Assignment #1: Curriculum Planning
Barinder Sohal
Algonquin College
20S_FAM1033_450 Practice Teaching II
Tamara Faires
August 9, 2020
Assignment #1: Curriculum Planning
Video Observations
The videos observed reviewed significant coordination among the children as they were participating in each of the activities shown in each video. The first video watched the two children chatted over a mint tea. One of the children arranged coasters around the table where each glass is supposed to be placed. The other child identifies the coasters, belonging to her and her friend, as they both enjoyed the mint tea over a chat. Thus, the video shows how children learn through each other, significantly improving their social and emotional and fine motor skills development when lifting the water jug. The second video observed shows how children learn significant science concepts as they discover nature. The educator is noted to take notes on what each child finds and improving the learning environments by continually asking what animals have the children observed. One of the children can observe a hole one of the leaves as the educator suggests whether the child observed a caterpillar.
Therefore, the children in the video coordinate in their exploration of nature as they observe various animals, such as spiders, and ants, improving the understanding of different science concepts. In the third video, the children are observed are seen playing with each other as they play with funnels, pebbles, and holders, which are loose parts. The children can be noted filling each other’s holders with pebbles through the funnels and small pipes. Therefore, all the videos influence the learning process of the children observed contributing to the development of the children in many areas such as social and emotional to fine motor skills development. The video has significantly influenced my observation skills of children’s different interests, as noted in the second video. The educator in the second video tactfully uses inquiry and play-based learning in influencing the learning of science concepts of all the children by guiding their exploration. Thus, all the videos promote learning of all the children influencing their development and adhering to the HDLH principles.
Play Experience Plans
| Learning Area | Outdoor/Nature
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| Justification:
| Learning in Outdoor/Nature can influence many other areas of learning, such as science, creative art, and math, among other areas. Therefore, this area affects the learning of multiple concepts and influences children’s development, such as social & emotional development, to motor skills. These development areas are integral in the health and well-being of many children and thus essential. |
| Description of the Experience
| The learning area of children selected improves learning in multiple ways. Thus, the children will focus on mimicking the movements of various animals. The children will jump around in the playground like frogs, crab walk, donkey kicks, kangaroo jumps, and bear walks. These movements will improve the development of the children influencing many areas of learning for the children. The children involved will be aged 3-4 years old, which will ensure the learning experience will not only influence learning but will also be such a fun experience for all the children. The activity will involve ten children in their playground.
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| Potential Learning for the Children
| The learning activities will include understanding the different movements of animals, which is a significant science concept. The activity will also improve the learning of counting as the children will count the various jumps, walks, or measure the distance each child does. This measurement and counting, both of which are math concepts, will also be documented, enabling me to observe the learning process’s differences. Children with special needs will require different measurement and counting criteria, ensuring they are engaged in the experience and feel part of the experience. |
| Materials Time Space
| The playground is such a vast space, although all the children will engage in which the children will participate in the experience for 30 minutes. The materials used to are a pen and paper to document the measurements and counting from all the children. The materials will also involve a marker, which children are required to mark where the children are intended to start and also end as they mimic the different animal movements. |
| My role during the experience
| My role in the experience is guiding the children by asking them simples such as which animals they should try to walk and move like. I will also document counting and the measurements of each child as they walk like the animals chosen. I will also ensure the space marked is free of rocks or other injuries items such as glass that might injure or harm any of the children as they engage in this fun activity. |
| Reflective Questions to complete after the learning experience Were the children engaged in the experience? How do you know this? Did children demonstrate or practice emerging skills, interests, ideas? Potential next steps resulting from this experience
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| The children were engaged in the experience as the activity was not only a learning experience but a fun and playful experience for all the children. The children socialized with each other, with many faces showing their lovely smiles as they enjoyed the activity. Children demonstrated the practice of emerging skills and interest to ideas as the children were involved in the learning process in the activity by considerably being asked which animals they wanted to mimic its movements. The potential next steps after this experience include a classroom setting where children will come up with note other ways different animals move. | |
| Learning Area | Science
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| Justification:
| Science is an area that many children often enjoy, influencing the learning and development of many children. Science as a learning area also improves the understanding of many aspects of our world, for instance, the working of our climates. Therefore, science is an area that will contribute to the learning and development of children influencing the understanding of these children’s environments. |
| Description of the Experience
| The experience that the children will be involved in will be the absorption of various materials of water. Therefore, the children will suggest different materials they believe that can absorb water, which will be investigated in the experience. The children involved will be aged 3-4 years old, which will ensure the learning experience will not only influence learning but will also be such a fun experience for all the children. The activity will involve ten children in the art area hall of the institution.
