Comparison of 7th Grade Language Arts Curriculum Guides of Three Schools - Essay Example

Comparison of 7th Grade Language Arts Curriculum Guides of Three Schools Education is a valuable heritage that significantly contributes to an individual’s success in life. Most of education is provided in schools, following an organized curriculum. Educators design curriculum to help them set learning paths for their students. Originally, education was meant for man to be better (Johnson, 2007). Being a better man was described as being educated with the intention to use his knowledge as power in his adult life. Mark Smith (1996) is one of the theorists who studied various definitions of curriculum as described by many educationalists. He described curriculum in a range of approaches. One of them is linked to syllabus or a body of knowledge to be transmitted to the students. Smith also stressed that curriculum is a set of objectives, where there is a drawn-up plan to apply intended objectives with a measurable outcome. Another alternative definition is that curriculum is a student’s total experience. It comprises teachers’ and students’ communication and relationships between them. Smith also recommends that curriculum is one’s ability to apply theory to practice. Language Arts is one essential subject area that hones communication skills of students. Being knowledgeable in literature, grammar and writing is one important goal for them that will greatly benefit them in their growth and development. This paper will compare 7th Grade Language Arts curriculum guides of three schools in New Jersey, namely the Hillside, Union and Orange Public Schools. The comparison will only be based on the guides acquired from these schools and not from how their curriculums are implemented. Of the three schools, Hillside Public School provided the most comprehensive curriculum guide. Next was the Orange School which also provided a clear outline indicating the goals of the Language Arts program and how its assessment strategies. Union School provided the least comprehensive guide, with just the use of cue words in enumerating its curriculum content and suggested activities. Demographics Presumably, since these are public schools, the demographics of the students will involve mostly from middle-class to lower-class, with a variety of cultural backgrounds and ethnicities. Economics (Testing success links to wealthy district, classification letter) This was not evident in the available curriculum guides. Curriculum structure (understanding by design vs. Pacing guide) One of the widely adopted curriculum design is the ‘Understanding by Design’ Planning Framework (UbD) by Wiggins, Grant and McTighe (1998). This is also known as the Backward Design Model wherein the teacher starts with the end, the desired results, and then derives the curriculum from the evidence of learning called for by the expectations and the teaching needed to equip students to perform. The UbD involves the following processes: Transfer of one’s prior learning (T) Making Meaning of content (M) -Essential Understandings -Essential Questions Acquisition of new information and skill (A) This model adopts Covey’s (1994) philosophy of beginning with the end in mind. "To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination. It means to know where you’re going so that you better understand where you are now so that the steps you take are always in the right direction." (Covey, 1994) The Hillside School obviously adopted the Understanding by Design curriculum structure. The curriculum guide itemized the following: enduring understandings and the essential questions the curriculum intends to answer; and the knowledge and skills expected of the students for every unit. Their pacing chart included the time frame for each unit, the topics to be tackled, the performance tasks/activities/ projects and assessments and even the resources and interdisciplinary connections. The Orange School also seemed to use the Understanding by Design model based on its use of essential questions and the meticulous breakdown of its goals for the students per unit lesson. The Union School’s curriculum is literature-based. The lessons are built around a story. Literary terms are enumerated and suggested activities related to the lesson are provided in the guide. For Grammar and Writing lessons, there are specific topics and skills to be honed provided along with the suggested activities. Bias The Hillside School stated in its curriculum guide that their school “addresses the elimination of discrimination and the achievement gap, as identified by underperforming school-level AYP reports for State assessment, by providing equity in educational programs and by providing opportunities for students to interact positively with others regardless of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender, religion, disability or socioeconomic status” (Hillside Township School District Language Arts Curriculum, p. 3). In the other two schools, statements on bias were not evident in their curriculum guides. Hidden curriculum The Hillside School stated in their curriculum guide that the students will work in an environment that encourages them to take compositional risks and embrace the writing process. In the two other schools, a hidden curriculum was not evident in their guides. Clarity of content In both the Hillside and Orange schools, the content of the curriculum was stated meticulously and clearly distributed over various unit lessons. However, in the Union School, content of the curriculum was not very clearly indicated unless an experienced teacher understands the cue words listed down. Incorporation of state standards (common core) In the Hillside curriculum guide, it states that the Hillside Township School District ensures its curriculum and instruction to be aligned to the state’s core curriculum content standards. The same goes for Orange school which states that their standards addressed for mastery at the end of each unit and that all standards conform to the model curriculum guide provided by the state. The Union school curriculum