APPENDIX -SECTION TWO
“CORE COURSES IN
CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION”
PROGRAM
REQUIREMENT SECTION
SECTION A. CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
Overview
Course Project
SECTION B: TEACHING AND LEARNING
Overview
Course project
SECTION E. RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIOP
Overview
Course project
SECTION A. CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
Course
Overview
This
graduate course is offered to help students understand the complex nature of
curriculum. The importance of curriculum
– the substance of schooling- is once again reaffirmed in the current school
reform movement. This course is mainly
concerned with conceptualizing the curriculum field, identifying fundamental
approaches and tasks in curriculum development, discussing important curriculum
issues, and thus expanding our understanding of what curriculum is all
about. Some of the main Essential
Questions that curriculum scholars have organized theory, research, teaching,
and program evaluation around are
What
is curriculum?
What
are the social forces that impact curriculum?
What
are the educational forces that should impact curriculum?
What
are the needs of the curriculum –what knowledge is of worth?
Who
controls the curriculum? Who should?
Curricular development class allowed me
to have a better understanding of the concepts and theories related to
curriculum. Furthermore, it got me
involved in the history and evolution of the curriculum for EFL in Ecuador. I think that being aware of how the
educational regulations and their impact used to be in the past contributes to
have a better projection for the future.
In this class I had the opportunity to read about the definitions of
curriculum which different authors provide.
I was particularly impacted by the many different types of curricula
that schools use today. Constructs like
the hidden, the null, phantom, concomitant, or rhetorical curriculum and the
understanding of what they refer to made me think that curriculum is not only
the subjects taught at school formally but rather every action or fact that
directly or indirectly affects students’ behavior and achievement. For example, the information that children’s
receives from the media, their family experiences, teachers’ behaviors, schools
structures, classroom settings have implicit messages that impact on
students. I think that teachers are not
aware of this in Ecuador. In the future,
I anticipate paying more attention to these areas so as to foster a safe
learning environment where students can grow personally and academically.
Similarly, along my research paper
development I was able to deepen into the current National Curriculum in
Ecuador. It was gratifying to learn that this new curriculum is regulated by a
clear philosophy summarized in the Good Living Plan which represents the
state’s willing to abolish social inequity and satisfy the basic needs of the
people. The Ten Year Plan of education
derives its objectives from this philosophy.
Thus, the state guarantees a high quality education which addresses
cultural and linguistic diversity, disabled people needs, and social justice.
This is a pretty recent innovation in our Educational System. I consider that even though the current
curriculum still has some limitations, it serves as the basis for the
regulation of the EFL instruction including teachers’ professional development,
permanent evaluation, standard materials, planning and assessment
procedures. Nothing of this existed a
few years ago. However, I think that
teachers’ discussions should be held in order to identify areas of the
curriculum which should be modified.
Finally, from
my learning experience in this class I was able to clearly state my teaching
philosophy which is based on three principles: a) get to know who my students
are; b) diagnose where they are at; and c) have great expectations. Getting to know my students is the first step
for instruction. This knowledge allows
me to choose content and strategies based on their interests, likes, and
abilities. Knowing where students are at is key to properly design lessons
which provide them with opportunities to gain knowledge in their Zone of
Proximal Development described by Vygotsky.
Apprenticeship will not happen if activities are too easy or too difficult
to fulfill. Students get either bored or
frustrated. I want my students rather
feel challenged and able to discover knowledge.
Finally, I think that believing in students has the power to make them
believe in themselves. As a teacher I feel committed to help young generations
to discover and develop their skills and potentialities and make a difference
in their lives.
Course Project: Curriculum Development
Introduction
The word curriculum can
be defined from two perspectives. From a
narrow point of view it is understood as all the subjects taught in a school.
From a broader angle, the curriculum is perceived as all the learners’
experiences in and out the school. In
practice, the curriculum consists of a series of plans which define the desired
learning experiences. Thus, the
curriculum may be a unit, a course, a sequence of courses, or the school’s
entire program of studies (Oliva & Gordon, 2012) .
According to
Oliva and Gordon the experiences that students have outside the school is also
considered part of the curriculum.
Similarly, Wilson (1990) argues that students are learning all the time
when they are exposed to behaviors. They learn important lessons from the
secretaries, janitors, peers, cafeteria workers as well as from teachers. However, not all educators are conscious of
the way students can be influenced by these contacts.
Based on these definitions, all influences that
students have from their families, neighbors, media, and peers are learning
experiences that become part of the curriculum.
This fact has made theorists propose different types of curriculum: some
of the essential ones are the explicit, implicit, null, and rhetorical. The explicit curriculum is the document that
provides a whole guide for the teaching and learning process. The implicit is also called the hidden
curriculum and it refers to those daily experiences students are exposed
to. Those topics that are not taught are
identified as part of the null curriculum. And the rhetorical curriculum refers
to the ideas developed by policy makers and professionals in charge of educational
initiatives.
In Ecuador, the absence of a well- designed
curriculum was a common practice until 2007.
The government of Rafael Correa has transformed the educational system
radically. Today, there is a national
explicit curriculum which gives direction for teachers and administrators to
follow the educational process. However,
elements from the implicit and null curriculum are not being seriously
considered by educators at the moment of planning. Many teachers agree on the fact that the
current curriculum seems to be excessively rhetorical. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to
explore the process of curriculum construction to shed light on the overall EFL
Ecuadorian curriculum.
Social
Forces that Impact Curriculum
In
the constitution of 1998, education is declared as a primary duty of the
government. It is recognized as
democratic, diverse, humanist and scientist.
The new law also guarantees education for the disabled and rural
population. It dictated that the 30% of
the national budget must be assigned for education. Even though the laws seemed powerful enough,
in reality the educational system remained as chaotic as before. The new law
for superior education, the program for pre-school education, the division of
education into levels, and the implementation of a national curriculum were
some of the achievements at this time.
The division of education into levels exposed a series of problems. Pre-school education lacked well trained
teachers. There was no continuity in the basic education. Some content was repeated in the following
years. Planning was not mandatory and improvisation was part of the daily
teaching practices.
The
disorganization and chaos of public education contributed greatly to the
growing of for-profit schools. Middle
and high class parents opted for private schools to provide their children with
a better quality of education. In 2002, after recognizing the need of a viable
and executable curriculum as a national policy, the National Plan for Everybody
2003-2015 was created. There were great
expectations around this new plan.
However, the variation of ministries, strikes, poor commitment, and lack
of attention to the institutions created a hostile scenario for the educational
process to develop (Palma, 2013) .
As
described above, Ecuadorian education was not the priority for
governments. Many positive intentions
have been put into law but they have paid lip service. This historical
background influenced the desire of the actual government to make a profound,
extensive, and definite plan to systematize education nationwide. The
government of Rafael Correa and his progressive policies has impacted
positively the entire society. Particular attention is given to education. The amount of money invested has
progressively increased. Unlike past governments, today the laws are put into
practice. The Ten year plan 2006-20015
started to build a solid structure to achieve goals. Education is conceived as
the government’s obligation and it is nonprofit until the third level. A new national curriculum has been created
supported by the Constitution Reform of 2008.
