Wilkes University

OnLine Class

March 28, 2009

Early Childhood and Elementary Curricula - Essential Questions

Why should curriculum leaders be familiar with educational programs at levels other than the one at which they work?

How can preschool and elementary-level education contribute to the long-range growth and development of students?

What do you remember most about elementary school?

What do you remember most about middle or junior high school?

Why should curriculum leaders be familiar with educational programs at levels other than the one at which they work? Understanding a student’s prior learning

experiences or those they will have in the future, better equips us to meet their needs in the present.

Continuity of learning Balance in the curriculum

Characteristics of Elementary Level Programs

Self-contained classrooms One teacher teaches all or nearly all subjects

to a group of about 15-25 students Integrated curriculum - one activity and/or

subject area often flows into another Teacher and students generally spend most of

the day in the same classroom with students often going to other rooms for instruction in art, music, and physical education

Individual students may also attend special classes for remedial or enriched instruction, speech therapy, choir and/or band.

Team teaching/grouping by level or by subject

Importance of Elementary Level Programs

Intense influence on children.

Sets the stage for all education that follows: Failure to acquire sufficient knowledge and skills at the

elementary level can exact a high price at other levels where the resulting deficiencies are very difficult to overcome.

Provision for individual differences, and flexibility and continuity in learning, are curriculum criteria of major significance.

Chapter 49 -2 Changes…May, 2007

Effective date for new instructional certificates - January 1, 2013.

New Certificates:Early Childhood (PK through grade 4, or ages 3-9)Elementary/Middle (Grades 4-8, or ages 9-14)Secondary (Grades 7-12, or ages 11-21)Specialized areas (PK - grade 12 or up to age 21)Special Education (PK-8) with a dual certificate in

one of of the following: I. Early Childhood, II.

Elementary Middle, or III. Reading SpecialistSpecial Education (7-12) with a dual certificate in

one of the following: I. Secondary, II. Reading Specialist

Certificates issued before 1/1/2013 remain valid for the term and grade and age levels.

Middle Level Curricula Essential Questions

What important developmental tasks confront students at the middle level?

How do middle-level students differ in their physical, social, psychological, and cognitive maturation?

How do educational programs organized around middle school concepts address the unique needs of students at the middle level?

Middle Level Students

Middle Level Students are transescents - that is they are passing from childhood to early adolescence.

Young people at this age must cope with a wide range of life stresses because they mature physically more quickly than they mature cognitively or socially. [Age students reach physical maturity is decreasing.]

Often do not have the social and emotional maturity to handle the freedoms and stressors that characterize our modern society. Many life-threatening behaviors such as drug and alcohol abuse and early sexual experiences, begin in early adolescence.

Individual differences are greater than at any other stage of life. (4 year range)

Warm & Fuzzy vs. Academic Rigor: Curricular Goals for Middle-Level Students

1. Build self-esteem and a strong sense of identify, competence, and responsibility.

2. Understand and adjust to the physical changes they are experiencing.

3. Deal with wider social experiences and new social arrangements.

4. Explore different areas of knowledge and skill to help determine potential interests.

5. Make the transition between childhood education and education for middle adolescents, and prepare for the eventual transition to senior high school.

Warm & Fuzzy vs. Academic Rigor: Curricular Goals for Middle-Level Students

6. Deal with value questions that arise because of their developing cognitive abilities, their growing need for independence, and rapid changes in society.

7. Cope with social pressures from some of their peers to engage in risk-taking behaviors.

8. Develop concern for the environment, the local and global communities, and the welfare of others.

Development of the Middle School:Jr. High vs. Middle School

1950s and 1960s: Dissatisfaction with jr. high schools as scaled down versions of high schools, complete with departmentalization, extensive athletic programs, and age-inappropriate social activities.

1960s: Organizational framework for a “school in the middle” was introduced. Moved 9th into the HS and placed 5-8 in the Middle School. At first, middle schools were quite different from jr. high schools - today the distinction is somewhat blurred.

Read and Reflect Activity

Read the articles, think about the reflection questions, and write your

responses to two them. Put your work on our wiki space.

1. Why is Kindergarten an Endangered Species by Linda H. Plevyak and Kathy Morris (p. 347-350)

2. Benchmarks of Student-Friendly Middle Schools by M Lee Manning (p. 384-387)

3. Building a Community in Our Classroom: The Story of Bat Town, USA by Andrea McGann Keech (p. 360-364)

4. Middle School Students and Service Learning: Developing Empowered, Informed Citizens by Peggy Grant (p. 377-382)