Curriculum

1. Curriculum DIFFERENT DESIGNS

2. Curriculum Design • A curriculum design is a framework or plan of action for preparing a course of study or a set of children’ experiences . • It is a deliberate process of devising, planning and selecting the elements, techniques and procedures of curriculum. • Curriculum design is a method of thinking. • Curriculum design involves the creation of the set of operating principles or criteria, based on theory, that guide the selection and organization of content and the methodology used to teach that content . • With the accelerated rate of social change, schools are preparing children for adulthood in a society not yet envisioned by its members

3. Models of Curriculum Designs • An effective curriculum must be built on a solid philosophical foundation that answer the question of what educational purposes the school should seek to achieve. • Four key questions need to be asked of curriculum planners: • What educational purposes should the school seek to attain? • What educational experiences can be provided that are likely to help attain these purposes? • How can these educational experiences be effectively organized? • How can we determine whether these purposes are being attained?

4. Types of design • Subject Centered Design • Cross curricular based design • Activity/Experience Based Design

5. Subject Centered Design • Subject centeredcurriculum is a rigid curriculum , based on specific courses, which mandates specific amounts of material to be covered over special periods of time regardless of student abilities or interests. • Subject centered curriculum assign the greatest importance to subject matter rather than to the children .It consists of having children in classes for one subjects at a time such as mathematics for 45 minutes, science for 45 minutes. And history for 45 minutes. Three related designs have emerged from subject centereddesigns • This is probably the oldest and most widely used form of curriculum organization found in schools and educational systems .

6. Subject Design • This is based on the classification and organization of subjects matter into discrete groups, which we have called subjects . • These groupings, which have become known as school subjects, were initially based on evolving divisions of labour in research that produced physics , history, literature and mathematics and so forth.

7. Common Feature In Three Subject Centered Designs • Classification and organization of all contents into subjects or subjects-like groupings. • Subjects are clearly defined and distinguished. • A hierarchy of subjects is commonly found according to their perceived value. • Methodology applied and practised is largely teacher-centered and expository in nature

8. Advantages of Subject Centered Design • Studies have shown that children like it , they are used to it and it fits their idea of what school should be. • What children learn , they learn well. • This approach is efficient in a field in which resources for staff development are scant.

9. Disadvantages of Subject Centered Design • Teachers would not be able to innovate their teaching style to help children learn in a creative way. • Children simply memorize what they need to know in order to pas a test , instead of actually learning it. • Teachers are teaching the children to think inside the box in order to pass the exams

10. Cross curricular based design • Term used to describe knowledge and activities skills or initiatives that applied across the curriculum and not confined to one subject Work a bit like topic work or thematic work • Work is rooted in applying skills in a range of contexts • Linked to constructivist theory of learning.

11. Advantages of cross-curricular work • Ofsted (2002) noted that one of the features of successful primary schools is the ability of teachers to plan opportunities for children to apply the knowledge and skills learned in one subject to other subjects. • Knowledge is developed by children being encouraged to draw together insights from different subjects. • Knowledge is then used to help develop an understanding of our experiences rather than simply learning reported facts or information. • Well planned cross-curricular work helps children make sense of their learning because knowledge and skills learned in one subject are used to reinforce and support learning in other subjects

12. Advantages of cross-curricular work • Cross curricular teaching helps develops research and problem-solving skills and thinking skills such as reasoning • Children not only apply knowledge and skills learned in one subject to another, but will also synthesize information and ideas from a range of sources so giving children opportunities to work on cross-curricular topics develops skills that will be useful in their future careers. • Cross curricular teaching allows language demands to be are related which is an advantage with EAL children. • Studies have found that it improves pupils’ motivation and engagement, as learning is placed in a context that is both interesting and relevant to the learner • For some children it will be the science that interests them, whereas for others it will be another subject such as geography • Allows for more independent, learner-led exploration of the topic

13. Challenges of cross-curricular work • Developing cross-curricular work requires carefully designed professional development for teachers, and time needs to be allocated for this • When planning cross-curricular work is maintaining an appropriate balance between the subjects which contribute to the study, so having a clear rationale for including subjects in the theme or topic helps to maintain the rigour of the study.

14. Challenges of cross-curricular work • Time needs to be allocated in three different aspects of cross curricular work. • In the first instance, when planning a cross-curricular theme or topic teachers need time to research it and to explore the links between the different subjects. • Planning also takes longer, especially when the topic is new, because the resources – both physical resources and human resources – may not be established in the school. It is an opportunity to explore and develop relationships with organizations or individuals who can support children’s learning. For example there are many in the ‘older generation’ who can give first-hand accounts of their life in the Second World War.

15. Challenges of cross-curricular work • The second consideration about time is classroom-based, and focuses on managing the timetable flexibly to enable children to become engaged, and hopefully engrossed, in the topic. • Assessment is a further challenge for teachers developing a cross curricular approach. difficulty of assessing children’s learning when using a cross-curricular approach. • They point out that traditional forms of assessment are limited because they tend to focus on assessing subject-specific knowledge and concepts and do not take account of how children apply subject-specific knowledge.

16. Activity/Experience Based Design • This approach is based on determine the genuine needs and interests of learner , which in turn form the basis of the curriculum. • An important claim of this approach is that “people only learn what they experience”. • According to M.K Gandhi ,education is the development of all the aspects i.e. body mind and spirit . • So mind without activities can not develop the personality perfectly .so education must give importance to activities. • Education ,which has no link with life is meaningless.

17. Advantages of Activity Based Curriculum • The most important feature of Activity based curriculum is learning by doing. • This method can fulfil the natural urge of a growing child on one hand also can help them learn their lesson. • The method also promote better understanding of a lesson among children as they learn the lesson by practicing the task themselves. • It inspires the children to apply their creative ideas, knowledge and mind in solving problems. • It also helps learner psychologically as the can express their emotions through active participation in something useful.

18. Disadvantages of Activity Based Curriculum • Activity curriculum method require long term planning with details of the whole process before engaging the learners, the teacher has to make sure that all children have sufficient knowledge and skills regarding the task they are going to perform. • The objective of this method can be only be fulfilled if the planning of the lesson is flawless. • Activity curriculum attaches too much importance on activities. It neglects other activities needed for intellectual development of the child. • Personal supervision is needed for every activity which is not possible in school. • Activity curriculum is not applicable to all stages of education.

19. Task