Analyze Curriculums for Teaching Units and Methods
- keneciaanderson
- Apr 14
- 3 min read
When it comes to education, the curriculum plays a pivotal role in shaping how students learn and engage with the subject matter. In this blog post, we aim to analyze various curriculums focused on teaching units and methods. We will identify common themes found within these curriculums and assess how they vary by grade level. Additionally, we will explore prevalent teaching methods, including Total Physical Response (TPR), which has been instrumental in language acquisition.
Understanding the Framework of Curriculums
Curriculums serve as blueprints for teachers, guiding them in the delivery of educational content. They encompass a wide range of components, including learning objectives, assessment strategies, and teaching methods. A strong curriculum typically exhibits a base set of themes that recur across different grade levels, accommodating the developmental stages of students.
Grade Variations in Curriculum Themes
As students advance through grades, the themes within curriculums often become more complex.
From the FNMI Alberta Curriculum, it states that there is a "Spiral Progression" for language learners.
"Spiral Progression Language learning and cultural teachings are integrative, not merely cumulative. Each new element that is added must be integrated into the whole of what has gone before. The model that best represents the students’ language and cultural learning progress is an expanding spiral. Students’ progression is not only vertical (e.g., increased proficiency) but also horizontal (e.g., broader range of applications and experience with more text forms, contexts and so on). The spiral also represents how language and cultural learning activities are best structured. Particular lexical fields, learning strategies or language functions are revisited at different points in the course outline, but from a different perspective, in broader contexts or at a slightly higher level of proficiency each time. Learning is reinforced, extended and broadened with each successive pass." (Education, 2010, p. 3)
The progression showcases the curriculum's adaptability to students’ growing cognitive abilities.
Teaching Methods in Curriculums
An analysis of curricula would be incomplete without discussing the teaching methods employed. Various pedagogical approaches can significantly influence students' learning experiences. Notable methods include:
Total Physical Response (TPR): Developed by Dr. James J. Asher in 1988, TPR combines language learning with physical activity. This method is particularly effective for young learners, allowing them to acquire language naturally through listening and responding to physical commands.
These methods cater to diverse learning styles, ensuring that all students can access and engage with the material effectively.
TPR as a method of Effective Teaching
To further understand the effectiveness of teaching methods, let’s delve into Total Physical Response (TPR). It is grounded in the idea that physical movement enhances language recognition and recall. Just as children learn to associate words with actions in their native language, TPR leverages this natural process.
Benefits of TPR
Engagement: Students are often more engaged when physical action is incorporated into learning.
Memory Retention: Linking words with actions can aid memory retention.
Reduced Anxiety: TPR provides a low-stakes environment for language learning, which can reduce anxiety levels in students.
In practice, a teacher might instruct students to “pasiko” , "stand up", while performing the action themselves, reinforcing the connection between language and movement.
The document Aboriginal_Languages_K-12_1994.pdf includes further information on language teaching strategies from pages 14-17.
Embracing Change in Curricular Design
By understanding the varied themes and teaching methods of curriculums and adapting accordingly, teachers can enhance the educational journey for their students. The goal is to foster an environment where all learners thrive and develop a lifelong love of learning.
Citations:
Education, A. (2010, January). (FNMI) language and culture twelve-year (kindergarten to Grade 12) template. Retrieved from https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/7184fb74-29cb-4723-9b89-01ca6654a5d7/resource/b4ed4d10-d728-4d9b-9be2-35fa7ef35476/download/edc-fnmi-language-and-culture-twelve-year-kindergarten-to-grade-12-template-2010.pdf
Saskatchewan Education, T. a. (1994). Aboriginal Languages: A Curriculum Guide for Kindergarten to Grade 12. Saskatchewan Learning. Retrieved from https://learn-ca-central-1-prod-fleet01-xythos.content.blackboardcdn.com/5f208b6da4613/140432?X-Blackboard-S3-Bucket=learn-ca-central-1-prod-fleet01-xythos&X-Blackboard-Expiration=1743325200000&X-Blackboard-Signature=ilInoAJYP0GNfc4D63weZRFpGekZVJQ%2BzJ69
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