Curriculum Philosophy for Effective Learning in Kindergarten Children - Research Paper Example

?Curriculum Philosophy for Effective Learning in Kindergarten Children Curriculum can be interpreted in various ways. For some, it means a highly structured sequence of content and specific textbooks that have been pre-designated as learning necessities. For others, it means simply a way to organize the day. For still others, everything the child is exposed to is curriculum, and exploring what presents itself is what drives learning. What constitutes effective learning depends upon how the purpose of education is viewed. The purpose of education can be seen as passing on the knowledge, beliefs, values, and concepts that define the culture. Education can be seen as a way to socialize children to perform their social responsibilities in a predictable manner. It can be seen as a way to keep children safely off the streets and to lend support to a parent’s difficult responsibilities. It can also be seen as a method of social control and programmed conformity. This paper will explore my own philosophy of education and educational curriculum specifically in relation to kindergarten children, generally ages five to six years. For the purposes of this paper, curriculum will be viewed as the resources, activities, learning space, interactions, supportive learning tools, language, attitudes, values, ideas, inspiration, stories, play, and other experiences the child is exposed to, in the course of exploring and interacting with the educational environment (school, homework assignments, homeschooling, tutoring, or school-sponsored events, projects, and awareness campaigns). This rather broad definition is based on the philosophy that everything is curriculum, and that even the most seemingly insignificant detail, decision, remark, dress style, event participated in or witnessed, teacher and administration response, historical tale, or learning exercise can become the focus of learning for a child. This perspective is based on Jean Piaget’s understanding that the child learns by acting on the environment, assimilating new encounters to previous experience, and modifying old experience interpretations with new experience interpretations (Sowlent Communications, 2013). Effective learning, in this perspective, which is my own perspective also, is active and interactive. It is constructivist, meaning it builds upon what is already perceived from previous learning experiences (Sowlent Communications, 2013). It is student-driven, meaning that the student’s role is to explore where their interests and learning experiences lead, while the teacher’s role is to facilitate by making resources easily accessible, encouraging confidence in the learning experience, helping the child to integrate new learning, and assisting the child to reach just beyond their present level of understanding. The latter is based on Lev Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development, a theory that if teaching is just a little bit above the child’s current understanding, but a reasonable distance for the child to reach, then the child can step up and learn something new, through collaboration with a teacher or peers (Bunce, nd).. This perspective of effective learning relies on the viewpoint that the purpose of education is to facilitate the exploration, research and activity interests of the child, and to nurture the child-s natural passion to learn and to satisfy curiosity. It is not to program conformity or to mass produce robots that can be easily controlled by social authority. My perspective relies on a humanistic philosophy, the concept being that every person has inside them a tendency to become their best special self, which they will become if their natural tendency is not blocked or damaged (Boundless, 2012). So if a child is passionate about animals, the teacher should find ways to encourage that interest and to help the child learn arithmetic, language skills, science skills, an appreciation for music and art, and a knowledge of history by hooking into the child’s passion for animals. A puppet show in which the story of Paul Revere is told by his horse, for example, would capture the imagination of a kindergarten animal lover, while still teaching history and exercising language skills. When a child pursues their own interests, and are encouraged to do so, they do not see education as work, but as play. I recently spoke with the mother of a kindergarten boy whose teacher had asked the children to color a drawing of the flag. This little boy is passionate about the color red, and because it is his favorite color, he enthusiastically colored every inch of the flag a bright red. He was happy to honor the flag with his loved color, until the teacher told him he had colored it wrong, and tried to make him color a new one. He refused to color another and now he doesn’t want to go to school anymore, saying he hates schoolwork. Play should be central to the curriculum. By that, I mean to say that children should have choice, room for spontaneous flexibility, not be unnecessarily interfered with or re-directed while they are immersed in a learning activity, and should feel they are participating in a spirit of freedom, In that kind of learning environment, children can learn what they are “supposed to” and can use the learning activity as an opportunity to express themselves and explore their identity and personal response, When play becomes work, it comes with an agenda that is externally focused, and is not fun anymore (Sowlent Communications, 2013). Play is critical for a child’s learning and development. Work can turn a child away from their natural curiosity and passion, replacing who they are inside with a mask that will gain approval (Boundless, 2012). Approval is important, but it should not be given merely for obeying orders, nor should it be refused in response to creative individuality. Children of kindergarten age are, according to Erikson, learning to feel confidence about the decisions they make (Child Development Institute, 2013). According to Piaget, they are building their intellect and their imagination (Sowlent Communications, 2013). These tasks require encouragement through teacher-student partnership, self-expression and the freedom to explore, respect for different learning styles, and experimenting with situations through play. The learning space, both indoors and outdoors, is part of the curriculum, as well (Avis, 2013). For example, if there is nowhere to sit down, on the playground, children learn to sustain physical activity, irrespective of how they feel or if they want to have a quiet conversation with someone. On the other hand, if there is nowhere to be safely active, or if the play area is steeply sloped, then children learn to stay still and think or talk, but not to be physically active, or they learn that being active results in injury and discomfort. Variety is needed outdoors, just as with indoor learning resources and activities (Avis, 2013). A playground that is all blacktop is likely to leave a child feeling cut off from the natural world. Kindergarteners are generally very interested in animals, birds, insects, and flowers, They normally enjoy rolling in grass, jumping in leaves, and climbing trees. A learning space that disconnects the child from the natural world is not developmentally appropriate, therefore, and will cripple the child’s natural tendency to explore nature and be naturally introduced to science. This is an important and often neglected part of educational curriculum. Books and computer learning should enhance and refer to the child’s natural exploration, not replace it. This paper summarized my philosophy about learning curriculum, using a broadened definition of curriculum. My perspective considers effective learning for kindergarteners as being active, student interest driven, teacher facilitated, self-expressive, interference-free, teacher encouraged, confidence building, developmentally appropriate, learning style variable, constructivist oriented, imagination-engaging, playful, ZPD presented, integrative learning, in a varied, safe and nature-connected learning space which encourages activity balance and stimulates imagination and interaction with the environment and peers, as well as oneself. References Avis, K. (2013, May 6). Playgrounds and their effect on childhood learning. Retrieved July 13, 2013, from DesignBuild: http://designbuildsource.com.au/playgrounds-and-their-effect-on-childhood-learning Boundless. (2012). Carl Roger's View. Retrieved July 14, 2013, from Boundless Open Psychology Textbook: https://www.boundless.com/psychology/personality/humanistic-perspective/carl-rogers-view/ Bunce, G. (nd). Educational implications of Vygotsky's zone of proximal development on collaborative work in the classroom. Retrieved July 13, 2013, from Guy Bunce : http://www.nndb.com/people/359/000094077/ Child Development Institute. (2013). Stages of social-emotional development - Erik Erikson. Retrieved July 13, 2013, from Child Development: http://childdevelopmentinfo.com/child-development/erickson/ Sowlent Communications. (2013). Jean Piaget. Retrieved July 13, 2013, from NNDB: http://www.nndb.com/people/359/000094077/ Read More