Curriculum Development Notes

Curriculum

• Prescriptive Curriculum: What "ought" to happen (e.g., plans, expert opinions).

• Descriptive Curriculum: What actually happens in classrooms.

• Key Definition: Curriculum is the plans made for guiding learning, represented in documents, and actualized in the classroom.

Curriculum Components

1. Curricular Policies: Rules and guidelines for curriculum development.

2. Curricular Goals: Long-term educational outcomes.

3. Fields of Study: Organized learning experiences.

4. Programs of Study: Total set of learning experiences.

5. Courses of Study: Subset of program over a specific period.

6. Units of Study: Organized set of related learning experiences.

7. Lessons: Short, focused learning experiences.

The Hidden Curriculum

• Definition: Aspects of schooling that produce changes in student values, perceptions, and behaviors outside the intentional curriculum.

  • Constants:

    • Ideology of society

  • Variables:

    • Classroom control

    • Power dynamics

    • Organizational factors

    • Social-system factors

    • Cultural factors

Constants of the Hidden Curriculum

• Ideology

  • Social expectations

  • Cultural norms

  • Behavioral standards

• Control

  • Time management

  • Physical order

  • Behavioral compliance

• Power

  • Authority structures

  • Rule following

  • Hierarchical relations

Key Ideological Elements in SA Curriculum

• Social transformation

• African Philosophy of Ubuntu

• Democratic values

• National building

• Global Integration

The Hidden Curriculum!

• Academic subjects (formal curriculum)

• Norms

• Values

• Procedures

Organizational Variables in Hidden Curriculum

• Team Teaching

  • Collaborative Planning

  • Shared Expertise

  • Integrated Instruction

• Ability Grouping and Curriculum Tracking

  • Learning Pathways

  • Subject Streaming

• Promotion and Retention Policies

  • Assessment Criteria

  • Progression Standards

• Cooperative Learning Groups

  • Peer Learning

  • Group Projects

Social-System Variables

• School Climate

  • Ubuntu Values

  • Cultural Integration

• Parent & Community

  • School Governing Bodies

  • Community Engagement

• Teacher-Student

  • Mentorship

  • Cultural Understanding

• Support Programs

  • School Nutrition

  • Scholar Transport

Cultural Variables in Hidden Curriculum

• Use of Discretionary Funds

  • Resources + Priority spending

• Communication & Power Dynamics

  • Authority + Decision-making

• Time and Space Allocation

  • Scheduling + Facility usage

• Student Discipline & Physical Appearance

  • Standards - Dress codes

Curriculum Types

• Written curriculum

• Recommended Curriculum

• Supported curriculum

• Taught curriculum

• Tested curriculum

• Intentional Curriculum

• LEARNED CURRICULUM

• Hidden Curriculum

Summary

1. Complex Field: Curriculum is a complex field with multiple types and components working together.

2. Hidden Curriculum Impact: The hidden curriculum plays a significant role in shaping student experiences.

3. Leadership Balance: Curriculum leaders must balance intentional and hidden curricula to support student learning.

Self Assessment Task

• Refer to the definitions below. What view of curriculum do they emphasize? (Prescriptive or Descriptive)

• "The curriculum should consist entirely of knowledge from the disciplines." - Prescriptive

• "The curriculum is all the experiences a learner has under the guidance of the school." - Descriptive

• Curriculum means the planned interaction of pupils with instructional content, material, resources and processes for evaluating the attainment of educational objectives. - Prescriptive

Competencies of Teachers

1. Curriculum Interpretation: Ability to interpret and adapt teaching plans to suit diverse learner needs.

2. Instructional Design: Designing teaching strategies that align with learning outcomes and context

3. Policy Compliance : Ensuring compliance with educational policies and guidelines

4. 21st-Century skills : Fostering critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication

5. Emotional support: Creating a supportive environment for emotional and social development

6. Reflective Practice: Engaging in continuous reflection and professional growth

How We Learn

• Encoding: Getting information into learners heads.

• Consolidation: Transforming experience into long-term memory

• Storing and maintaining information over time

• Retrieval: Accessing information when needed, getting information out of the learners heads

Factors that Affect Learning

• Physical environment

• Cognitive skills/abilities

• Social environment

• Emotional well being

SoLD Insights

• Brain and the development of intelligences/capacities are malleable.

