Analysis of Creative Arts Unit of Work for Kindergarten- - Case Study Example

Running head: Curriculum Analysis Name: University: Course: Tutor: Date of Submission: Introduction This paper will make an analysis as well as an assessment of creative arts unit of work for Kindergarten grade twelve for NSW schools. The assessment of the unit of work will be based on the twenty elements of productive pedagogy model framework of NSW DET (2003).In order to assess this curriculum as per the requirements the curriculum will be analyzed in relation to intended teacher as well as student alignment and misalignments. The analysis therefore will assess this curriculum in terms of objectives, content, activities as well as the final unit work assessment. The paper therefore covers discussions and recommendations which will improve the overall unit and make it more aligned as per students and teacher expected outcome. Background information The unit of work that is going to be analyzed is taken from the creative arts curriculum for Kindergarten grade twelve designed by the curriculum group of NSW state, department of Education and Training as well as other doctorate support section of NSW kindergarten grade twelve. The curriculum developed according to the Education Act 1990, by New States Whales, department of education and training in conjunction with NSW Board of studies provides syllabuses for a common curriculum for all the students in New States Whales. The curriculum which was developed in 2008 is used both in governmental and non governmental schools though requirements applicable for governmental schools differs from those of non- governmental. The unit lesson which is supposed to be covered within 13 55 minute lessons revolves around the students investigating out how they can generate and use products and services that meet our needs and wants. Primarily the lesson involves the use of three methods during class periods thus talking and listening which students will be required to describe simple processes, reading in which student’s will be required to use a range of visual texts that actually explain the processes and lastly writing in which the students ate required to create a visual text to demonstrate the entire process. The unit framework has been outlined in relation to the topic as what the teacher should teach on during each lesson, the outcome expected after that lesson, connections associated to the lesson, content that the teacher should teach and the resources in relation to the lesson or topic covered. The teachers therefore are supposed to make their lessons plans in relation to the outlined topic or lesson covered in class. Evaluation criteria The unit of work will be evaluated basing on the Productive Pedagogy teaching framework of NSW DET (2003). Productive Pedagogy model is perceived to be a common framework under which teachers can choose and develop their strategies in relation to what they are teaching, variable styles, approaches as well as backgrounds of their students. Productive Pedagogy model consists of two elements and it is dived into four dimensions namely; Intellectual Quality which has six elements, Relevance (Connectedness) which has four elements, Social Support which has five elements, and lastly Recognition of difference which has five elements too. The four dimensions and their elements are presented in the table below (Ladwig, pp.1-18). Table 1: the four dimensions and 20 elements of the Productive Pedagogy model of NSW (source: adapted from NSE DET, 2003) The alignment of the unit of work will be evaluated based on the criteria developed in relation with Newmann, F and Wehlage (1993).- Making Learning an Effect of Schooling: aligning curriculum, assessment and pedagogy The four dimensions of Productive Pedagogy and their elements. Intellectual Quality Higher order thinking Deep knowledge Deep understanding Substantive conversation Knowledge as problematic Metalanguage Relevance (Connectedness) Connectedness to the world Problem-based curriculum Knowledge integration Background knowledge Social Support Student control Student support Engagement Self-regulation Explicit criteria Recognition of difference Cultural knowledge Inclusivity Narrative Group identity Citizenship Element Criteria Objectives Does the unit of work specify what students will learn and the expected outcome at the end of each lesson? Are the objectives achievable in relation to the student’s abilities? Content Does the unit of work provide adequate materials and resources that will enable the students to attain outlined objectives? Is the content useful for students in relation to the topic or not? Does the unit provide any social importance to the students as well as other skills which can be applied out of the classroom or not? Activities Is the activities well designed and developed in relation to the unit? Do the activities facilitate effective learning experiences to the students as the? Does it have a variety of strategies that the teachers can use to ensure that planned outcomes have been achieved as well as help the students to develop practical skills rather than classroom theoretical skills? Do the activities provide meaningful learning and practical experiences? Assessment Does the unit of work provide students assessments at the end of the unit to determine what students have learned? Does it have a variety of assessment strategy? Is the assessment in line with the objectives as well as initial outcomes or not?. Evaluation using Productive Pedagogy NSW DET (2003) The references made to the unit of work are reflected in italic. Dimension 1: Intellectual Quality Element Analysis 1.1.Higher order thinking Learning outcomes DMS1.8,INVS 1.7,UTS 1.9, PSS 1.5,ESS 1.6, SSS 1.7,PHS1.12, is for students to develop and implement their own design ideas in response to an investigation of needs and wants. This gives the students an opportunity to analyze the unit work primarily to develop a critical thinking in relation to the Unit concepts mainly to create new meanings and understandings. 