The Role of the School Curriculum and the Assessment of Childrens Essay

The Role of the School Curriculum and the Assessment of Childrens Learning - Essay Example This essay stresses that the school curriculum essentially answers two questions: what should be taught in schools and how it should be taught. Curriculum planners will typically establish a standard for teaching and learning and will determine expected outcomes and what should be taught and who teaching should be conducted in order to achieve expected outcomes. However, teachers are responsible for the implementation and development of the curriculum. All too often however, teachers have demonstrated a tendency to ignore the curriculum or make only a half-hearted attempt to fully implement the curriculum. This paper makes a conclusion that England’s school curriculum policy directs that all publically funded schools are required to develop a curriculum that is ‘balanced and broadly based’ and ‘promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society’. The school curriculum must also ‘prepare pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life’. The national curriculum, which is a compulsory part of the school curriculum, ‘introduces’ student to the ‘best that has been thought and said; and helps engender an appreciation of human creativity and achievement’. In this regard, the national curriculum outlines main areas of education that students are at liberty to enhance and incorporate in lessons for helping children learn and develop skills and knowledge in compliance with the school’s curriculum.

Discrimination and Extreme Prejudice Essay Example for Free

Discrimination and Extreme Prejudice Essay RaStereotyping is a way of thinking about groups of people. It ignores the differences of the group, while emphasizing its similarity. One belief, that is a stereotype, is that red-haired people are hot tempered. Another belief is that Scottish people are stingy. Such thinking ignores many even-tempered redheads and generous Scottish people. Stereotyping emphasizes many differences between groups while ignoring their similarities to other people. It ignores that many blond and brown-haired people also lose their tempers. Stereotyping overlooks the fact that many American, Brazilians and French people are stingy. Stereotyping redheads or Scottish people usually does little harm. It typically leads to friendly kidding and good-natured jokes. Simple-minded stereotyping can be dangerous. The danger lies in exaggeration of differences in color, nationality, religion and language. We exaggerate the differences, ignoring what we share as human beings and become prejudiced. Prejudice is nourished by fear as it grows out of exaggeration. It is a profoundly negative emotion bearing the fruit of hatred. Racism is a form of extreme prejudice that leads to physical and psychological violence. Racists can be any color: white, black, brown, red or yellow. A white racist thinks all blacks are alike, while a black racist thinks all Hispanics are alike. In addition, a Hispanic racist may think all Native Americans are alike. The ethnic boundaries of racism pigeon hole another group, while having no boundaries of its own. It only requires a tangible object that can be pointed at, discriminated against, spat upon and attacked. The differences are not important because the attack comes from fear. Racism is expressed in labels including: chink, nigger, honky, wop, kike and Gook. Such is the power of stereotypical, simple-minded thinking. My brother was a small child when my family moved from Oklahoma to California, at the end of The Depression. Farmers had advertised in newspapers and flyers that there was plenty of work and good pay, luring families (like mine) from the overworked dust bowl farms. Many native Californians were angry that the Okies were arriving in such large numbers. As my brother entered his new school, he experienced stereotyping, by teachers and classmates. They teased him because he had an accent and wore Okie overalls. He worked hard at trying to fit in, even changing his accent. Though my brother made good grades and was a great athlete, the name calling continued and he remained the subject of many Okie jokes. As he entered high school, the stereotyping became prejudice. The hatred felt for him and others from Oklahoma became evident in the game, Get the Okie, where captured victims were thrown into garbage cans (where they belonged). My brother, who is over 65 years old, suffers from the prejudice he experienced as a young man, remembering the names of those who tormented him. He never understood the hatred directed at him, just because he came from another state.