New bills and institutions which regulate teachers, students,
administrators and procedures are passed and become the guidelines that conduct
education (Palma, 2013) .
Starting
from 2007, the transformation procedures in Ecuador related with
thoughtful consequences for redefining education became a priority public
investment sector. The ‘Good Living’ Plan in the Ecuadorian Constitution seeks
the universalization of quality social services to guarantee and maintain the
fundamental rights. Quality education
based on the principles of equality, fairness, national sovereignty,
multiculturalism, multilingualism in function of the Latin American integration
and strategic integration in the international context is considered a priority
challenge (Damme, Aguerrondo, Burgos, & Campos, 2013) .
The
Ministry of Education of Ecuador focuses on 20 specific ruptures with the
status quo in education. These ruptures were classified into four groups: (a)
ruptures that should contribute to the re-conceptualization of education as a
right of individuals and communities, (b) ruptures aimed at a profound change
in the structure of the national education system, (c) ruptures that strive to
transcend the old paradigm of quality education and equal opportunities to
guarantee better learning for students and (d) ruptures that contribute to the
revalorization of the teaching profession (Ministerio de Educacion, 2012) .
President Correa
is going about his reforms sensibly. By
2009 he had spent around $280 million repairing schools and building new ones.
In impoverished places like Zumbahua, a remote village in the Andes where the
president once did voluntary work, high-tech “schools of the millennium” have
risen among the maize and potato fields. But it is not just about spending more
money. President Correa wants to supervise more closely how the education
budget is spent, and to improve the quality and consistency of teaching. The
government is now making tests required for existing teachers. Those who fail
them will be offered a year's training and then be required to take the tests again. Those who fail a second time face the fact of
being fired. So far the reforms seem highly popular except among the teachers.
Some complain that coercion is the wrong way to go about reforming. Ecuador's
universities also have to shape up. Low-quality private ones were closed while
state-funded ones will have to account publicly for the money they receive
every year (The Economist, 2009) .
Educational Forces that impact the curriculum
Educational
philosophies are theories of learning that focus on how learning happens. They provide a guide for decision making
concerning aspects of teaching and learning.
Theoretical approaches can be transmissive. That is, information is given to
learners. Constructivist approach
suggests that the learner has to make meaning from experiences in the world (Cohen &
Gelbrich, 1999) .
Identifying a
teaching approach in Ecuador before 1992 is not an easy task considering the
inexistence of an official EFL curriculum. Before that time, English was
considered a non-mandatory subject. Class hours were limited to one or two per
week and there was a deficit of English teachers. Consequently, the few
professionals based their teaching practices on the traditional grammar approach.
Learners tried to learn a language just by memorizing short dialogues,
repeating and imitating the teacher’s pronunciation. More intuitive teachers would go beyond that
to the behaviorism theory.
This theory was
founded by J.B. Watson. The theory was
developed in part as a reaction to traditional grammar. Behaviorism was
advanced in America as a new approach in the early decades of the 20th
century. It made particular emphasis on
the importance of verbal behavior. It
received a considerable trust from the educational world during the 1950s. The
major principle of this theory is based on on the stimulus-response
learning. Learning is recognized as the
establishment of habits as a result of reinforcement and reward (Demirezen, 1988)
In 1992, the
British and Ecuadorian government agreement gave way to a total transformation
of EFL education with the implementation of a major project Curriculum Reform and Development for the
Learning of English (Cradle). The project proposed the use of the book Our
World through English which was based on the principles of the Communicative
approach and the Constructivist Theory.
Constructivism
suggests that the learner is much more actively involved in an interaction with
the teacher when creating new meanings.
It is necessary to make a distinction between cognitive constructivism
which is related to the way individual learners understand things in terms of
developmental stages and learning styles and social constructivism which emphasizes
how meanings and understandings grow out of social encounters. Constructivist
theory draws back to the writings of John Dewey who emphasized the place of
experience in education. In the same
way, Piaget demonstrated that children’s minds are not empty but actively
processed the material with which they are presented. However, the most significant bases of a
social constructivist theory were established by Vygotsky in his theory of the
Zone of Proximal Development (Atherton, 2013)
After the referendum approval in 2006, the eight policies
of the Ten Year Education Plan became
state’s policies. A new national curriculum for English is established based on
the communicative-functional approach characterized by two main features: focus
on real-world contexts and the relationship of language forms and function (Ministerio de
Educacion, 2012) .
The
implementation of this new curriculum was gradually introduced in schools. Teachers
have reluctantly adapted their professional practices and modified their lesson
plans to adapt themselves to the communicative approach. Those who have not,
blame it to the lack of professional development and lack of efficiency. Many
other schools have gone one step further and have implemented a new model
called the ecological model of human development, proposed by Urie Bronfenbrenner.
The ecological
model of human development proposed by Bronfenbrenner, argues that the entire
ecological system in which growth happens has to be considered in order to
understand human development. The model
conceives set of structures that move from the inner level called the
microsystem to the macrosystem. Microsystem
refers to the relationship between a developing person and the immediate
environment, such as school and family while the macrosystem refers to
institutional patterns of culture, such as economy, customs and bodies of
knowledge. Internal and external
circumstances and situations interact with individuals’ thoughts, feelings, and
actions to shape development and learning. (Bronfenbrenner, 1994)
Needs
of the curriculum
In
Ecuador, a Spanish speaking country, English is taught as a foreign
language. People have few opportunities
to be exposed to authentic communicative situations where English is
required. EFL teachers must modify the
methodology. The foreign language is
introduced through the basic conceptualizing processes of L1. Learning a foreign language is more a
personal goal instead of a necessity (Lewis,
1975)
In the process of achieving goals, motivation plays an
important role. According to Brown (2000) there are two kinds of motivation, intrinsic
and extrinsic motivation. Concerning language learning, intrinsic motivation
becomes applicable. Ecuadorian
students exhibit a tremendous lack of motivation. Learning objectives, content, methodology,
materials, class periods and all the elements of the curriculum have to be
derived from students’ needs. These
needs have to be analyzed from two perspectives: a) the gap between what is and
what should be; b) tensions that must be released for a healthy condition (Tyler, 2013) In summary,
curriculum workers must fit the curriculum to the student, not the student to
the curriculum.
I
believe that the model proposed by Taba exhibits a number of benefits. It is inductive, non-linear and gives
teachers the power to build the curriculum.
The content, methods,
processes are grounded on the reality that the students and the school are
experiencing. In Ecuador, one of the biggest issues that the education system
faces is the fact that the policies are made by authorities that have no
experience in working within the classrooms.
They create educational programs that are far from meeting the needs of
the students, the school or the society.
The world changes every minute. Consequently, a curriculum which does
not permit changes during the process might not be successful. I think flexibility should be one important
element when constructing a curriculum.
