EDC140 – Assignment 1

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EDC140 – Assignment 1 Caroline Reed 21067840 PART 1: SYNTHESIS Is curriculum just a document? There is no broad consensus for the definition of the term ‘curriculum’ in education fields. Depending on which scholars you consider, the term is interpreted in different ways. A common understanding, as described by some educators, is that the term is simply a document comprising of subject matter; a plan for learning outcomes and content to be taught (Gobby, 2017, p10). It is essentially a guide for teachers to follow to ensure that their students are receiving the required and correct education. Although it is important to note, especially as a preservice teacher, the curriculum is not just a document. Delving deeper into the curriculum, it embodies the “planned and unplanned lived experience of learners in a learning setting” (Marsh & Willis, 2003, as cited in Gobby, 2017, p. 11). There are many forces, such as social, cultural and political forces, that impact the experiences of learners in a learning setting (Gobby, 2017, p5). It is important to recognise these forces impact the curriculum and shape our current interpretation of the curriculum, in a modern context. In addition to these interpretations, Rinaldi (2001, p.38) believes that the term education strongly relates to the concept of values. It is then further considered that values impact culture and are the foundations on which society is built upon. Rinaldi defines values as “the ideals that a person aspires to in his or her life" (2001, p.39). It can therefore be assumed, based off Rinaldi’s beliefs, that teachers would most likely construct their curriculum around essential values which establish an aspiring life. Rinaldi’s concept of education and the concept of curriculum highlighted by Gobby clearly detail that curriculum is more than just a document. While both Gobby and Rinaldi’s interpretation of the term curriculum varies, both recognise that the curriculum is more than just a document and that the curriculum has the power to influence the way teachers educate, structure their plan to teach and affect values. Enacting power and values through curriculum. As detailed earlier, the curriculum provides a structure to the way every student should learn during their schooling. It is also shaped around the planned and unplanned experiences which occur in an educational setting (Gobby, 2017, p11). Teachers are regularly required to interpret the curriculum to make decisions on their students learning. These choices are determined and inspired by the teacher’s own understandings, opinions, ideas, beliefs and values (Gobby, 2017, p22). Like Gobby, Rinaldi believes that school above all is a place where vales and knowledge are established (2001, p.38), whether that is intended or not, as highlighted further below. The hidden curriculum concept can be considered an important factor as to why curriculum choices are designed around a teacher’s power and values. Gobby (2017, p. 22) describes the hidden curriculum as the unwritten, unofficial, and habitually unintended classes, values, and viewpoints which students are taught in school. It is a phrase which emphasises what education institutions such as kindergartens, encourage in children, such as certain ideas and beliefs about the world without intention. This can be seen through activities and procedures learnt in school. It also encapsulates, without noticeable intention, how power is applied through educational institutions (Gobby, 2017, p. 22). Gobby (2017, p.22) provides an example of a teacher who may ask students to complete certain tasks based on their gender. For instance, asking a female student to clean the whiteboard or a male student to move furniture. These stereotypes, which perpetuate

EDC140 – Assignment 1 Caroline Reed 21067840 historical gender roles, have the ability to lead students into believing that there are certain jobs designed for female and certain jobs for males. While this is an unintentional lesson taught by the teacher, it shows how the teacher has the ability to enact their own values into the curriculum. The educator's philosophy. Giamminuti’s ideas on the educator’s philosophy (2017, p.86) considers the importance of the role of a teacher and how a teacher reflects on their responsibility. It also emphasises the way teachers assist the learning process of young students. Giamminuti explains that: educators’ philosophies are never ‘personal’ philosophies, but rather that they develop through processes of experimental, imaginative thinking and they consist in a weaving of cultural images and professional beliefs, constructed in encounters with others and produced, reproduced and reimagined in cultural contexts (Giamminuti, 2017, p.86). By looking at the case studies provided by Giamminuti, it can be seen how important the role is in designing curriculum, interpreting it and putting it into action. Contrastingly, Down’s philosophy describes that critical reflective practice is a key concept in “helping teachers to better understand practice in order to improve it” (2017, p. 119). Down believes that questioning the policies and practices, in an educational setting, can better educate teachers about the relationship between power and knowledge (Down, 2017, p.120). Every educator will have a different approach to education and learning which determines their methodology to teaching as seen through the examples of Giamminulti and Down. While the practices and ways teachers educate is shaped by their own experiences of school education, and how they are influenced by their ideas about children, curriculum, learning, and education, curriculum decisions are shaped by how society views children, learning and the job of a teacher. The third teacher The third teacher is the concept of the environment in which a student in educated in. This can be inside the classroom, or outside the classroom. It is a space that a student’s learning and wellbeing is supported (Merewether, 2017, p.395). Merewether highlights the strategies which support children's learning and wellbeing by the careful development of creating a learning environment. Merewether believes “all experiences, planned and unplanned, make up curriculum; thus children’s experiences of their surroundings are also part of curriculum” (2017, p.395). One of these key strategies touched on by Merewether is the choices teachers make when creating this environment. These choices can include what materials and equipment are used inside and outside the classroom, the choice of decorations and furniture used. Additionally, organisation is a key component in creating an established learning environment. The way the day is structured and what experiences have been planned for the learners. Overall, there are many elements which need to be taken into account to ensure a successful learning environment has been established (Merewether, 2017, p.395). Mackey also has similar beliefs regarding the importance of learning environments to Merewether. Mackey explains that through colonisation and other similar factors, the world has become more aware that belonging to a place is important. It is then further discussed the significance of belonging and how the environment encompasses this (2016, p.26).