• Development of the brain is experience- dependent (Physical, cognitive, affective)

• The domains are interrelated Integrated approach to supports the whole child

SOLD Framework

• Whole Child: academic, cognitive, ethical, physical, psychological, social-emotional

• System of Supports: Multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS), behavioral supports, educative and restorative

• Social and Emotional Development: Promotes the interpersonal skills, perseverance, and resilience

• Supportive Environment: Trust and connections among staff and families/ communities

• Productive Instructional Strategies: Student-centered instruction, conceptual understanding and motivation, learning how to learn

• Integrated Services: Coordinated access to healthy development, meet student needs, and address learning barriers.

• Classroom learning: Connect to student experience, support conceptual and develop metacognitive abilities.

• Structures for effective caring: Extended learning opportunities, Integration of social-emotional skills,Development of mindsets

The 7 Principles of SOLD by Gravett & van Der Merwe

• Prior Knowledge

• Active Involvement

• Cognition & Emotion

• Memory

• Transfer

• Metacognition

• Effort & Ability

• All principles are interrelated and work together in the learning process

• We understand new ideas by relating to what we already know

• Learning requires attention and cognitive engagement

• Cognition and emotion are intertwined

• Learning involves working-memory and long-term memory

• Transfer doesn't happen automatically

• Learners learn effectively with metacognitive engagement

• Innate ability matters but effort can yield gains

Knowledge and Skills

• Foundational Knowledge (to Know)

  • Core Content Knowledge

  • Cross-disciplinary Knowledge

  • Digital/ICT Literacy

• Humanistic Skills (to Value)

  • Ethical/Emotional Awareness

  • Cultural Competence

• Life/Job Skills (to Act)

  • Creativity & Innovation

  • Problem Solving & Critical Thinking

  • Communication & Collaboration

Integrating Principles of Science of Learning & 21st Century Skills (4Cs) in Lesson design

• Science of Learning Principles

• 21st Century Competencies (The 4Cs)

• Practical Applications

• Integration framework

The 7 Principles of SOLD by Gravett & van Der Merwe

• Prior Knowledge

• Active Involvement

• Cognition & Emotion

• Memory

• Transfer

• Metacognition

• Effort & Ability

• We understand new ideas by relating to what we already know

• Learning requires attention and cognitive engagement

• Cognition and emotion are intertwined

• Learning involves working-memory and long-term memory

• Transfer doesn't happen automatically

• Learners learn effectively with metacognitive engagement

• Innate ability matters but effort can yield gains

• All principles are interrelated and work together in the learning process

Principle 1: We understand/learn new things by relating them to what we already know (Prior Knowledge)

• Key Insights

  • Learning happens when new information links with existing knowledge.

  • Activating relevant knowledge forms mental 'hooks' for better retention.

• Practical Application

  • Diagnostic activities at the start of lessons help establish these connections.

  • Use analogies & metaphors to connect familiar experiences

  • Visual concept maps

Principle 2: Learning requires attention and cognitive engagement (Active Engagment)

• Key Insights:

  • Attention is a limited resource, needs strategic direction.

  • Passive exposure leads to poor learning outcomes.

  • Novelty, relevance, and challenge boost attention.

  • Multitasking reduces cognitive processing quality.

• Practical Applications:

  • Use provocative questions to spark curiosity.

  • Implement interactive techniques to boost participation.

  • Design activities for various thinking types.

  • Highlight key concepts for focused attention.

  • Vary teaching methods to prevent attention fatigue.

Principle 3: cognition & emotion are intertwined (Cognition & Emotion)

• Key Insights:

  • Emotional states impact cognitive functioning and memory

  • Stress can enhance or impair learning

  • Positive emotional connections enhance retention

  • Psychological safety is prerequisite for optimal learning

• Practical Applications:

  • Establish consistent classroom routines

  • Build authentic teacher-student relationships

  • Connect content to students' experiences

  • Teach emotional regulation alongside academics

Principle 4: Learning involves working memory & long-term memory (Memory)

• Key Insights:

  • Limited working memory (4-7 items)

  • Cognitive load theory: overload hinders learning

  • Effective encoding needed for long-term memory

  • Schema development boosts learning capacity

  • Retrieval practice enhances recall

• Practical Applications:

  • Chunk complex info

  • Use multi-modal presentation

  • Simplify instructions to reduce cognitive load

  • Include retrieval through quizzes & summaries

  • Promote effective note-taking strategies

Principle 5: Having learned something does not imply that transfer will happen automatically (Transfer)

• Key Insights:

  • Transfer is the ultimate educational goal, but hard to achieve.