did not mention any compliance to state standards. Modifications/ accommodations The curriculums of the three schools did not particularly indicate any modifications or accommodations for students with various needs. However, the Union school offered several suggested activities to choose from which suits the needs and interests of their learners. Differentiation of courses (tracking) In studying the differences in preferences of how people learn, various definitions of learning styles have come forth. Abdallah (2008) compiled several that depict different contexts. He cited a definition that refers learning styles to certain individuals’ natural preferred way of absorbing, processing, and remembering new information or skills regardless of the teaching methodology used. A more popular categorization of learning styles centers on a preferred sensorial mode of learning: auditory, visual, tactile, and kinesthetic. Some learners show preference in using one sensory channel over all others, but others prefer a mixture of two or more or all channels. Those who exhibit greater learning style flexibility often achieve more, since they are able to process information regardless of the way it was presented (Abdallah, 2008). Teacher awareness of each student’s learning styles in the classroom makes it easier to think of effective instructional strategies that will make an impact on students (Saravia-Shore, 2008). Understanding learners as unique individuals with different learning styles and intelligences requires many considerations (Lynch-Davis & Goodson-Espy, 2007). At the forefront is the teacher’s ability to understand each student’s learning style in the classroom. The teacher must consider each student’s strengths as well as weaknesses. Therefore, constructing a learner’s profile must be done first with the help of the student (Silver, Strong, & Perini, 2000). Learner diversity is becoming predominant in schools, as embracing diversity and inclusion is encouraged (Saravia-Shore, 2008). The Hillside school provided honors and differentiated instruction books to their students and these are noted accordingly with an H and DI designation. In the Orange school, the curriculum guide stated that there are differentiated instruction resources indicated in the curriculum for various levels of abilities of students. The Union school curriculum guide did not indicate any differentiation strategies for its students. Multiple intelligence The Multiple Intelligence (MI) theory has motivated educators and ordinary people to think that each person has a giftedness that makes him/her special in their own way (Blomberg, 2009). According to the founder of the theory of the MI, Howard Gardner, stated that a standard way of teaching or a standard curriculum in many schools today is that of a one-dimensional approach called “uniform view” (2006, p. 5). This theory seems fair because a set curriculum and a set of facts are taught to all with no exceptions or accommodations; however, if one’s mind works differently than what the curriculum calls for, than this might not seem too fair. Thus, Gardner developed: a pluralistic view of mind, recognizing many different and discrete facets of cognition, acknowledging that people have different cognitive strengths and contrasting cognitive styles…An intelligence must also be susceptible to encoding in a symbol system – a culturally contrived system of meaning that captures and conveys important forms of information. (2006, pp. 5-8) Thus, the creation of the eight Multiple Intelligences was formed, and because of this theory, many have been changed as students and leaders in education. With regards to the three schools being compared, a variety of activities have been planned to cater to different needs and skills of the students in both Hillside and Union schools, tapping multiple intelligences of students. Union school offered activities related to the stories they are studying such as film showing,, special projects, inviting guest speakers, etc. The activities listed down in the Orange school curriculum are mostly catered to linguistic intelligence and there seems to be a lack of variety of activities that would cater to other intelligences. Authentic learning, Cooperative learning, Critical thinking, inquiry based learning Students learn best by being actively engaged in tasks that interest them. Learner-centered activities give them the latitude to try out their own ideas and be accountable for it. Darling-Hammond et al (1995) identified authentic assessment activities that effectively display students’ knowledge and skills as well as prove to be more interesting for students to engage in. Performance-based assessments such as science experiments, oral presentations, essays, video documentations of performances, etc. show evidence of students’ use of various strategies to solve problems rather than merely seeing the right answer asked for on a test (Darling-Hammond et al, 1995). Exhibitions, which may be considered extended performance tasks, showcase a whole range of student skills. They actively synthesize and apply what they have learned in class to show individual or group achievement. The exhibition requires them to conceptualize, research, apply and present their learnings and then it is up for public scrutiny. Portfolios are collections of work samples along with observations and evaluations of student learning from the students themselves, their peers, as well as their teachers’. In most cases, students get to select which samples go into their portfolio and this entails self-assessment and development of internal standards. Documentary assessment approaches include records of learning development of individual children. It offers a developmental and longitudinal perspective of learning intended to help teachers plan curriculum and enhance teachers’ ability to communicate student progress to their parents and others (Darling-Hammond et al, 1995). It can be established that authentic learning methods will be appealing for students, as it allows them more participation in and ownership of their learning. For teachers, though, it