lecture 1 in curriculum

SPECIAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM STRATEGIES

SPEDM 7

The Curriculum, the first textbook published on the subject, in 1918,

John Franklin Bobbitt said that curriculum, as an idea, has its roots in the Latin word for race-course,

explaining the curriculum as the course of deeds and experiences through which children become the adults they should be, for success in adult society

the curriculum encompasses the entire scope of formative deed and experience occurring in and out of school

not only experiences occurring in school; experiences that are unplanned and undirected, and experiences intentionally directed for the purposeful formation of adult members of society

Package of materials, objectives and activities designed to guide instruction

A theoretical model reflecting beliefs about what should be taught and in what sequence

An organized set of activities and experiences designed to achieve particular mental or learning objectives (Lynch, 1995)

Include planned, as well as unplanned experiences – is viewed as everything that happens throughout the day

For CSN, it is coupled with the individual needs of the children and the environmental demands that are placed on them

It is what to be learned (Mc Cormick1997)

Curriculum Models1. Developmental Curriculum Model

Based on theories of typical child development – 5 domains

Teaching the same sequence of skills to young children with disabilities would help them overcome many of their developmental delays

Curriculum Models2. Developmental-Cognitive

Curriculum Model

Based on the work of Piaget – cognitive development occurs as a result if physiological growth and the child’s interaction with the environment

Curriculum Models2. Developmental-Cognitive

Curriculum Model

Similar to the developmental model but the cognitive skills domain is emphasized

Drawback – functional skills are not addressed

PIAGET’S STAGES OFCOGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

VIDEO

Curriculum Models3. Academic(learning

areas)/Preacademic Skills (cutting,tracing,coloring)Curriculum Model

The development of nondisabled children is based on a group of core skills that are typically taught to children during the preschool years

Curriculum Models3. Academic/Preacademic Skills

Curriculum ModelDisadvantages

Social skills and adaptive or self-care skills may not be addressed

Pre and academic skills are usually taught in isolation with separate materials and tasks

Curriculum Models4. Behavioral Curriculum Model

Emphasis should be place on the activities in which a child engages within his environment and the skills that are necessary to participate in those activities in an age-appropriate manner

Curriculum Models4. Behavioral Curriculum Model

Focus – identification of targeted behaviors with the application of direct instructional techniques designed to increase or decrease certain behavior

Curriculum Models5. Functional Curriculum Model

(geared towards daily living skills)

Functional skills or behaviors having immediate relevance to a child are emphasized, such as interacting in a typical manner based on the demands of the environment and the performing skills required for daily tasks


(geared towards daily living skills)Advantages

Curriculum is based on functional and chronologically age-appropriate skills needed by children in a number of natural settings within the community


(geared towards daily living skills)Advantages

Increases opportunities for children with disabilities to be successfully included within the natural environment


(geared towards daily living skills)Disadvantages

There are no universal or generally accepted criteria for determining what skills are relevant for children

Difficulty can arise when teachers attempt to address the unique skills that each and every child needs

Brain Gym for Kids with LD

Phases of Curriculum Development

Phase 1. Determine what goals or outcomes are desired for each child.

Phase 2. Determine what skills each child must learn in order to achieve these goals or outcomes.

Phase 3. Determine the expectations of the environment(s) and the functional skills requirements

Phase 4. Determine how the skills will be taught based on each child’s learning style, activity preferences and experiences

Phase 5. Determine how the goals or outcomes will be evaluated.

5 Factors Should Be Considered – Integrated Thematic Units

1. Broad enough to address the wide range of abilities of the children

2. The children’s IEP or IFSP objectives can be addressed

3. Generated based on the interests and experiences of the children

4. Selected based on the availability of resources and materials necessary

5. Designed on the interests of the teachers and other team members.

Activity-Based Intervention

Capitalize on the child’s interests, preferences and actions and emphasis is placed on the child’s initiations rather than the teacher’s choices

Skills are aquired by crossing developmental domains in the activity using naturalistic, instructional strategies and promoting creativity and independence

The first key element of activity-based intervention (ABI)is based on the premise that activities and actions initiated by children are more likely to attract and hold a child's attention and as a result maintain their involvement.

The term transactional refers to the child acting upon his or her environment and the social and physical environment responding in a reciprocal manner (Bricker & Carlson, 1980; Sameroff & Chandler, 1975).

When an child reaches out to his parent and the parent responds by smiling back and giving him a ball, the interaction is considered to be transactional.

The child initiated the interaction and, because the adult responded in a positive manner the child will be more likely to make future social gestures.

The second element of ABI involves the embedding of training and intervention (addressing IFSP/IEP goals and objectives) within routine, planned, or child-initiated activities.

