Collaborative work curriculum

CURRICULUM AND MATERIAL DESIGN

ASSIGNMENT 3Presented by

MARIA ISABEL FIERRO LEALANGELICA RAMIREZ

TeacherDIANA UNIVIO

Objectives Defining and identifying what context is

and its main characteristics.

Explaining the influence of the context inside the curriculum design.

Compare and contrast the features of both contexts.

CONTEXTSFirst context

Sixth graders from Maria Auxiliadora School

Bogotá

Second context

Fifth graders from San Alberto Magno School

Barranquilla

http://www.colsam.edu.co/web/index.phphttp://www.colegiomariaauxiliadoranorte.edu.co/

Target population

This context is made up of 22 sixth graders from Maria Auxiliadora Norte School. All students are women, because the school offers education for female population; Students’ ages range from 11 to 13 years. All the students were born in Bogotá and currently they live in neighborhoods near to school. The 82% of the students have relatives who speak other languages like English, German, Italian or French.

First context Second context Fifth grade at San Alberto Magno School has 30 students 17 girls and 13 boys their age average is 9 – 11 years old, all of them are from Barranquilla, they are extremely friendly and like to talk a lot, their culture is totally different from people of Bogotá and other regions of Colombia.The teacher is from Barranquilla as well; he has been working as an English teacher for 10 years.The majority of students have lived in Barranquilla all their lives.

Similarities and differences of target population

Although our contexts are different, there is a significant aspect to highlight, and it is the fact that all students are from the context where they study. This makes their classroom is accentuated by the characteristics of their own culture. It is worth highlighting the fact that the people of Bogota are more reserved, while the people of Barranquilla are extremely friendly , spontaneous and like to talk a lot.

On the other hand the first context is integrated by girls and the second one is a mixed school what determines the relationships among students.

Target population

Physical settings

Maria Auxiliadora Norte School is located at Cra. 8G # 166-70. Currently, the school offers courses from preschool to eleventh grade. Its physical setting is organized, safe and clean and has large green areas where students can play in break times.Regarding classrooms are lighting and big enough for all the students. All of them have technological resources (video beam, tablet) that can be used in any class.

First context Second context

San Alberto Magno school is located at Cra. 3c Nº 91-71 in Barranquilla, The physical part of the school includes: one small classroom for each grade, an audiovisual room with video beam, computer´s lab (20 computers), one TV, cafeteria, teacher's lounge, four restrooms and a playground.Every classroom has electrical lighting and air conditioning since the climate in Barranquilla is very hot during the day.This school offers pre-school, basic primary, basic secondary and vocational media.

Similarities and differences in physical settings

Both schools are Catholic and private institutions.

Regarding classrooms, in both schools are lighting but in San Alberto Magno school the classrooms are small for the total of students in each grade.

Teachers have access to technological resources like video beam, Internet and computers.

The climate makes a big difference since in Bogotá is not necessary to have air conditioning in Barranquilla is a must have it or at least have a fan to teach classes .

Physical settings

Other Stakeholders

Maria Auxiliadora Norte School is a private institution and its administrators are the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, known as Salesian Sisters. The school follows St. John Bosco’s philosophy who was the religious community founder.The school also has the support of parents, who are professionals and are very interested in their daughters’ education.

First context Second context The school San Alberto Magno was Founded by the Dominican Friars of the Province of St. Louis Bertrand of Colombia; the philosophy of the school has as its main goal the integral education of children and young people by educating them for life, to be agents of change in the family, in society and in the community.It is a private school lead by Dominican friars who are in charge of the administrative part of the school .

Similarities and differences of stakeholders

The two schools belong to religious communities like the Dominican Friars of the Province of St. Louis Bertrand and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians.

This common characteristic makes schools educate

their students on human and Christian values.

One difference is that at San Alberto Magno the majority of Parents are not professionals.

Other Stakeholders

Nature of course and Institution

The school’s pedagogical approach is developing of the thinking skills in order to enhance the students’ cognitive abilities and its vision is to be recognized on 2018, as a high quality institution for its education in values, the study of English as a second language and the development of basic communication skills. For this reason, the learning process of English as a second language is very important for the school.


At the San Alberto Magno School, teachers are organized in different departments that represent a specific area of learning which are led by a coordinator; there are 7 departments, but surprisingly there is not an English Department even though this subject is been teaching at the school.Furthermore there is only one English teacher at the school who teaches English from 4th grade to 11th grade.