It should be designed by the teachers rather than just supplied by
authorities. Teachers have the enough experience and knowledge concerning the
everyday work in schools. Therefore,
they should be the primary participants in the building of a curriculum. I
consider that the philosophical and psychological screen proposed by Tyler
should be also taken into account. This
suggests that a combination of different models contribute to the construction
of a curriculum which responds not only to one single theory but to the school
and participants’ reality.
My
teaching philosophy says that classes have to be student-centered, based on the
constructivist theory. The content,
methodology, objectives of education should all be grounded on students’ needs,
interests, and perspectives. One important element is the quality of
education. I strongly believe that
students not only have the right to access education but worthy education which
allows them to develop their potentialities holistically no matter their socio
economic status. A model of curriculum development as described above might
allow teachers and authorities to guarantee students’ educational equity no
matter their social position. The
subject matter should demand thoughtful discussions from teachers. They should reflect on the priority of
subjects and consider arts, physical education, and foreign languages as
important as math or science.
Components of
Curriculum Development Process
Selecting the
Model
As
previously mentioned I consider that the Taba model provides a clear guidance
for constructing a curriculum that considers students as the starting
point. Furthermore, this model enables
teachers to be the developers instead of administrators or specialists that know
little about the reality within the classrooms. The model proposes the
development of a curriculum based on students’ needs, gaps, deficiencies and
different backgrounds. I consider that
this model is aligned with the new tendency in education that requires teachers
to see students as individuals who live unique realities. The objectives, content, and strategies
selected on the basis of students’ requirements might contribute to the
achievement of the educational goal:
transform students’ life in a positive way.
Considering
Philosophy
The
next step that curriculum developers have to consider is the Philosophy. As
previously mentioned my teaching philosophy follows student-centered strategies
based on the constructivist theory. I strongly believe that objectives,
content, and methodology have to be derived from students’ reality. My teaching
practices are based on three principles: a) get to know who my students are; b)
diagnose where they are at; and c) have great expectations. Getting to know my students is the first step
for instruction. This knowledge allows
me to plan classes based on their interests and likes. This is fundamental for getting students to
get engaged in the class so that their learning experience is productive and
meaningful. My second principle requires
me to find out where my students are at to properly design lessons which
provide them with opportunities to gain knowledge in their Zone of Proximal Development described by Vygotsky. Apprenticeship will not happen if activities
are too easy or too difficult to fulfill.
Students get either bored or frustrated.
I want my students rather feel challenged and able to discover
knowledge. Finally, I think that
believing in students has the power to make them believe in themselves. As a
teacher I feel committed to help young generations to discover and develop
their skills and potentialities and make a difference in their lives.
Considering
Aims
Curriculum
developers then derive educational aims based on the philosophy adopted. Aims are statements that provide direction to
the educational action. I think that in
my EFL curriculum I would include two main elements: The Good Living National
Plan objective which intends to provide student population nationwide with
quality, inclusive, and equal education; and the contemporary life
challenges. We are living in a global
world where communication happens at any time and at any place. The frontiers
between countries are disappearing. For
certain people, it will improve their way of life, but for others, it means
just the opposite. Thus, my main aims which will direct my teaching are as
follows: a) students will develop a high
sense of social justice, equity, and self-motivation for learning in order to
contribute to the society; and b) students will be able to manage technological
tools and a foreign language to efficiently interact and communicate as
citizens of a globalized world.
Determining
Needs
Following the process of constructing a curriculum,
developers will determine the needs of students, society, and the subject
matter. Regarding students’ needs I will
mention motivation for learning, pertinent instruction, and a safe learning
environment.
One
of the biggest issues Ecuadorian education has to fight is the lack of
self-motivation of students for learning.
Some of the reasons might be related to the little exposure they have to
the language in schools. They do not
really see the value in learning English since they do not have the need of it
to communicate in an everyday situation.
The students’ overpopulation might also be the cause of students’ lack
of interest. It is difficult for
teachers to provide students with individualized instruction when the average
class size is fifty students or more. In order to overcome this situation, it
is important that educators plan activities that contribute to students’
understanding of the importance of setting goals in life. Classes should be opportunities for them to
discover the world around them and have high expectations for their
future.
Students cannot be successful without efficacious
teachers. Students need teachers who are
able to understand the world where they are living at a certain point of
time. They need teachers who are
interested in getting to know who their students are so that they can plan
lessons accordingly. They need the type
of instruction that recognize them as individual beings with specific needs,
interests, and learning styles.
Finally, students need a healthy and safe learning
environment. The hidden curriculum tells
us that students might develop wrong values
depending of the place where instruction takes place. Thus, if the school’s infrastructure invites
to paint walls, scratch desks, or break windows, students develop the idea that
those are common practices and they are more likely to reproduce them in the
society. Therefore, students need a
clean and safe environment inside and out of the school so that they learn real
values such as respect, tolerance, and care.
In regards to society, productive global citizens,
scientific researchers, and positive leaders are needed. The rapid technological growth demands
citizens who are able to keep up with the new ways of communication, business,
and social relationships. Ecuadorian
society needs individuals with high intellectual development who assist the
country to keep up with more advanced societies. The level of development of a
society is measured by the body of research that is conducted. In Ecuador, the need of serious research is
high priority. Teachers in schools should be encouraging the natural curiosity
of children who later on might become professional researchers. Another essential need is leadership. Ecuador society needs men and women with a
high sense of identity who deeply understand what being an Ecuadorian means. We
need people who do not know the meaning of corruption and do not to place their
personal interests before those of the society.
Concerning
the subject matter, a clear and well thought curriculum as well as permanent
control and evaluation and technology access are needs that have to be met. The
curriculum should allow more time for English learning. Forty five minutes, five times a week is not
time enough to develop language skills effectively. The textbook selection should be extensively
analyzed before making a decision. I
think it is time to consider not using a textbook at all. The current
evaluation system needs to be revised. The way teachers are required to
evaluate students has transformed instruction into a process of getting things done neglecting the
actual objectives of teaching and learning.
Permanent
control and evaluation from professional authorities is required. The first authority within the school is the
area coordinator. Coordinators need to
keep regular meetings with teachers and administrators to evaluate processes
and solve problems at school level.
District directors should control the correct functioning of the
curriculum at a higher level. They are
the people in charge of making accommodations when things are not going
well.
Finally, the 21st
century lifestyle demands people master technological tools. There is plenty of online material for EFL
teaching and learning available. Unfortunately, lack of funding, slow
bandwidth, insufficient technical support, unaffordable software, and teachers’
reluctance has prevented too many schools from integrating technology to
classrooms. Technology integration
should be one important element in the EFL curriculum.
Instructional
Objectives
According
to my teaching philosophy these are the instructional objectives that I
consider essential: a) to develop speaking skills to a level that allow
students to effectively interact and communicate in social and academic
settings; b) to read various genres of books to nurture pleasure for reading; c) to enable students
to independently create technology-based projects.
Strategies
for Learning Experiences
In
order to achieve my second objective: to
read various genres of books to nurture pleasure for reading I plan the
following strategies: storytelling, literature circles, and book choices.