EDC140 – Assignment 1 Caroline Reed 21067840 These philosophies highlight that ‘the third teacher’ or the environment in which students learn, they can have a vast impact in how teachers design their curriculum to ensure successful outcomes. PART 2: STORY My time in primary school was generally an enjoyable experience. I particularly enjoyed making friends and building my social skills, playing sports and learning new skills. Many of these experience have shaped me as a person and are a part of the reason I aspire to becoming a primary school teacher. One of the difficult aspects of primary school however was the difficulty I had learning to read. At various stages from prep to year 6, I would often be considered below average in my reading skills when compared to my peers. In my opinion, I am generally a slower learner than others, however when I dedicate myself, I find that I am typically able to make up for my deficiencies. My learning difficulties often caused anxiety and I was embarrassed of my friends finding out and thinking I was dumb. My surname is Reed and I thought that if people found out, they would nickname me ‘the Reed that couldn’t Read’. Upon reflection, I placed too much importance on what others thought of me. Early on in Primary School I recall my teacher recommending to my parents that I be put into the special reading class. Everyone knew the students who went to this class were below average. This affected my confidence and lead me to believe that I was stupid. This mindset was something that affected me long after primary school was finished. I limited myself because I thought I was not as intelligent as my peers. I would convince myself that I should not try something, because I would fail and make a fool of myself. I later learned that this mindset was severely hindering to my own growth and that that these classes would actually help immensely with my literacy and reading skills. I still have strong memories of being terrified that the teacher would ask me to read out loud in front of the class. Still to this day I find it difficult to read out loud with others listening. It is not an easy task, especially for a student who faced reading struggles. Even recently, I was asked to read aloud at work in front of an audience, I was nervous and struggled as a result. After the experience I started to cry and immediately was reminded of my difficulties in school. During my later years in primary school, after attending more of the practical reading classes, my reading slowly improved. In year 6, I started to flourish when I was assigned a wonder teacher named Ms Hannah. Ms Hannah was an extremely creative teacher. The classroom and the learning environment was warm and inviting. Ms Hannah was kind natured and had a talent of making everyone in her class feel special. I recall she created ‘Star of the Week’ where she would pick a student for doing something positive each week. Other innovations including creating a poster about what makes that student great and have it displayed in the classroom and asking students to draw a picture and write a sentence on what they admired about the Star of the Week. She put all the drawings into a book for the Start of the Week to take home. I still have my book to this day. It was a wonderful initiative and great way of making students feel positive about themselves. I found that Ms Hannahs style of teaching suited me. She recognised that I found it difficult to read and would kneel next to be during activity time and ensure I was understanding the tasks. She helped me with different reading techniques and would always make sure she had time to me with anything at all. She never made me feel embarrassed and even created a reading corner with cushions and decorations. It encouraged students to sit down and read

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EDC140 – Assignment 1 Caroline Reed 21067840 a book. I later found out that Ms Hannah had a child of her own that struggled with reading. Perhaps this was the reason why she was so great with me. From Ms Hannah’s teaching and education techniques, it is clear to me that she established a successful learning environment for her students. She used the third teacher to make her students feel that their learning and wellbeing was being supported. It is also obvious her own values and learning experiences, through having a child with similar learning difficulties to me, were used when she designed the curriculum. She valued every student’s learning ability and made sure we received the education we required. Year six was defiantly a time where I started to feel more skilful with my reading. It still took me few more years to become confident however it was a monumental turning point for me, and it was because of having a great teacher. Ms Hannah has inspired me to become a teacher and hope that I can replicate the special relationship we had, with my own students. PART 3: CONNECTION Even though my narrative takes place back in 2004 at my primary school in Melbourne, I think the topics of; enacting power and values through curriculum and also the third teacher are still relevant. Gobby describes that the choices teacher make when creating their curriculum are more often than not established and inspired by the teacher’s own understandings, opinions, ideas, beliefs and values (2017, p22). In my narrative, the teacher I write about, Ms Hannah, clearly demonstrates these things. The values of my teacher in my narrative, I believe are based on her own experiences with her child’s learnings needs. She has then encompassed this in her curriculum and style of teaching. Merewether brings attentions to the strategies which support children's learning and wellbeing by the careful development of creating a learning environment. One of the key approaches suggested by Merewether is the choices teacher make when establishing their learning environment (2017, p.395). Merewether further explains that teachers need to consider what materials, furniture and equipment is required to have a successful and well establish environment for student educational development. The teacher I discussed in my narrative used the third teacher to make an environment for her students which encourages learning and also makes students feel supported.

EDC140 – Assignment 1 Caroline Reed 21067840 References Down, B. (2017). Critically reflective practice: What is it and why is it needed now? In B. Gobby & R. Walker. (Eds.), Powers of curriculum: Sociological aspects of education (pp. 118-141). Oxford University Press. Giamminuti, S. (2017). Educators' philosophies: Encountering and weaving images. In B. Gobby & R. Walker. (Eds.), Powers of curriculum: Sociological perspectives on education (pp. 86-117). Oxford University Press. Gobby, B. (2017). What is curriculum? In B. Gobby & R. Walker (Eds.), Powers of curriculum: Sociological perspectives on education (pp. 5-34). Oxford University Press. Mackey, G. (2016). Love the place where you belong: Ecological identity in early childhood, Early Education, 60, 26-30. Merewether, J. (2017). Environment: The Third Teacher. In B. Gobby & R. Walker (Eds.), Powers of curriculum: Sociological perspectives on education (pp. 394- 418). Oxford University Press. Rinaldi, C. (2001). Infant-toddler and preschools as places of culture. In C. Guidici, M. Krechevsky & C. Rinaldi (Eds.), Making learning visible: children as individual and group learners (pp. 38-47). Project Zero / Reggio Children.

EDC140 – Assignment 1

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