Routine refers to those events that occur on a predictable or regular basis. Toileting, meal time, cleanup, and dressing are all examples of routine activities.

Planned activities are those which the adults in the environment organize and prepare for the children's participation.

Having a "beauty shop" in the dramatic play area, painting with sponges, and baking cookies are examples of activities that have been planned and set up by the teacher.

Child-initiated activities are simply activities which the children initiate on their own.

The focus of ABI is not on the activity itself, but rather on the opportunity for the child to practice target skills during ongoing activities throughout the classroom day.

The third component of ABI involves the systematic use of appropriate antecedents and consequences which naturally occur during ongoing classroom activities.

Antecedents include the materials, teaching strategies, and prompts (verbal and physical) which are presented to the child.

Consequences are the logical outcome of the activity.

For example, if a child sees a ball (antecedent) and requests to play with it, the outcome or consequence is the opportunity to play with the ball. It is extremely important to remember that all the individuals working with a child in an inclusive early childhood program must be aware of and understand the child's IFSP/IEP goals and objectives.

It cannot be assumed that the child will learn just by "playing." ABI requires that the adults in the child's environment take an active role in the learning process. The teacher participates by providing materials and activities, and by demonstrating and assisting as needed.

The final component of ABI involves addressing skills for the child that are functional and generative.

Functional skills are those skills which enable the child to become more independent in their physical and social environment. Functional skills might include dressing one's self, learning to sign "more," or even learning the names of one's classmates.

Functional skills are skills which the child will need to use in current as well as future environments. It is of equal importance that the child acquire skills that will generalize to a variety of environments.

For example, if a child is working on toilet training it is important that the child learn to use the toilet at home, at school and when out in the community.

If a child is able to generalize acquired skills, then that child will learn to become a more independent individual.

STORY

A couple decided to go to the park one sunny day.

Constructing an Appropriate Curriculum

1. Provide for all areas of the child’s development: physical, emotional, social, linguistic, aesthetic and cognitive.

2. Includes a broad range of content across disciplines that is socially relevant, intellectually engaging, and personally meaningful to children


3. Build upon what children already know and are able to do (activating prior knowledge) to consolidate their learning and to foster their acquisition of new concepts and skills.


4. Plans frequently integrate traditional subject matter divisions to help children make meaningful connections and provide opportunities for rich conceptual development


5. Promotes the development of knowledge and understanding, processes and skills, as well as the dispositions to use and apply skills and to continue learning.


6. Curriculum content has intellectual integrity, reflecting the key concepts and tools of inquiry recognized of disciplines in ways that are accessible and achievable for young children


7. Provides opportunities to support children’s home culture and language while also developing al children’s abilities to participate in the shared culture of the program and the community


8. Goals are realistic and attainable for most children in the designated age range for which they are designed.

9. When used, technology is physically and philosophically integrated in the classroom curriculum and teaching

A couple decided to go to the park …….

STORY

no N

Standards for the Development and Use of the Curriculum

General Education Principles

AuthenticChild-centered and democraticExperientialSocial relations and collaborative learningCognitive experiencesDevelopmentalHolisticReflective( should address the personal and academic development)

Standards for the Development and Use of the Curriculum

Special Education PrinciplesFunctionalBased on needs, wants, preferences and culture of the studentNatural cues, consequences and environmentsIntegrated, normalized with nondisabled peersPartial ParticipationChronologically age-appropriateTransitionsSelf-determination

Content Curricular Approaches inSpecial Education

Developmental CurriculumCharacteristicsFocus on students’ deficitsThe goal is for the students with disabilities to demonstrate the same developmental milestones

Concerns:

Children with disabilities do not necessarily develop in the same sequence or manner

Professionals fail to understand that milestones are indications of capabilities and not necessities


Learning Strategy CurriculumCharacteristicsFocus on teaching students about how they learn and to use what they have learned

Improved strategies for pacing, thinking, questioning, organizing, structuring, integrating information and problem solving

Concerns:

Proven to be beneficial

Application of strategies is not widespread among special education


Functional CurriculumCharacteristicsFocus on development of skills and behaviors used in everyday life.

Emphasis on the acquisition of age appropriate skills that increase independence

Concerns:Behavior may not e generalized to other environments

Target skills not usually addressed in regular education therefore unsuccessful in inclusion programs


Career Education CurriculumCharacteristics:Focus on vocational and adult outcomes to prepare students to assume adult roles and responsibilities

Curriculum address daily living skills, occupational awareness, work habits and community access

Concerns:

No exposure to curriculum in this area

Few teachers adopt this technique to integrate within the scope and sequence of the regular school curriculum

lecture 1 in curriculum

Documents