No
matter the age of students, they will always enjoy having the teacher read to
them. First, it is important to choose a
text that is familiar for students so they can make connections while
listening. Second, teachers need to have
the ability to actually act out the characters in the reading so students can
picture the story in their minds. This
activity can be carried out on a regular basis before starting class without
the pressure for students of being evaluated.
The
use of Literature circles is a more formal and integrative activity. It is a significant part of a lesson rather
than a simple warm-up. In literature circles, students are given a book to
read. There are four roles that each
member of the group will take alternatively.
The discussion director is the student in charge to make a list of
questions about the assigned portion of reading. He or she will help students to talk over the
big ideas and share their reactions. The
Literary laminator is in charge of locating a few special sections or
quotations in the text for the group to talk over. The idea is to help people
go back to some especially interesting, powerful, funny, puzzling, or important
sections of the reading and think. The vocabulary builder’s job is to be on the
lookout for a few words that have special meaning in the reading selection. He
or she should jot down puzzling or unfamiliar words while reading and look them
up the definitions. Finally, the checker controls the participation of each
member of the circle. He or she will
make sure that everybody has an opportunity to share. Literature circles are a
great strategy to develop students’ like for reading. They become independent learners. Their
cognitive skills, critical thinking, reflection, analysis and synthesis
abilities are developed as well.
Another
key strategy to develop the pleasure for reading is giving students the
opportunity to choose the reading material they are interested in. Thus, I will have students identify the genre
they like the most. It might be drama,
science fiction, history, comedy, poetry, romance, myths or any other they are interested
about. Before students make their choices, we will have discussions regarding
outstanding authors, their biographies, fun and trivia facts. At this point, students will be making
connections that will help them to make a better book choice. This is meant to
be a mid-term project. Students will
have plenty of time to finish the reading.
Additionally, they will be allowed some time before or after class for
reading or make questions they might have about their individual readings.
Evaluation
of Instruction (students)
The purpose of
evaluation is to provide continuous feedback to improve instruction. This improvement should lead teachers to make
necessary accommodations for learners to achieve higher results. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the
learning experiences, I have to consider two facts: a) satisfying results; b)
experiences produce different outcomes. Tyler (2013) argues that in order to
develop students’ interest, learning experiences should give them the occasion
to explore the areas where their interests are placed into consideration and
more importantly to have satisfying results from these explorations. When students succeed in certain activities,
they are more likely to develop interest in these activities. Another important point to consider is the
uniqueness of students. A given learning
experience might produce different outcomes.
“It is possible for two students to be in the same class and for them to
be having two different experiences” (p.63).
Considering
these two points, I think differentiation instruction strategies are great
tools to evaluate students bearing in mind their individual learning styles and
interests. Thus, to evaluate the
learning experiences proposed above I will use a choice board. Students will
write a book review, prepare a poster, make a graphic organizer, create a film
strip, or construct a representation.
These activities are planned based on the multiple intelligences theory
and intend to meet every student’s learning style. Students have the opportunity to choose the
activity they feel better at and stand out.
In doing so, the possibilities for the students to succeed and have a
satisfying experience are great. As mentioned before, a satisfying experience
has the power to develop students’ interest in this case: the development of
the like for reading.
Evaluation
of Curriculum (program)
Curriculum
evaluation considers to what extent the objectives, content, methods, and
activities are producing the desired results and how the curricular program
might be improved. The process of evaluating the curriculum should address the
answers to key questions concerning students, teachers, and instruction. The
following questions are examples of topics that teachers, administrators, and
curriculum specialists should discuss.
Key Questions
|
Comments
|
Are the goals of this subject clearly and
explicitly stated?
|
|
Are
those goals congruent with the national curriculum?
|
|
Is
the content in accordance with the needs of the society?
|
|
Is
the methodology meeting all students’ needs?
|
|
Do
pupils believe that what they are learning is useful and meaningful?
|
|
Do
the evaluation strategies provide valid evidence of students’ performance?
|
|
Do
teachers allocate the required time to teaching?
|
|
Do
teachers make necessary accommodations according with students’ needs and
readiness?
|
|
Are
there any unintended effects of the curriculum?
|
After
the committee discusses the whole functioning of the curriculum, they should
compare results and analyze them to determine strengths and weakness to make
modifications if necessary.
Conclusion
The educational system in Ecuador is
going through a process of systematization.
The first step was the construction of a national curriculum for English
language Teaching. This curriculum
determines objectives, content, methodology, and assessment. Even though having a document that directs
the teaching of English was a necessity, the current curriculum has a number of
deficiencies due to the fact that it was developed by specialists with almost
no experience within the classroom.
After
exploring the different models for curriculum construction, the Taba model
supports the theory that the participation of experienced teachers in the
development of the curriculum is essential.
Committed educators who have a deep understanding of students behaviors,
needs, and interests are a very reliable source of information which can
contribute to a more precise and suitable curriculum. Hence, it is proposed
that EFL teachers in Ecuador are given the opportunity to take part in national
discussions to evaluate the teaching and learning process and consider making
modifications regarding objectives, materials, periods of class, and
content.
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Oliva, P., & Gordon, W. (2012). Developing the
curriculum.London: Pearson.
Ornstein, A., & Hunkins, F. (1998). Curriculum:
Foundations, principles and issues. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Palma, A. M. Monografias.com. Retireived
on July 9, 2014, from Historia del Sistema Educativo del Ecuador:
http://www.monografias.com/
The Economist. Ecuador's education reforms. Retrieved
on July 17, 2014 from http://www.economist.com/node/14258942
Tyler,
R. (2013). Basic Principles of Curriculum and Instruction. Chicago: The
university of Chicago press.
SECTION B: TEACHING AND LEARNING
Middle School
Course
description:
This course provides an overview
of the characteristics of middle-level schools; the social, psychological, and
physical characteristics of early adolescent development; the middle-level
curriculum; ways to organize for instruction; and the teacher’s role in the
guidance of students at the middle level
Along
my teaching years, I have had students who seemed not to like my classes or
me. In my Middle School class, I learned
that the problem is not the teacher but the developmental stages which early
adolescents and adolescents go through.
Students at this age are going through a critical process of physical,
emotional, social, and cognitive changes that make them vulnerable. I believe
that as educators we have to be well informed about all the changes that affect
young adolescents at this age. This way
we will have a better understanding of the reasons of their behavior and will
be better equipped to meet their needs.
I
think that many teachers fail in managing successful lessons and keeping
trusting relationship with young adolescents due to the fact that they do not
give the importance they should to the changes the students are experiencing
and how they affect their behavior. If
teachers knew that young adolescents just cannot help sitting for long periods
because their bodies are growing and they have the need to move, teachers would
plan more active and challenging lessons.
We need to understand that mainly every reaction of our young
adolescents is a result of that hormonal explosion. Therefore, teachers should
take into account the needs of students of this age at the moment of planning
lessons, activities, content, and extracurricular activities. I think that this understanding is helpful
to serve young adolescents better.
