourage words in 3. Reinforce cooing and older infants by babbling sounds providing object to label 4. Tie monologues to 9. Recognize that objects children are exposed to different languages 5. Occasionally simplify speech 10. Recognize infants’ interests ©. Infants learning best through stimulating human interaction in the context of relationships