1.2Deep understanding The formulated learning outcomes gives student’s ample opportunities to actually demonstrate their understanding of the key concepts and ideas related to the unit of work. The activities require students to conduct guided investigations through observation, questioning, predicting, collecting, recording data as well as making possible suggestions and explanations on wants and needs. 1.3Deeper Understanding Learning outcomes DMS1.8, INVS 1.7, UTS 1.9, PSS 1.5, ESS 1.6, SSS 1.7, PHS1.12 gives student’s a deeper understanding of the unit and what they are expected to gain at the end of the Unit work. These outcomes give the student’s practical ideas since students are expected to explore products and services, needs and wants. Additionally, they are supposed to develop an appreciation of the relationship of people’s needs and the design and production of goods. This learning outcome therefore gives the students an opportunity to explore their own knowledge related to needs and wants hence facilitating construction of knowledge. 1.4 Substantive communication order thinking The unit is based on class discussions based on the learning activities in which students are required to share design ideas with others and respond to feedback. Additionally, they are supposed to work cooperatively and safely to develop and implement their own design ideas based on the substance of the lesson. This is aimed at generating communication between the teacher and the students and among students. 1.5 Metalanguage Though the unit of work uses basic terminologies such want and needs, the unit work does not give us an explanation on their definitions. These explanations have been left for the teacher to explain their meaning. Additionally, the unit requires the students to use Visual Arts by looking at how the artists represent the places where they live and work, as well as the objects around them. Look at manufactured objects such as kitchen utensils as a stimulus for art making. This is supposed to assist them consider and develop and design, decoration by making drawings, collages, prints and paintings, representing household objects. 1.6 Knowledge as problematic Learning outcomes VAS 1.3,VAS 1.4,ESS 1.6,VAS 1.1, PHS 1.12,DMS, 1.2 and PSS 1.5 provide students with the opportunity to explore multiple interpretations of the meaning of wants and needs as well as how various technologies are linked to provide goods and services that satisfy needs and wants. This primarily helps to facilitate construction of knowledge among the students in relation to the unit. Dimension 2: Relevance (Connectedness Element Analysis 2.1Connectedness to the world The unit of work places value beyond classroom learning. It makes some connections between the classroom work and the outside world. Under the unit content students are required to practically make interconnection between technologies, workers, users and the environment. A part from identifying wants, needs and processes involved in the manufacture of products and services which satisfy those wants and needs they are required to make connections between the user personal needs and wants, forms of monetary exchange, systems for producing goods and services, technology used for producing goods and services as well as resources used by families and where they come from. Though the unit makes some form of student’s connection to the real world, it is not put an emphasis on other aspects of the unit in relation to real life situations. 2.2 Problem-based curriculum Learning activities in the unit are problem based as they require the students’ to use their mind through application of critical thinking. Students are required to design, make (produce) and evaluate a product such as a healthy picnic for the class. 2.3 Knowledge integration Under the existing KLA resources in the unit reading the teacher makes a suggestion on various resources which can be used by students for easier understanding of the lesson. Resource can be adapted to fit the Creative Arts content of this Connected Outcome Group. It is evident that this unit reading covers extensively and integrates various subject areas hence creating connections in between the lessons. 