  • Near transfer (similar contexts) is easier than far transfer (different contexts).

  • Metacognitive awareness boosts transfer potential.

• Practical Applications:

  • Teach for transfer by highlighting principles.

  • Use varied contexts in teaching.

  • Create assessments for application.

  • use of case studies and real-world problems.

Principle 6: Learners learn more effectively if they engage metacognitively (Metacognition)

• Key Insights:

  • Metacognition: knowledge & regulation of cognition

  • Self-monitoring boosts learning outcomes

  • Metacognitive skills can be taught

  • Strong skills compensate for cognitive limits

  • Expert learners use strategies flexibly

• Practical Applications:

  • Model thinking

  • Use learning journals for reflection

  • Conduct error analysis on mistakes

  • Teach goal-setting & progress tracking

Principle 7: Innate ability does matter but effort can yield gains (Effort & Growth Mentality)

• Key Insights:

  • Growth mindset influences achievement

  • Neural plasticity supports lifelong development

  • Deliberate practice with feedback fosters improvement

  • Success attributed to effort boosts persistence

  • Effort quality is as crucial as quantity

• Practical Applications:

  • Use process-oriented feedback

  • Share examples of effort-based improvement

  • Normalize mistakes in learning

  • Encourage revision and work improvement

21st Century Competencies (The 4Cs)

• Critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity are essential skills for success in the modern world, enabling individuals to navigate complex challenges and contribute meaningfully in various domains.

Critical Thinking Competency

• Key Sub-Competencies

  • Analytical Reasoning

  • Evaluative Judgment

  • Systems Thinking

  • Problem Identification

  • Evidence-Based Decision Making

  • Inference Drawing

• Key Insights

  • Involves analysis, evaluation, and synthesis

  • Disciplinary thinking requires explicit instruction

  • Questioning assumptions is central

  • Requires cognitive skills and dispositional elements

• Practical Applications

  • Differentiate facts, opinions, and judgments

  • Use Socratic questioning

  • Implement structured debates

  • Provide complex, authentic problems

  • Model analytical thinking processes

Communication Competency

• Key Sub-Competencies

  • Active Listening

  • Clear Expression

  • Audience Awareness

  • Media Literacy

  • Non-verbal Communication

  • Constructive Feedback

  • Persuasive Communication

• Key Insights

  • Involves both expression and reception of ideas

  • Disciplines have specific communication conventions

  • Digital environments create new demands and opportunities

  • Requires awareness of audience and purpose

• Practical Applications

  • Teach discipline-specific vocabulary and conventions

  • Provide opportunities for various communication forms

  • Implement active listening and feedback protocols

  • Design tasks for explaining ideas to different audiences

  • Use models and exemplars

Collaboration Competency

• Key Sub-Competencies

  • Interpersonal Awareness

  • Shared Responsibility

  • Constructive Participation

  • Conflict Resolution

  • Role Flexibility

  • Resource Sharing

  • Digital Collaboration

• Key Insights

  • Requires both social and cognitive skills

  • Depends on accountability and positive interdependence

  • Must be explicitly taught, not merely assigned

  • Diversity enhances outcomes when properly structured

• Practical Applications

  • Teach specific group roles and responsibilities

  • Structure jigsaw activities for expert knowledge sharing

  • Implement protocols for equitable participation

  • Design tasks requiring diverse perspectives

  • Provide scaffolds for feedback

Creativity Competency

• Key Sub-Competencies

  • Divergent Thinking

  • Convergent Innovation

  • Cognitive Flexibility

  • Risk Tolerance

  • Design Thinking

  • Imaginative Conceptualization

  • Synthesis

• Key Insights

  • Involves both divergent and convergent thinking

  • Creative potential exists in all students and subjects

  • Constraints can paradoxically enhance creativity

  • Builds upon disciplinary knowledge and conventions

• Practical Applications

  • Teach specific creative thinking techniques

  • Implement design thinking for authentic problems

  • Structure tasks with productive constraints

  • Establish environment for reasonable risk-taking

  • Show creative processes

Integration Framework: Science of Learning → 4Cs

• Learning Principle / Potential 4Cs Connection

  • Prior Knowledge / Foundation for creative synthesis

  • Cognitive Engagement / Collaborative critical thinking challenges

  • Emotion-Cognition / Support for communication risk-taking

  • Memory Processes / Collaborative retrieval practice

  • Transfer / Application across contexts

  • Metacognition / Critical reflection on collaboration

  • Growth Mindset / Iterative improvement cycles

Mapping Sub-Competencies to Learning Activities

• Learning Activity / Critical Thinking Sub-Competency / Communication Sub-Competency / Collaboration Sub-Competency / Creativity Sub-Competency