Meeting Criteria for Early Years Foundation Standards

Meeting Criteria for Early Years Foundation Standards Unit 3 Early years foundation standards are guidelines with in which a childcare facility work, members of staff must be checked by â€Å"Disclosure and barring service†, complete a Health declaration, least one member of staff needs a paediatric first aid certificate and should obtain a level 3 childcare qualification before they start caring for children, one member of staff must have suitable experience with under 2s, at least half of all other staff must hold a level 2 qualification in child care. The children’s health and safety is paramount. Child care facilities must work within the correct adult to child ratio, only permitting the correct number of children for the space they have available. Children under 2 1 adult -3 children Children aged 2 1 adult – 4 children Children aged 3+ 1 adult – 8 children Good. Within the facility provisions must be made for the development of every child, no child is excluded, every child must be supported in fulfilling their maximum potential, the early years stages have a long and lasting effect on the child’s future and ability to start school, no child should be left behind. Each child will be assessed so all of their needs can be met on an individual level and they have a personal plan in place so they succeed in all areas. The plan set in place should be available to parents, cares and any outside practitioner such as health visitors if needed. Every child should have equal opportunity, face no discriminatory actions and every child must be included and fully supported in their learning environment. Practitioners must remember every child is unique, they need to forge positive relationships, offer enabling environments, and plan varied activities as each child learns in a different way and at different rate , every child will have a key person, this person is the point of contact with the child’s parent or carer, they are responsible for helping the child be happy and safe, they are responsible for that child’s care, development and learning, they keep clear notes of the child’s progress and help parents with ideas for their child’s progress at home.( www.gov.uk//policies//early-years-foundation-stage) There are seven main criteria for the early year’s foundation the three prime areas are: Communication and language Physical development Personal, social and emotional development. Then there are four specific areas: Literacy Mathematics Understanding the world Expressive art and design. These core guides must be implemented into children’s everyday environment, communication and language: Children need to talk freely to one another and adults alike, roll play encourages children to interact, asking the children to describe things being big or small, talk about family members being male and female, young or old, encourage them to use descriptive language, and help them understand how it relates to them. Physical development: These activities develop the child’s skills set in handling equipment or showing control and co-ordination this is done with games or dance that involve pushing or pulling or outside games that use ball skills such as patting or kicking, throwing and catching, all of these skills help develop the child’s body and hand and eye co-ordination. Personal, social and emotional development: These skills are the ones a child needs to be confident, to talk and play with other children, to talk about themselves and their own environmen t, to talk about who they are. Doing an activity as simple as â€Å"show and tell† would give the child confidence to talk about something they love or something they have done, if you have children from many different cultures talking about their festivals and traditions encourages understanding of others. Literacy: Children love to be read to so try to use a story that is repetitive, giving the children confidence to join in, or ask the children to make up an alternative ending to a favourite story. Giving each child a word card and going round the room and using those words to build a story would help a child understand the context of the word and phonic sounds to build a word. Mathematics: Children enjoy filling and emptying bottles and containers using sand or water, doing so helps to understand, volume and size, building blocks can help them count, how many blocks can you build up before they collapse. Understanding the world: Children need to know where and how they fi t in, looking at traditions and festivals across all cultures encourages an understanding of self, making festival food , or making a garland worn at a wedding ceremony, helps the children understand the importance of different cultures, they also need to understand the natural world so going on a bug hunt, looking at the life cycle of a butterfly or creating a garden full of food for insects, this would help them understand the things they have seen and why there important to us as humans. Expressive art and design: Children like exploring and using many different materials, clay, play dough, card and paper, they can experiment with how to change their shape and form, use glue or tape and colour. Children like to be imaginative model making is a great way to encourage imagination and develop skills, mixing paint in to a variety of colours, so they can see that you only need primary colours to make any colour you wish. Respecting and valuing individuality Children and families must feel respect for who they are regardless of colour, race or sexual orientation, it’s the practitioners’ job to lead by example the children must understand that everybody is different, everybody has strengths and weaknesses, and everybody is valued. Encouraging manners, caring attitude and understanding will help children become well-rounded young adults. Children should be encouraged to celebrate their cultural differences, and to respect others family backgrounds, this needs to be done in a sharing way, having a world day were the children can look at different countries, the animals living there, the food, maybe ask a parent to ready a native story, it would bring to life the differences giving them greater understanding of where they fit in and how we all fit together. It is important for children not only to share their cultural differences but also their personal differences, some children are good at art some are good at swimming, helpi ng them celebrate their achievements helps children see that everybody is good at something but not all good at the same thing. Doing group activities helps the child learn to work as a team, encourage problem solving, help the children listen and negotiate with one another, or take time at lunch to sit together, talk politely, understanding that eating with the right cutlery and washing your hands before you sit down are all normal behaviour. Activity: Outcome: Awards, celebrate the children’s achievements in and out of care setting Reinforce positive self-image Make a class photo album, ask children to bring photos of family celebrations, and explore the different festivals across the cultures. Bring to life the different festivals and celebrations that happen around the world. Encourage understanding of other peoples culture Give children positive role models such as gold medal paralympians, put posters up around the room for the children to admire Let children understand that being disabled is not a negative and great achievements can still be made Include toys and play equipment that reflect other cultures, such as dressing up clothes, kitchen utensils in the play kitchen, puzzles and dolls By playing with these objects the children will become familiar with different cultures Cook food from around the world. Let the children make and taste different foods that they might not have everyday This activity would stimulate them and get them talking about feeling, texture, smell and taste. Cooking activities also help with measuring and science, and help children to understand health and safety and good hygiene. Sing songs and read stories from around the world, include rhymes and action songs Children love to participate; this activity is great for children whose first language is not English. Positive and negative behaviour Positive reinforcement is a technique used by care givers to modify behaviour, this involves giving positive reinforcement as often as possible, and reminding the children that negative behaviour will have consequences as a carer it is best to focus on the positive but if a negative occurs it needs to be dealt with swiftly and an explanation as to why it is negative behaviour, help the child to develop empathy, the child needs to know it is their behaviour you disapprove of not them as a person, if a child is consistently reprimanded for negative behaviour they will quickly become labelled as â€Å"the naughty child†, an action plan must be made for this child so that positive reinforcement can turn the situation around and positive behaviour becomes the norm. At no time should there be: pain, punishment, intimidation, yelling, degradation, humiliation, shame or guilt this would only hurt and confuse the child. Children need a positive environment to develop their self-esteem, emotional growth and well-being. (www.positivereinforcementforkids.com) Behaviour is not learned once but learned every day. Consistency is the key to dealing with any behavioural situation, children respond to set boundaries and feel safe knowing what is expected of them, let the children know what kind of behaviour you are looking for, with older children they could help set the consequences of their negative behaviour; it would encourage them to be more positive as they have set the rules. As the care giver you need to remain positive at all times it is your professional duty to do so, be a positive care giver, a negative attitude leads to a negative outcome! Consistency is key. Boundaries are needed to establish right from wrong. Children understand the their behaviour has consequences- both positive and negative Reward positive behaviour: give out stickers, or mark with a kind word â€Å"Thank you for being kind and helpful†, â€Å"Your team work was great†. Make the children feel valued and important. Star chart: so the children know that with consistent positive behaviour also comes reward. Praise the child for the effort not just their achievements, praise them for their strengths and remind them everyone is different. If you praise one child use the opportunity to encourage the rest of the group. Managing conflict We all encounter conflict every day, in the childcare environment it’s child to child conflict or child to adult conflict, study’s done at Texas tech uni by Dennis, Colwell and Lindsey show that girls often have child to child conflict that is more often than not resolved within their peer group, whereas boys often have child to adult conflict and that boys look to the adult to resolve the conflict.(www.kon.org/urc/dennis) As the practitioner it’s you job to manage conflict, like many life lessons children need to be equipped to deal with it, Vygotsky: a Russian social development theorist said â€Å" conflict provides a learning experience for children and in doing so they would learn to function better in the social context†, (www.simplypsychology.org) Vygotsky’s theory is not that uncommon amongst child behavioural theorist, his arguments are supported by the likes of Erikson who thought â€Å" life is full of conflict and in order to become a b etter person one must resolve conflict in each stage of life†. Often conflict is cause because of the developmental stage the child is at and they as children have not reached the stage where they have empathy or understanding, or sometimes children act out because it has become their learned behaviour, it is the way they have been treated or something they have seen in their everyday lives due to lack of good role models. As the care giver you need to step back and ask: Why is the child acting this way? What has made the child feel like this? Is it a cry for help? Does he/she need my understanding and empathy towards their feelings? Are the Childs need being met, are they unhappy, scared, confused or frustrated? Are they tired or hungry? Conflict is often born out of a misunderstanding, if identified quickly it can be resolved quickly, children need to feel that their side of the story is heard, as the care giver it is up to you to guide the situation from one of upset and stress on to a calmer and more positive footing, with a peaceful conflict resolution. Bibliography www.gov.uk//policies//early-years-foundation-stage http://www.positivereinforcementforkids.com/ www.simplypsychology.org www.kon.org/urc/dennis