As
middle school educators we always have to consider the critical stage young
adolescents are going through. In my
class, I anticipate to stay aware of being supportive. If we suspect a student
is having problems, we should allow them to open up about it and offer help. It
is important to encourage peer interaction. Creating activities that require
students rely on each other to succeed might be very beneficial. Also, we have to make our students get engaged in the class. To do so, we should plan fun and challenging activities, use technology, relate information to popular culture and avoid lectures. Personally, I believe that above all we should create a trusting relationship with our students. Learning their names and use them often helps a lot. They should have the opportunity to express their feelings. Letting them to know about ourselves also contributes to build rapport. We should be sincerely interested in our students... and show it.
Course Project:
Young
Adolescents: Eating Healthy
INTRODUCTION
Young
adolescents are students who are 10 to 15 years old. They need special programs that address their
particular needs regarding intellectual, social, emotional, and physical
development. The extraordinary
evolution that is happening at this time of their lives represent a great
challenge for educators. Their responsibility is even greater considering that
students of this age are founding values that affect them for the rest of their
lives in terms of decision making (National Middle School
Association, 2003) .
These
young people look for respect, opportunities to be heard and expect adults take
them seriously. This is the time in life when children’s traits are being
replaced by adult capacities. They are
no longer dependent and want to assert their place in the adult world. Young
adolescents are learning who they are, who they can be and what they can
do. They are enthusiastic about
exploring new roles, ideas, and ways of acting. This scenario gives educators
the perfect place to help students develop positive visions for their
future. However, it can also be a
dangerous stage in their lives (Doda, 2010) .
Similarly,
adolescence is a time of risk. Having
more freedom and independence, young adolescents are exposed to a world of
novelties regarding addictive substances, automobiles, and sexuality. Teenagers go into dangerous situations not
because they feel attracted by risky situations, but rather because they are
not well informed about the consequences of their actions (Wargo, 2007) . Body and image are another reasons for
concern. Research has demonstrated that adolescents not only experience great
physical changes but also a series of emotional changes concerning
self-acceptance. The sexual maturation makes adolescents feel conscious and
awkward of their bodies. Girls seem to be the most vulnerable to
developing a negative body image. Other abilities are ignored and they rely on
their appearance exclusively.
Consequently their self-esteem is lowered and health disorders emerge.
Eating is one of the most common disorders that affect young adolescents (Whensheker, 2014) .
Some potential warnings about adolescents
being affected by eating disorders are unhealthy weight control practices,
obsessive thinking of food, weight, shape or exercise. The effects are irreversible on physical,
psychological and emotional development.
Therefore, it is urgent an intervention with early diagnosis and
treatment (Golden, 2003) .
In Ecuador, the Children and Adolescents code
establish their right to free access to health programs and suitable nutrition
for children and adolescents (Ministerio de salud, n/a) . From the
researcher’s experience it can be stated that contrary to what the law
proposes, young adolescents in Ecuadorian schools are not receiving proper
nutrition. The schools cafeterias offer junk food which students can afford with
little money. However, is this food
contributing to adolescents’ nutrition considering the physical growth they are
going through? Administrators and educators seem not to care much about
addressing this issue. Schools do not have a healthy, nutrition and fitness
program. Some authorities intend to keep control on what school caferias offer
with very little positive results. Furthermore, students and parents do not
recognize the need of healthy eating habits and regular fitness practices. While this unawareness of keeping healthy
through exercise and appropriate nutrition keeps being the norm, eating
disorders such as anorexia, obesity, and bulimia will continue affecting
students’ especially young adolescents.
Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to
propose a health program for middle schools in Quito which addresses young
adolescents’ needs regarding nutrition in order to avoid further eating
disorders and develop high academic performance and self-esteem.
Physical
Developmental Characteristics
Physical development includes bodily changes which include growth and
biological maturity. During early adolescence, the body undergoes more
development than at any other time. Developmental growth includes rises in
height, weight and muscular systems. Bones
grow faster than muscles that is why young adolescents experience coordination
issues. The changes in their metabolism make young adolescents experience
periods of restlessness (Caskey, 2007) .
They experience increases in weight, height, heart size, muscular
strength, and lung capacity. Surprised by their strength, adolescents might
unintentionally hurt people or break objects. Their appetite fluctuates
irregularly and need more sleeping hours. Sexual characteristics are exhibited
due to the awakening of hormones which is reflected in unexpected changes of
mood. Girls grow faster than boys. They are usually taller than boys the first
two years of early adolescence. Both boys and girls find difficult to adjust to
all these changes and they might feel anxious when the changes do not appear as
expected (Chichuki, 2007) .
Physical development during
adolescence varies from one to another.
Some teens will grow more slowly than their peers. They feel resentful
they are not getting the same attention their more mature friends are. This
might make adolescents feel frustrated.
On the other hand, some teens may mature more quickly than their peers.
This earlier growing may also cause feelings of frustration since these teens
may be teased about their bodies by
their peers. This can be especially true for teen girls. Young female teens may
not be emotionally prepared to be admired sexually. Teenage boys who develop
sooner have an easier time. Their
physical superiority is respected and admired.
Considering that the bodies of young adolescents are constantly growing
it is important for them to keep a balance among a nutrient-rich diet, plenty
of exercise and sound sleeping hours.
This balance helps adolescents to prevent future health problems
Observations
The group
joined fourteen young adolescents boys and girls aged 10 – 12. Just like described on the books: the girls
are taller than the boys. They exhibited a great amount of energy during the
outdoor activity. They seemed not to
feel distressed by the hot weather and burning sun. The theory says that young
adolescents are not totally aware of their strength since their bones are
continuously growing. This fact was
evidenced by the reaction of one of the girls to her friend’s slap on her back
as a friendship demonstration. I could hear a hurting OUCH!. Their appetite was
also demonstrated. At the end of the
activity they were allowed to get some ice-cream. Some got two big scoops. Young adolescents might feel hungry more
often.
Intellectual
Developmental Characteristics
During early adolescence, students present an extensive variety of
intellectual development. They become
curious and exhibits several interests. They are enthusiastic for learning about
topics they find interesting and useful.
They prefer active over passive learning experiences, and prefer
interactions with peers. Young adolescents switch from concrete to abstract
thinking. Their cognitive skills are
developed in the way that they become able to analyze, synthesize and think
reflectively (Caskey, 2007) .
They love solving real life challenges, arguing and convincing others.
Their interests are grounded in personal and social concerns rather than in
academic pursuits. They are primarily egocentric and at this point they start
to question attitudes, values, and behaviors which before remain unquestionable
(Chichuki, 2007) . Piaget’s theory of four stages of
development describes what happens in the mind of young adolescents. At the age
of seven to eleven, students go through the concrete operational stage. At this
stage children are able to understand reverse processes, think logically about
concrete objects, form categories, and classify objects into hierarchical
relationships. Students who process information at the concrete stage tend to
grasp knowledge easily through hands on activities and authentic materials
which recall their life experiences. Middle school educators should consider
incorporating plenty of visuals, objects, and manipulatives to their classrooms
so students can touch and see the concepts they are learning (Brown &
Knowles, 2007) .