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| Potential Learning for the Children
| The learning of children in the experience will improve the understanding of the science concepts where children will learn the materials that can absorb water. The children will also improve their social skills as they engage with each other. Therefore, there will be multiple learning potentials and development in the learning experience. |
| Materials Time Space
| The materials will include cups of water, tissues, baby diapers, rocks, writing papers, small pebbles, sand, and salt, among other materials collected by the children. The time allocated for the experience will be 30 to 40 minutes. The art are hall is such a large hall where the children can be paired into 2 in different tables, influencing their learning and ensuring that all children are engaged and can express themselves according to HDLH principles. |
| My role during the experience
| My role as an educator is to ensure the children’s materials are corrected and not cause any injury to the children. I will also guide the children and document their various experiences, which will enable me to evaluate each child’s learning process. These are among the roles that I will play, among many others, as I coordinate the children’s experience. |
| Reflective Questions to complete after the learning experience Were the children engaged in the experience? How do you know this? Did children demonstrate or practice emerging skills, interests, ideas? Potential next steps resulting from this experience
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| The children were engaged in the experience from the correction of the materials they thought could absorb water and carrying out investigation by themselves. The activity was such a fun activity for all the children. The experience influences children’s practice of emerging skills, ideas, and interests through the activity. The next step following this experience will be asking these children which other materials they think would absorb water. I would also encourage children to read Science is Simple by Peggy Ashbrook. | |
| Learning Area | Creative art
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| Justification:
| Creative art is an area that influences children’s development of natural curiosity and exuberance by improving their artistic process. Therefore, creative art activities not only influence development but form a necessary learning process. |
| Description of the Experience
| The experience will be a simple, fun activity for pre-schoolers, improving the children’s learning and development. Finger-painting is an experience that influences children’s imagination and creativity. The activity will involve ten children who are aged 3-4 years.
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| Potential Learning for the Children
| The experience will boost children’s learning process about their different senses from smell, sight, and touch. The children will also improve their cognitive development, social skills, and further development of their fine motor skills. Therefore, children have a variety of learning opportunities that will enhance the learning process for all the children and be such a fun experience for the children. |
| Materials Time Space
| The creative art experience will take 50 minutes to one hour as children have fun in the learning process of the experience. The experience will be carried out in the art area hall, a vast hall to accommodate all the children’s experiences. The materials required for the experience are paper towels, water, non-toxic washable paints, newspapers to cover the tables, and other necessary materials. |
| My role during the experience
| My role as an educator in the experience is guiding the children through the activity. I also clean guide the children as they wash their hands when the experience is over. I also ask then children questions like what is that, how does that color smell, or how does it feel on your hands, which will stimulate the learning process for the children. These are the roles that I take in the activity and helping children with special needs through their experience, among others deemed necessary to improve the learning process for all the children. |
| Reflective Questions to complete after the learning experience Were the children engaged in the experience? How do you know this? Did children demonstrate or practice emerging skills, interests, ideas? Potential next steps resulting from this experience
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| All the children seemed engaged in the experience, which I could tell by their faces that lit up when they created something. The room was also lively with laughter being had here, and there another thing that signaled the children were engaged in the experience. The children further demonstrated emerging skills, interests, and ideas as the activity took a more inquiry-based approach in influencing the learning process. The next step after the experience includes painting straw painting, which I also think the children will enjoy since the experience is such a fun activity for all the children. | |
| Learning Area | Music and movement
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| Justification:
| The experience will contribute to the children’s development and learning in various aspects. The children’s physical, social, and emotional development will be improved. The experience also influences children’s creativity, listening skills, and language and communication skills. Therefore, the experience is loaded with multiple learning and developmental attributes for pre-schoolers. |
| Description of the Experience
| The experience is the dancing with ribbon rings that doubles as a learning experience and a play and fun activity for all the children. Pre-schoolers are the children that will be involved in the experience with ten children participating in the experience. The experience will take place in the playground since the experience requires a wide area for all the children to engage in the activity.