  • Case study analysis / Analytical Reasoning / Clear Expression / Resource Sharing / Cognitive Flexibility

  • Design challenge / Problem Identification / Audience Awareness / Constructive Participation / Design Thinking

  • Structured debate / Evidence-Based Decision Making / Persuasive Communication / Conflict Resolution / Divergent Thinking

  • Peer teaching / Systems Thinking / Active Listening / Shared Responsibility / Synthesis

Introduction to Teaching Strategies

• Teaching Approaches and Learning Principles

• Explore teaching strategies rooted in learning science

• Equip educators for classroom success

• Focus on effective instructional frameworks

• Enhance teaching methods

• Support improved student outcomes

Key Distinctions: Approaches, Strategies, Methods and Techniques

• Approaches. Broad philosophical orientation reflecting beliefs about learning. Constructivism, Behaviorism, Social Learning

• Strategies: General plan of action for achieving learning goals. Project-Based Learning, Direct Instruction, Flipped Classroom

• Methods: Systematic procedure for accomplishing objectives. Jigsaw Method, KWL Charts, Socratic Seminars

• Techniques: Specific instructional action or tactic. Think-Pair-Share, Exit Tickets, Concept Maps

Explicit Instruction and Cognitive Modeling

• Definition: Structured, teacher-led instruction with gradual release of responsibility

• Connecting to Principles:

  • Working Memory

  • Attention

  • Metacognition

• Key Components:

  • Clear objectives

  • Demonstration

  • Scaffolded practice

  • Gradual release

• Key Techniques:

  • Think-alouds →→ Verbalize thinking Metacognition

  • Worked examples+ Step-by-step models Memory

• When to use:

  • Novice learners

  • Complex concepts

  • Procedural knowledge

  • High misconception risk

• 4Cs Integration:

  • Critical thinking: Analyze examples

  • Communication: Verbalize thinking

  • Collaboration: Peer coaching

  • Creativity: Novel applications

Strategy 2: Spaced Practice and Retrieval Learning

*Definition: Revisiting content multiple times with increasing intervals, emphasizing active retrieval from memory

• Connection to Principles: Memory Processing, Transfer

• Key Components

  • Distributed practice schedule

  • Active retrieval without prompts

  • Gradually increasing difficulty

Strategy 3: Cooperative and Collaborative Learning

• Definition: Instructional approaches where students work together in structured ways to achieve shared learning goals

• Connection to Principles: Social-Emotional, Transfer, Prior Knowledge

• Key Components

  • Positive interdependence

  • Individual accountability

  • Equal participation structures

  • Simultaneous interaction

Strategy 4: Project-Based and Problem-Based Learning

• Definition: Learning experiences organized around authentic questions or problems that result in tangible products

• Connection to Principles: Transfer, Metacognition, Growth Mindset

• Key Components

  • Driving question/problem

  • Sustained inquiry process

  • Student voice and choice

  • Public product/presentation

Instructional Methods for Diverse Learning Contexts

• Cognitive Basis for Multi-Modal

  • Different processing channels

  • Varied sensory input strengthens networks

  • Multiple representations deepen concepts
    Prior Knowledge Across Cultures
    Techniques

  • Bridging everyday & academic language
    Culturally variations in learning

Types of Teaching Resources

• Alignment with Learning Principles

  • Cognitive load: Well-organized, appropriately challenging
    *Core and Supplementary Textual Materials
    Adapting challenging text for different readers

Assessment Strategies Aligned with Learning Principles

• Metacognition, Transfer, Growth Mindset

Designing Authentic Assessments

• Performance Tasks that Demonstrate Transfer

• Project-Based Assessments that Integrate Multiple Principles
  Real-World Applications that Showcase 4Cs Mastery

Putting It All Together

• Remember that the situational analysis, key question, aims, and objectives form the foundation upon which the rest of your lesson plan is built.

Purpose of the Conclusion Phase

• Summarizes key learning

• Promotes reflection on the learning

• Provides learning to future contexts

• Reinforces important takeaways