In the article “Implications for brain research for teaching young
adolescents” neuroscience research is demonstrating significant implications of
the functioning of the brain and the process of teaching and learning. This
article explores the brain maturation
during adolescence and possible gender differences in how adolescents
learn. It is explained that the central nervous system is made up of two major
classes of cells, neurons and glia.
Neuronal cells have special properties that allow them to receive and
send information, encoded as patterns of electrical and chemical activity,
within the brain. Special projections of neurons, called dendrites, receive
signals from many other cells and pass information to an output process, the
axon. The point of contact between dendrites and axons is known as synapse.
Synaptic modulation is thought to be the basis for complex properties of the
brain such as learning and memory.
This is one of the main reasons why neuroscientists are investigating
how synapses are formed in young developing brains. Some of the conclusions so far state that the
adolescent brain go through a period of circuit enhancement, making unused
connections and strengthening used synapses.
This process is accelerated just before puberty. Another area of the
brain to be considered is the prefrontal cortex. This is the area controlling planning,
working memory, organization, and mood modulation. This area is not mature until about 18 years
of age. Scientifics are hypothesizing that this growth is an important stage of
brain development that can influence learners for the rest of their lives. The saying “use it or lose it” applies to
brain growth during early adolescence.
The author warns if a teen is into music, sports or academics, those are
the connections that will remain in their brains. On the other hand, if they are lying on the
coach or watching tv, few cells and connections will survive.
Therefore, teachers and parents
have an obligation to enrich the adolescents’ environment and to strengthen
those connections that will be in teens’ best interests later in life. Another
brain implication has to do with gender and stress. The effects of stress are
opposite on males and females. Research
demonstrated that stress in females inhibit learning while in males learning is
facilitated. Many teachers include competition in their lessons as an incentive
for learning. For males the stress
caused by the competition makes them more receptive and learn more easily. For
females, instead, that same stress produces a negative response to the learning
experience. It is imperative for educators to get informed about brain research
and its implications so they can create potent, diverse instruction in a safe
and motivating classroom (Irvin, Wilson, & Wilson,
2002)
Observations
Regarding the intellectual development, the children who participated
in Treasures Hunters group were aged 10 to 12.
They seem to be bored during the math explanations. There was very little interaction with their
peers at the time of group discussion. However, their mood shifted to curiosity at
the moment of solving the problem of proportions. Some of them preferred the calculator while a
few challenged themselves to use their math skills. All the children understood the concept of
proportions and could see the use of math in real life. They had to calculate distances and figure it
out directions by using a compass. The
three teachers in charge, two of them pre-service teachers had the students
think all the time. Students had to make
connections between every fact they learned with their lives and give reasons
for their answers, make predictions, and support arguments. Connecting my observations with the article
above, I can tell that the teachers created the environment where the children
had to make their brains work.
Emotional/Psychological
Developmental Characteristics
Emotional development is characterized by the demand of independence
and identity formation and adult acceptance as well as peer approval. Young adolescents tend to be moody and
restless. They exhibit inconsistent behavior including anxiety, and
fluctuations between contentment and sorrow. They are highly sensitive to
criticism and tend to believe that their experiences, problems and feelings are
unique(Caskey, 2007) The increase of hormones and
changes to the brain structure arise from normal physical growth provoking a
series of emotional reactions that are the reason of conflicts with parents,
friends, school and romantic relationships.
This scenario can easily distress the emotional state of adolescents (Anderson, 2014) .
Many young adolescents
experience a drop in self-esteem. They are constantly questioning about their
physical appearance and trying to fit in what it is considered normal and
acceptable. The self-esteem of middle schoolers is grounded more in their
ability to join a group rather than in their academic performance. They tend to
value their ability to impress others with their misbehavior instead of acting
responsibly. When adolescents fail in building healthy peer relationships they
are more likely to feel alienated and eventually they might end up dropping
school. Schools must afford occasions for students to understand the changes
they are going through and practice their independence with adults’ support (Brown &
Knowles, 2007) .
Adults play an essential
role in helping young adolescents cope with their emotions. The following study
demonstrates how informed parents can better deal with teenagers. The study
was conducted in a metropolitan region on Merbourne, Australia. One
hundred eighty parents of adolescents were randomly selected for the study.
Participants were included in the study if they were custodial or non-custodial
parents with regular access to their adolescent aged 10–14 years. Parents were
asked to complete a questionnaire battery which included measures of
demographic information, adolescent behavior and conflict, parenting practices,
and parenting stress and depression.
Parents attended to the
program for parents of young adolescents combining behavioral family
intervention with acceptance-based strategies for six sessions. The ABCD
Parenting Young Adolescent Program is a group intervention for parents of adolescents
aged from 10 to 14 years. The program is designed to provide parents with
information and skills for developing and maintaining trusting, positive and
accepting relationships with their young adolescents who are looking for
independence within safe boundaries and make the transition to adolescence.
This intervention is grounded on social principles and includes acceptance-based
strategies that have been revealed to reduce distress in interpersonal
relationships. The program comprises plans for stimulating anticipated actions
and sincere tolerant interactions between parents and their adolescents;
improving parental controlling of adolescent activities; improving parental and
stress management; increasing responsibility and autonomy of adolescents and
dealing with conflict and setting limits. The program meets six consecutive
weeks. During each 2-hour session parents have the opportunity to discuss,
practice and receive feedback on a range of strategies and ideas. The study revealed a number of positive effects for
parents who participated in the program. Participants reported high
satisfaction with all elements of the ABCD program. Results suggest the program
may assist parents of young adolescents to promote or maintain protective
factors in their families (Burke, 2012) .
These conclusions provide evidence of the
importance of the role of the parents of young adolescents. This period of time
in the life of their children may be the cause of serious family and academic failures.
When parents find themselves struggling with dealing with their kids’ emotions,
feelings, and necessities they should look for specialized support like the
program described in the study. Parents of young adolescents should be well
informed and prepared to help their children go through this stage of enormous
changes in a healthy and peaceful way.
Parents and educators share the responsibility of providing young
adolescents with great opportunities to discover and develop their
potentialities. A positive adolescence
experience promises future sensible, responsible, and caring adults.
Observations
Observations
At the beginning of the
session the children seemed quiet. Some
of them would talk to the instructors cheerfully. In class, they seem to be bored while
listened to the teachers’ instructions.
However, when they were asked to applied the math knowledge to their
lives their faces shone with enthusiasm.
As the observation took place just for a couple of hours, there were no
opportunities to appreciate extreme mood shifting. They rather behave themselves and show
respect for the teachers and their peers.
Social
Developmental Characteristics
Young adolescents have the need to belong to a group. This need often
results in obsessive devotion to peer groups. Social maturity often comes after
physical and intellectual development. Consequently, young adolescents tend to
overreact to social situations, make fun of others, and feel embarrassed for no
reason (Caskey, 2007) . During this
stage, relationships with the family seem to be in the second place. Peers relationships happen to be over their
families. Young adolescents tend to
value their friends’ perceptions and ideas. They might be strongly influenced
by their peers’ behaviors and beliefs.