2.4 Background knowledge The unit does not make any reference to past studies Dimension 3: Social Support Element Analysis 2.1 Student control The unit of work does not provide any information about student control 2.2.Engagement The learning activities in the unit provide room for student to contribute towards group tasks through discussions and sharing design ideas 2.3Student Support The unit has a part for individual and group discussions in which students are required to work cooperatively with one another as well as respect each others opinion. Every student is required to participate in the group discussion 2.4Self regulation Since the unit revolves around student development and implementation of his or her deigns ideas. This provides an opportunity for the students consult each other during learning process. To achieve this students are supposed to regulate their own learning. 2.5Explicit criteria It is not clearly stated. Dimension 4: Recognition of difference Element Analysis 3.1Cultural Knowledge The unit requires students to establish decisions individuals make to meet needs and wants, aspects of sources of family income, family purchases, financial literacy, goods, services, influence of advertising, different types of work, the production of goods and health services, can be included. Additionally, Students are required to develop skills in social and civic participation and values and attitudes associated with ecological sustainability and democratic processes it does include beliefs and attitudes. 3.2 Inclusivity The unit provides room for students engage themselves in various learning activities. 3.3 Narrative Narrative is not evident in the entire unit since it involves a lot of critical thinking. 3.4 Group identity The unit identifies the need for group identity since it places more emphasizes on sharing of ideas and contributing to each other’s opinions. 3.5 Citizenship This unit does not provide any evidence of citizenship Evaluation using criteria developed Element Analysis objectives The unit has one specific objective specifying what students will learn. The objective is achievable. Content The unit content adequately covers contents related to the specified as well as provides specific ideas on what students are expected to learn. Additionally, the content is presented as suggested learning opportunities for students. Moreover, content is selected from PDHPE to support teaching and learning within this connection includes Activities The unit consists of individual, pair and group tasks. The activities require students to interact with each other in designing and developing their understanding of the processes that transform raw materials into finished products. Assessment The unit consist of many assessment tasks some which are based on individual basis while others as a class. Though, it does mention how exactly the assessment will be done and what is expected. Discussions and recommendations Assessment plays an important role in any class since it gives teachers a perspective on what actually the student’s have learned as well as the skills that they have gained. It is therefore necessary that teachers tailor their own assessment towards achieving outlined unit objectives and outcomes (Norrisa,pp.25-65). Though, this unit provides some form of assessments they are not tailored towards the initial objective. In order to make this Unit of work more compelling to the students in terms of improving their overall knowledge and skills in regards to the topic it is necessary that Unit be presented to the students a knowledge understanding tool rather than as a fixed body of information. This imply that the concepts in the Unit be presented as facts and be made more practical through incorporating all the dimensions of Productive Pedagogies (Biggs, pp.45-60).Though, the unit makes some connections between the classroom knowledge and situations outside the classroom, the connections don’t create a personnel meaning as well as the significance of knowledge. The learning activities are meant to deepen a student understanding in regards to the unit. Though, activities have been mentioned in this unit they do not directly link with unit required objectives. The unit content has been covered adequately well to enable the students understand easily the important concepts related to the unit. References Biggs, J. (2003). Aligning teaching and assessing to course objectives. EDUC 6202, Productive Curriculum. Australia: University of Newcastle, pp.45-60 NSW DET (2003). Quality teaching in NSW public schools: A classroom practice guide. Professional Support and Curriculum Directorate, NSW Department of Education and Training. 1-59 Norrisa, Nigel. Cambridge Journal of Education, Curriculum Evaluation Revisited, pp.25- 68, 1998 Keddie,Amanda. A Framework for Gender Justice: Evaluating the Transformative Capacities of Three Key Australian Schooling Initiatives. University of Qeensland, pp.56-70,2005 Newmann, F & Wehlage. Making Learning an Effect of Schooling: aligning curriculum, assessment and pedagogy, pp.45-60, 1993 A guide to productive pedagogies: classroom reflection manual. Queensland. Dept. of Education. Teaching and Learning, Publisher: Education Queensland, pp.45-60, 2002 Scheurman, G. & Newman, F. M. (1998). Authentic intellectual work in social studies: Putting performance before pedagogy. Social Education, 61(1), 40-58 King, Michael. Professional development to promote school wide inquiry. Teaching and Teacher Education, vol18, 243-257, 2002 Ladwig, George. Modeling Pedagogy in Australian School Reform. Pedagogies, vol 2 1-18, 2007 Read More