Similarities and differences in the nature of courses and Institutions In the first school, María Auxiliadora Norte-Bogotá,

there are three English teachers; one for preschool, other for primary and other for high school. And it vision is to be recognized on 2018, as a high quality institution for the study of English as a second language.

The second school, San Alberto Magno in Barranquilla doesn’t have an English Department and furthermore there is only one English teacher for all the grades in elementary and high school.

At San Alberto Magno school there is not an establish English curriculum since it is under construction by the English teacher.

Nature of course and Institution

Teaching resources

The English teacher has technological resources available in the 6th grade classroom. Sometimes she uses the video beam to project some videos to help her students to enhance their listening and speaking skills. The teacher also uses the textbook “Flash on English 1” which has been proposed for this course and complements it designing her own material like worksheets and flashcards.

First context Second context In fifth grade the teacher proposes the themes and activities by following the book “side by side” , students don´t have the book , they copy from the board all the grammar and the activities.Sometimes teacher gives copies to carry out the activities.The technological resources are not always available since they have to be used by others grades at the school.

Similarities and differences in teaching resources

Maria Auxiliadora Norte school has many technological resources available for all teachers. These resources are video beams, computers, tablets, tape recorders and Internet.

Although, at San Alberto Magno school there are some technological resources not always they are available, since most of the time (the video beam and the tape recorder) are taken to be used in high school. More over students don´t have an English book and they have to copy everything from the board.

Teaching resources

Classes time

Sixth graders have 6 hours of English subject per week. English classes are held from Tuesday to Friday. Usually, the classes are implemented at the early hours of the school day, and only on Fridays, the English class is after lunch.


At San Alberto Magno school students only have 2 hours of English during the week since there is only one teacher for this subject in Elementary and high school, that´s why students have a beginning English level.

Similarities and differences in classes time

Maria Auxiliadora Norte school guarantees a wide time intensity for English class, since sixth graders have 6 hours of English class per week.

San Alberto Magno School offers a High School diploma with emphasis on analysis and programming computers, for that reason the intensity of English classes during the week is low since their priority is technology classes.

Classes time

1. After analyzing your context does anything stand out that will be a major resource or constraint in developing your course?

I believe that Maria Auxiliadora Norte school guarantees students a good learning process of English because the school offers its students the possibility of having an almost personalized process and the opportunity to use many resources that foster a meaningful learning of English as a foreign language. In other words, I emphasize as positive 3 characteristics of my context: the wide time intensity for English classes, the facility for the use of technological resources and the intention of the school to promote learning English as a second language.

Questions

First context

The major resource in San Alberto Magno School is the teacher’s effectiveness in teaching that influences greatly fifth grade students motivation to learn English, according to the results obtained in the questionnaires and interviews students demonstrate engagement in performing activities when they understand teacher´s instructions for example teacher Oscar gives instructions using simple structures, physical demonstrations, eye contact and gestures to let students comprehend meaning what makes students have a good attitude in relation to learning a second language.

QuestionsSecond context

On the other hand what constraints in developing the course at San Alberto Magno school is that during the week students only have 2 hours of English thus, they don´t have enough time to complete activities propose in class and to practice English, also the lack of teaching resources is another problem teacher have to deal with.This context information is really important since it helps me to identify the description of the students, to realize anticipated problems, to set the learning objectives according to the student´s needs and to check the resources available.


2. Can you identify particular challenges that you will need to address in order to design a successful course?

As a particular challenge that I need to address in order to design a successful course is to have in mind student's interests, their level of proficiency and the type of activities they like to develop, because only in this way the course will be suitable for my target population.

Questions

First context

Taking into account that students are from Barranquilla what makes them have an innate way of being that represents people who born in this Caribbean region, I have realized that they like to talk a lot and interrupt class constantly, this is what makes me think that the space and the seating arrangement students have in the classroom are really important to carry out the activities teacher´s plan to do, in this context students don´t have enough space and they are always sitting in narrow rows for all the activities, for that reason it can be a challenge since it is necessary first, that students be aware that their behavior affects others in the context (classroom) they interact daily and second that the school assigns an appropriate classroom for the total of the students fifth grade has.


Education

Collaborative work curriculum