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| Potential Learning for the Children
| The children will learn language and communication skills as they dance. The activity will also improve their social skills, emotional development and considerably enhance their physical development, |
| Materials Time Space
| The space required for the experience will be huge, although the activity can be done in indoors. Therefore, the playground will be used for the activity with the time allocated for the experience being 1 hour, which will finish as the children go for their snacks. The materials required for the experience include ribbons, scissors, wooden or shower rings, and a lighter. |
| My role during the experience
| My role as an educator is to ensure the children are safe in the experience and ensure they practice safety while using the scissors, the lighter, and make sure the ribbons aren’t too long. My other role as an educator is to guide the children and influence the engagement of children with learning needs in their participation. These are the roles that I will play in the experience, among others, that affect the learning process for all the children. |
| Reflective Questions to complete after the learning experience Were the children engaged in the experience? How do you know this? Did children demonstrate or practice emerging skills, interests, ideas? Potential next steps resulting from this experience
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| The playground was such a buzz of activity as children could be seen playing with each other as they laughed and danced. This was the first sign that all the children were engaged in the experience. The experience also influences children to practice emerging skills, interests, and ideas as they were independent. The next experience after this fun-packed experience will be playing the harmonica. | |
Connection to Inquiry and Play-Based Learning
The four experiences selected will influence children’s learning and development primarily because they have been selected by the children with the educator taking a guiding role. Children-centered learning approaches have been significantly integrated into the experiences from the science experience where the children are required to collect materials that they think will absorb water. Therefore, the experiences have been designed to integrate an inquiry-based approach in learning. The experiences have also been designed to incorporate fun and play activities that influence the learning process. Play is an essential aspect of the learning process, as identified by both the HDLH and ELECT principles. The music and movement experience is one that cannot happen without play since it enjoys children’s dance, as they play influence multiple areas of development and learning for all the children.
Loose Parts
Loose parts are materials that children can manipulate and play within their learning process. Therefore, many of the materials provided for each of the activities are loose parts. These materials include small pebbles, ribbons, sand, and writing papers, as identified in each of the four experiences. Therefore, loose parts are a significant part of these experiences.
Sensory Learning Experiences
The first sensory learning experience I would integrate for the children is somewhat similar to the above experiences noted in the table that influence learning and development are sensory bins. Sensory bins enhance the learning and development process, which need not be messy and takes up limited space. Therefore, I will have different ideas of sensory bin fillers from the children, which will influence their learning by integrating their opinions, ideas, and interest. I will initially suggest the first sensory bin will be filled with shredded paper and beans. These will influence the learning of all the senses from feel (touch), visual (sight), smell to the taste. Therefore, the sensory bin supports learning of different colors, senses, and social skills that influence cognitive, emotional, and motor skills development.
The other sensory learning experience that I would integrate into the children’s learning and development process will be edible playdough with peanut butter. I will correct all the necessary sensory learning experiences and show the children step by step how to make the playdough, making it such a fun and bonding experience for the children. The materials I will correct will include honey, eight tablespoons, powdered milk one-half cup, smooth peanut butter jar, mixing bowl, tablespoons, and a rolling pin. Therefore, this sensory learning experience will develop children’s senses of smell, tastes, touch, and sight, influencing their cognitive, motor skills, social and emotional development. The children will learn coordination with others as they have fun in this sensory experience. These are the two sensory learning experiences I would integrate, as asked by my on-site supervisor.