will pose as a huge challenge in terms of planning and implementation. In the Hillside school, their curriculum states that students have opportunities to apply grammar concepts, writing objectives and textual analysis to project creation. Children have the chance to explore areas of interests, exercise inquiry and demonstrate knowledge by constructing unit artifacts. In the Orange school, learning is measured by formative, summative and authentic assessments. Formative assessments include tests, weekly skill assessments, anecdotal records, discussion notes, journal entries, and the like. Summative assessments answer the big essential questions of each unit lesson. Authentic assessments include portfolios of more practical activities related to the lessons. In the Union school, there are several hands-on, experiential learning activities that are offered that can bring about authentic learning for the students. Materials (textbooks, workbooks, remediation programs, title) The Hillside school provides its teachers with the support and resources to diversify their methodologies and strategies for the teaching-learning process. They are consistently encouraged to utilize technology in their daily instruction. The Orange school faithfully follows its Prentice Hall reference along with technology integration. Union school enumerates station/ center activities; journals; films/video clips; powerpoint lectures, KIM charts, worksheets, literary materials and textbooks. Maslow Hierarchy of needs Maslow has come up with a hierarchy of needs that must be satisfied in a person’s lifetime, and that as one’s more basic need is fulfilled, he moves on to a higher one. Chronologically, the hierarchy of needs are as follows: physiological needs; safety needs; belongingness and love needs; esteem needs and need for self-actualization (Maslow, 1970). Only the Hillside school offers a statement addressing the basic needs of their students. Their curriculum guide states: “We are committed to strong parent-community school partnerships, providing a safe, engaging, and effective learning environment, and supporting a comprehensive system of academic and developmental support that meets the unique needs of each individual” (Hillside School District Mission Statement). Blooms Taxonomy- higher order thinking Benjamin Bloom developed a classification of levels of intellectual behavior important in learning. He proposed that the curriculum is designed in such a way that learners move at their own pace in mastering the objectives. He developed a framework of processes of higher order thinking which progresses from the possession of knowledge, understanding of facts, application of knowledge, analysis, synthesis and finally evaluation of the knowledge learned. In both the Hillside and Orange schools, all elements in Bloom’s Taxonomy of higher order thinking are considered in the curriculum. In the Union curriculum, this is not indicated, as only cue words of the concepts, skills and activities are used. The students’ performance in the activities will determine if the students engage in higher order thinking skills. Conclusion Of the three schools, it was Hillside school that provided the most comprehensive curriculum guide that reflects thorough planning and consideration of the students’ needs. It reflected a detailed account of the students’ journey in learning language arts concepts and skills following an Understanding by Design Framework. The Orange school comes next in terms of being comprehensive in its curriculum guide. It states clear goals in each unit and how these connect to other disciplines. However, it seems to fall short in including more authentic learning as it relied more on teacher-directed instruction, pen and paper tasks and other activities that catered more to the verbal-linguistic intelligence. The Union school curriculum guide seemed to be the most concise of all three schools, using mere cue words that only language arts teachers can understand. However, its lack of detail offers more possibilities in its implementation. The suggested activities are more constructivist and learner-centered which students may find interesting. Its approach of using a literature-based curriculum may also be learner-centered, and from there, teachers assess the skills the students will learn. As the cliché goes, “the proof is in the pudding”. No matter how meticulously presented a curriculum is, it is the implementation that matters and how it affects the student’s learning. References Abdallah, M.M.S. (2008). Multiple ways to be smart: Gardener’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences and its educational implications in English teaching and oral communication, PhD. Exeter, Devon, UK: School of Education & Lifelong Learning, University of Exeter. Blomberg, D. (2009) Multiple Intelligences, judgment and realization of value, Ethics and Education, 4 (2): 163-175. Darling-Hammond, L., Ancess, J., & Falk. B. (1995). Authentic assessment in action: Studies of schools and students at work. New York: Teachers College Press Johnson, M (2007) Subject to change: new thinking on the Curriculum, Eastleigh, ATL Lynch-Davis, K. Goodson-Espy, T (2007) Teaching all children mathematics: Preservice elementary teachers perceptions of teaching diverse learners. Conference Papers Psychology of Mathematics & Education of North America, 2007 Annual Meeting, p1-40, 4p Maslow, A.H. (1970) Motivation & Personality. Harper & Row Publishers. Saravia-Shore, M. (2008) Diverse teaching strategies for diverse learners, Educating Everybody’s Children: Diverse teaching strategies for diverse learners, rev. and expanded, 2nd ed., Jan. 1, 2008, pp. 41-97 Silver , H. F., Strong, R. W., & Perini, M. J. (2000). So each may learn: Integrating learning styles and multiple intelligences. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/cms Smith, M. K. (1996, 2000) Curriculum theory and practice the encyclopedia of informal education, www.infed.org/biblio/b-curric.htm. Wiggins, Grant and J. McTighe. (1998). Understanding by Design, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Read More