Paired with adolescents of the same age with limited experience, they
are often vulnerable to negative peer pressure (Anderson,
2014) .
Friendships during the
early years of adolescence are crucial. Some of the main concerns of young
adolescents are how to get along with peers and adults. The way students manage
their social skills might have a positive or negative impact on the emotional
and cognitive development. Positive social skills conduct to opportunities to
better manage social problems. Regarding gender friendship needs are different
for boys and girls. Female adolescents
look for emotional support from their female peers while males seek friends who
support them in times of trouble. However, socialization can be a hard time for
young adolescents who easily misinterpret messages of surprise with anger or
threat. Committed teachers should plan
lessons which promote continuous social interactions through collaborative
projects, role-plays, games. It is
essential to place students in mixed social groups so that they develop their
social skills (Brown & Knowles, 2007) .
Adolescence is the time when
students might find themselves in a world where they do not seem to fit. Poor social skills may take students to
dangerous periods of depression as explored in the study “Testing Reciprocal
Longitudinal Relationships”. The study
was conducted with the participation of students from two middle Tenessee rural
suburban middle schools. There were
598 students who exhibited parents’
permission for the study. A longitudinal research of young adolescents was used
to test if peer victimization predicts depressive symptoms, depressive symptoms
predict peer victimization, or the two constructs show reciprocal relations.
The sample was 50.7% female and 90.3% Caucasian. Self-reports and peer
nominations were used to assess peer victimization. The measure contained six
items designed to assess relational and physical victimization. The question stem was, “Does anyone in you
class ever….” The three relational items were a) tell other to stop being your
friend, b) say you can not play with them, and c) say mean things to other kids
about you. The three physical items were d) kick you, e) hit you, and f) push
you. Each item was rated on a 4-point scale.
The depressive symptoms inventory is a widely
used 27-item self-report measure. The CDI items consist of three statements
graded in order of increasing severity, scored from 0 to 2. Children select one sentence from each group
that best describes themselves for the past 2 weeks.(e.g., “I am sad once in a
while”, “I am sad many times”, or “I am sad all the time”). The CDI has high
levels of reliability and validity. Three main findings emerged from the study.
First, symptoms of depression predicted changes in physical and relational peer
victimization, but peer victimization did not predict changes in symptoms of
depression. Second, gender moderated the relations. Depression symptoms were
more predictive of physical victimization for boys than for girls. Third, there
were significant gender effects on victimization for both self-report and peer
nomination, and girls reporting higher levels of relational victimization for
self-report.
These findings have
implications for prevention and intervention programs. The results suggest that it is important to
help children overcome depression since it affects not only their mental health
but also peer victimization. It is also suggested that schools start
intervention programs oriented to provide support to young adolescents. (Tran, Cole, & Weiss, 2012)
Observations
All the children waited
patiently for instructions before starting the session. Many of them preferred to concentrate in
their cellphone or iPads. There was little social interaction. A few of them especially the girls were more
interested in talking to the pre-service teachers. Throughout the session the level of
interaction increased. The kids showed
interest for sharing their past experiences about the use of compasses which
was the topic of that day. They were
willing to make questions and provide answers based on what they already
knew. It was not observed the need to
stick to a friend since that was the second day of instruction. They all participated in the activities
collaboratively. During the hands on
activities in class, it was observed that girls were more willing to offer help
to those peers who were not very good at drawing.
Moral development characteristics
Moral development is concerned with thoughts, behaviors and
feelings. This area has two
dimensions: Intrapersonal and
interpersonal. The intrapersonal dimension focuses on the person’s values and
sense of self and the interpersonal dimension involves the interactions with
other people. When an individual is not engaged in social interaction, the
interpersonal dimension is in conflict.
It is important to explore how adolescents reason, behave and feel. What do adolescents think? When a student is exposed to a situation in
which he or she has to decide what is appropriated to do, their focus is placed
on the reasoning which justify their decisions.
How do adolescents behave? Given a situation where the student has the
possibility to cheat in an exam, the decision he makes regarding cheating or
not is related with their sense of morality.
How do students feel? In the example of cheating, if the adolescent
decides to cheat, does he feels guilty of doing so or keep cheating next
time? These three components: though,
behavior, and feelings are interrelated (Santrock, 2012) .
Students at middle school
start to develop the ability to make reasoned moral and ethical choices that go
beyond the perspectives of good or bad. The meaning of justice, fairness,
equality, rights, and morality are tested. Students at this age might be
hypersensitive and they are easily offended by what they think is unfair and
unethical. They become highly critical
regarding others’ actions but they are unable to see their own mistakes. They try to create their own rules for their
lives but usually they have to look for their parents or peers advice at the
moment of making decisions (Oswalt, 2014)
Young Adolescents Nutrition
As explained in the physical development section, a
nutritious diet, regular exercise and enough sleeping hours contribute to the
healthy development of young adolescents. A recent study conducted in Portugal
indicates that there are many interlinked factors that influence young
adolescents eating behavior.
Participants were sixteen School Health Coordinators in public
schools. They were interviewed face to
face about their opinions, perspectives and motivations concerning the
interventions carried out by SHCs. Also a semi-structured interview guide of
open-ended questions was developed to get information concerning guidelines of
nutrition programs, the dynamics and drivers of these programs, and limitations
found during the conception, execution and evaluation of nutrition education
interventions.
Besides interviews,
observations were also carried out to assess the availability of food around
the schools: fast restaurants, supermarkets, traditional grocery shops, coffee
and cake shops. Two broad levels of analysis were identified: the school
environment and outside school environment. The school environment level
included students, school health promotion team, fellow teachers, and school
broad and staff. The outside school
environment level represented the school surroundings, family and local school
community.
The results showed that
according to the 75% percent of the participants, students’ food choices are
unhealthy. Their diets are characterized
by the regular consumption of processed food, high energy dense food rich in
fat and sugar and a low consumption of fish, fruit and vegetables. Sixty seven percent of the participants
identified changes in students’ diet regarding nutrition knowledge, eating
habits, and involvement in nutrition activities after having being exposed to
nutritional programs. This program
included activities like conferences about milk consumption, video projections,
leaflet distribution, healthier snack supply , occasional offer of fruit,
healthy vending machines, sale of organic products, games and pastimes about
dietary rules, production and exhibition of school projects developed by
students, and healthy soup fair.
The SHCs recognized that
colleagues’ collaboration was crucial to the successful implementation of
healthy eating practices into schools. Some of them were actively involved
persuading students in the cafeteria to eat salads. There were also teachers who were not really
interested in the program due to their lack of recognition of the need to
change food offered at school. Regarding outside school environment 56% of the
participants considered that it hindered healthy habits because they offer high
energy density products such as: deep-fried food, hotdogs, croissasnts, pizza,
hamburgers, chips and cakes. The influence of the family on healthy eating
habits was also discussed. According to
38% of the participants, a coherence between what is taught at school and food
behavior at home as well as parental monitoring were considered helpful in
nutrition education.