Block Area
Block areas influence children learning and development. Therefore my block area set-up is as detailed hereinbelow. I will use the creative art hall, which is quite spacious in setting up my block area as the experiences require much space due to the activities that children are bound to engage in within the block area. Block areas promote play, which is such an integral facet in learning and development for children. Thus, after this careful selection of the location due to space needed, I will seal the block because it does not have any interactions with the creative art area space within the hall. This ensures that children have quite a time with each side of the hall. This activity is preceded by setting up shelves within the block area. Children can easily access all the materials with a considerable space left in the middle where children will get materials needed for a particular activity and head to this center space. The shelves are easy to reach for the children reducing any struggles as they access the materials needed and improve the safety of the area for the children. I will also label all the materials with pictures on these shelves, influencing easy retrieval for all the children present in the block area. These materials will be added to this block area, influencing learning and exploration with other children. They are animal and vehicle toys clearly shown on different shelves, and wooden unit blocks books on construction, cardboard blocks, traffic cones, helmets, reflectors, and pebbles. Children will learn different laws of the traffics as they mimic the duties of firefighters, and other roles, as they play with each other in the block area. Development in the block area will range from cognitive, social, emotional, and motor skills development, among others.
Circle Plan
Significance of Curriculum Cycle
The curriculum cycle shows how the tasks and activities have been planned to ensure that children utilize maximum time in their learning and development processes. The curriculum cycle, other than showing all these planned activities, times, and events, also allows educators to make changes to the cycle whenever needed that maximize the learning process and development for all the children. The circle also reflects the activities that the children are expected to be doing at these relative intervals during the day.
Connection to Competencies
The first competence is the provision of the appropriate materials that support play-based learning. These materials are significantly found in the block area and learning experiences discussed above, such as pebbles and cardboard blocks. Loose parts are also a significant part of these materials. The other competence is the organized environment that is safe and tidy. Again, this can be observed in the block area organization, which provides a playing area and labels with pictures for all materials in the block area. Observations in the learning process are another competence used extensively in the learning experiences, ensuring that students in need of additional assistance are noted and document the learning process. ‘Accepts and fulfills responsibilities for setting up, implementing and clean-up of learning experiences’ is another competence that ensures that I, as an educator, observe the utmost professional performance in relating to the children. This competence is achieved in the learning environment through many areas, such as ensuring that children under my care are safe and playing in a tidy environment. The last competence is plans, implements, and reflects on a variety of learning experiences, including outdoor/nature experiences. This competence is achieved in the learning environment by ensuring that I evaluate and coordinate all plans which affect these learning experiences in the curriculum and the learning environment.
Bibliography
Algonquin College. (2019). Competencies, Student Placement Handbook. Ottawa: Algonquin College Press.
Algonquin College. (2019). Curriculum and the Learning Environment, Student Placement Handbook. Ottawa: Algonquin College Press.
Government of Ontario. (2006). Early Learning for Every Child Today: A framework for Ontario early childhood settings. Retrieved from: edu.gov.on.ca/childcare/ExcerptsFromELECT.pdf (accessed on August 9, 2020).
HDLH. (2014). How Does Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years. Retrieved from: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/childcare/howlearninghappens.pdf (accessed on August 9, 2020).
Rebecca Joy Stanborough. (2019). Ages and Stages: How to Monitor Child Development. Healthline, Retrieved from: https://www.healthline.com/health/childrens-health/stages-of-child-development (accessed on August 9, 2020).
Smith, H. O. (2017). Sandboxes, loose parts, and playground equipment: a descriptive exploration of outdoor play environments. Early Child Development and Care, 187 (5-6), 1055-1068, https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2017.1282928.
Mint tea and a chat (2013). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ba3ybKxz_E
Preview: Discovering Nature with Young Children DVD (2020). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_acvJPPsQ5U
Focused Observations Chapter 4 Video 9 (2013). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdZJiWnxhg0