Using Content Knowledge to Build Meaningful Curriculum.
Key elements of Standard 5
5a: Understanding content knowledge and resources in academic disciplines: language and literacy; the arts – music, creative movement, dance, drama, visual arts; mathematics; science, physical activity, physical education, health and safety; and social studies.
5b: Knowing and using the central concepts, inquiry tools, and structures of content areas or academic disciplines
5c: Using own knowledge, appropriate early learning standards, and other resources to design, implement, and evaluate developmentally meaningful and challenging curriculum for each child.
5a: Understanding content knowledge and resources in academic disciplines: language and literacy; the arts – music, creative movement, dance, drama, visual arts; mathematics; science, physical activity, physical education, health and safety; and social studies.
5b: Knowing and using the central concepts, inquiry tools, and structures of content areas or academic disciplines
5c: Using own knowledge, appropriate early learning standards, and other resources to design, implement, and evaluate developmentally meaningful and challenging curriculum for each child.
My understandings of the academic disciplines allow me to build meaningful curriculum for children based solidly on strong content. From my observations of children I am able to design appropriate activities that build on their skills and knowledge. Moreover using my own knowledge and my experiences with various ages helps to better evaluate what a meaningful curriculum based on what I know what techniques are efficient. Also based on observations and knowing my children’s capabilities an areas of help, helps me to plan on what is developmentally appropriately but also gives me the opportunity to escalate their learning to get them to the next level. In addition, using appropriate learning standards and other useful resources like searching online, books, and discussion amongst other professionals helps me to stay in track and guides me into new ideas that are useful to transmit to the children in my care.
Artifact
I am including a lesson plan that I created as an example of my understanding of NAEYC Standard 5 “Using knowledge to build a meaningful curriculum”. This lesson plan was designed with the objective of introducing children to the various community helpers or occupations that exist and get them to think on “What kind of grown up I want to be”. This lesson plan is an example of how I can build a meaningful curriculum using content knowledge. For this lesson plan I introduced social studies to the children simplifying the activity to be developmentally appropriate introducing the multiple occupations that people do everyday. I will continue to prepare myself when designing and evaluating meaningful yet challenging curriculums to observe learning outcomes by reaching over to other professionals and observing what works for me in my teaching practice.
I am including a lesson plan that I created as an example of my understanding of NAEYC Standard 5 “Using knowledge to build a meaningful curriculum”. This lesson plan was designed with the objective of introducing children to the various community helpers or occupations that exist and get them to think on “What kind of grown up I want to be”. This lesson plan is an example of how I can build a meaningful curriculum using content knowledge. For this lesson plan I introduced social studies to the children simplifying the activity to be developmentally appropriate introducing the multiple occupations that people do everyday. I will continue to prepare myself when designing and evaluating meaningful yet challenging curriculums to observe learning outcomes by reaching over to other professionals and observing what works for me in my teaching practice.