SHCs considered necessary to
encourage families to adopt a healthy diet through the implementation of
nutrition information sessions and developing activities driven by the students
as a means to involve parents. The findings report that interventions can
foster positive changes in young adolescents’ lifestyle gradually. Programs have to be oriented to provide
anticipatory guidance for parents, encourage students to eat healthy food in
the school cafeteria and promote the development of food choice skills. Students should be taught to make healthy
decisions to defend themselves by refusing foods that are more palatable but
more energy dense. As a result, the
promotion of healthy eating habits must provide a realistic sense of
responsibility associated with a more positive eating identity: their
appearance. This would suggest that the
message addressed to adolescents should focus on shorter term effects of a
healthy diet, namely on positive appearance effects, as this would help them
build their self –confidence and peer acceptance (Melo, Moura,
Aires, & Cunha, 2013) .
Implications
Ecuadorian reality does not
differ much from the scenario described.
Most schools offer high energy dense food because young adolescents are
great consumers. Even though, they have
healthy alternatives they would choose a piece of pizza instead of an
apple. The cafeterias and restaurants
surrounding schools offer even a greater variety of junk food: pizzas, hotdogs,
French fries, energy drinks, cakes and all sort of candy. Parents lack of time
and money to prepare healthy meals at home.
In spite of authorities’ effort to keep control of the food cafeterias
serve, school food is still a way far to contribute to the development of
students’ healthy eating habits.
Therefore, the following
plan is presented:
Fruits, Milk, and Beauty
Students
will analyze the chart contrasting the consequences of keeping a healthy diet
with eating junk food (appendix A).
Teachers are expected to promote thoughtful discussions around the topic
so that students discover the scientific reasons behind the theory of eating
healthy. For example: teachers will
explain that a complete breakfast which includes cereal, fruit, and any milky
product contributes to a greater number of neural connections. These neural connections contribute to fluid
intelligence. The chart will be posted in
different places around the school for future reference for students and
teachers.
The second step is having informative and discussion
meetings run by expert nutritionists where students have the opportunity to
make questions and go deeper into nutrition knowledge. In the next part of the project, students
will conduct a simple study about the food that the school cafeteria offers. They
will be observing, identifying, and classifying the kind of food students eat
and their findings will be discussed in class. Finally, students will write
their reflections and conclusions addressing the question: How do you want to look like?
The second part of this plan
involves parents and science teachers.
Teachers and students will organize the Eating Healthy Fair. Parents
will be instructed on how to prepare healthy meals at low cost. Finally, the principal of the school will be
persuaded to have the Ministry of Health authorities supervise the food served
in the cafeteria. All efforts are
oriented to give students the opportunity to have a better lifestyle and
consequently a high academic performance and self-esteem.
SECTION
E: Research and Scholarship. Action Research
Course description
EDCI
760: Action Research in Education is designed to provide students with an
overview of quantitative and qualitative research methods in education to equip
candidates with the knowledge necessary to be competent consumers and producers
of education research. This course
focuses on the theoretical and practical dimensions of school-based action
research related to curriculum and instructional topics. Action research is grounded in the belief
that teachers and practitioners are both consumers and producers of knowledge
regarding both teaching and learning.
Course participants will be guided in the process of developing a viable
proposal for an action research project relevant to their field of expertise.
Throughout
action research class I gained valuable learnings regarding research
approaches, methodology, procedures, literature review and so forth. This knowledge facilitated my journey as a
grad student. However, I want to
highlight the fact that this course provided me with the research terminology,
concepts and insights necessary to design and develop an action research project.
This understanding will allow me to become a reflective practitioner,
contribute to my school progress, and implement new initiatives.
Reflective practice is one of the most important
tools for personal professional development.
This capacity allows taking a conscious look at the actions, emotions,
experiences and responses in the daily practices so as to engage in a
continuous learning. I remember hearing
a professor say that effective teachers are researchers with a constant desire
to get into research. Never before had I
thought that everyday situations that are sometimes overlooked could be a
motive for research. Honestly, I usually
do evaluate my classes. When the session
is finished I go back through the whole process and analyze if the goal was
achieve. If not I think of what could
have worked better. However, this
process never went beyond this reflection.
This class made me realizes that these reflections are the first step to
start a research study which eventually contributes to establish potential
actions to address specific classroom problems.
Action research purpose is to find solutions for
school problems. Students in Ecuadorian schools progressively take along more
problems into the classroom; family abuse, social economic issues, learning
disabilities. This scenario clearly
shows that today's teachers have to do more with less. Therefore, I want to
make an impact in high schools practices by persuading my colleagues and
authorities to come up with pertinent interventions oriented to overcome
difficulties such as low achievement, lack of motivation for learning, and
teachers’ attitudes. I feel that Action research class gave me the tools, power
and authority to propose big ideas.
Although, I find changing most teachers’ attitudes challenging, I
consider that the knowledge I gained in this class enables me to use
research-based arguments which sound convincing and let us build team work.
When all teachers in school decide to focus on one particular issue and
everybody contributes with ideas to address difficulties, significant progress
on the school can happen.
I really anticipate conducting action research in my classroom and school.
Reliable
findings can give way to implement new initiatives. Many times I have found
myself thinking that things are not working well. I have come up with some alternatives that
might help but I have not been sure about the theoretical support. Conducting
action research can sort out this concern and give me a solid base to implement
initiatives that contribute to solve school problems.
Appendix A
Observation
Rating-Scale
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
|
All students are
focused on the class.
|
|||||
Students take notes
on content.
|
|||||
Students ask
questions about the lesson.
|
|||||
Students work
independently.
|
|||||
Students show
positive emotional reactions.
|
|||||
Students do not
seem disruptive.
|
|||||
Students are
willing to participate voluntarily.
|
|||||
The atmosphere is
safe and friendly.
|
|||||
Students’ time
talking is higher than TTT.
|
|||||
Students show
energy and curiosity.
|
1=
strongly disagree 5=
completely agree
Appendix B
RESEARCHER’S
FIELD NOTES
Date:
Students…..
|
COMMENTS
|
Are willing to do homework
|
|
Show energy
|
|
Feel curious
|
|
Show pride in success
|
|
Seem relaxed
|
|
Are persistent
|
|
Show interest
|
|
Feel confident to talk to the teacher
|
|
Show positive emotional reactions
keep eye contact
|
|
Raise hands
|
|
Get to work promptly
|
|
Do homework
|
|
Respond to questions
|
|
Take notes
|
|
Follow requests
|
|
Interact each other
|
|
Are willing to perform
|
Appendix C
QUESTIONNAIRE
Instructions: Please complete the following
questions to reflect your opinions as accurately as possible. Your information will be kept strictly
confidential.
1.
How
do you feel during English class?
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
2.
Are
tasks easy to accomplish? Why/ why not?………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….............
3.
What
is an activity that you liked the most? Why?
………………………………………………………………………………………… ……
...................……………………………………………………………………………………
4.
Are you usually willing to participate in
class? Why/why not?
…………………………………………………………………………......………………………………………………………………………………
5.
Would
you like to take extra English classes? Why/ Why not?
…………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………
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