Paideia: A Concept Contributing to the Education of Humanity and Societal Well-Being :: Philosophy

Contributing to the Education of Humanity and Societal Well-Being ABSTRACT: For the sake of humanity, outward compulsion must change into inward check. This is possible with the help of "paideia." I use "paideia" instead of the equivocal German word "Bildung," which comprises the meanings of "education," "formation," and "cultivation." The core of my recently developed concept of "paideia" is that the educating individual does what has to be done in a certain situation. He or she works alone or together with the other. In doing a work the educated individual tries to avoid any disadvantage for the other. The finished work represents the realization of both, the individual as well as the other in a step toward self-realization. This philosophy of education integrates into one single concept the two main traces of theories of education in European countries, namely the theories of "self-being" and those of "selflessness." The concept of "paideia" is a possible answer to actual problems such as the gap between the rich and the poor, the increase of vi olence, existing political radicalism, exploitation of natural resources and so on. According to this situation, not all people are educated very well. I claim that the expounded philosophy of education is able to contribute to the education of humanity. The combination of "self-being" and "selflessness" guarantees the optimal realization of sense in a given situation. This ensures that the common work of the individual and the other can develop very well, so that both are intertwined in the result. I. From Outward Compulsion to Inward Control For many years our present society has been characterized by sociologists and philosophers as being determined by three factors: first science and technology, second mass media including new forms of communications like the Internet, and third individualism and pluralism. These three characteristics of the present situation point to the diminuation of human possibilities. For on one side we live in a society of alleged unlimited possibilities with respect to science, technology, communication and personal individuality. On the other side, however, real thinking and doing, real talk and real self-shaping seem to grow poor or become impossible. The prize we are obliged to pay for our present society, the prize of our possibilities is ironically that of the impossibility of our special possibilities, be they personal or social. So the strive for perfection unmasks itself as an unplanned deterioration in many realms of social and personal life.

What Affect has the outward movement of retailing office

a. ) The Retail Revolution that has been occurring in waves since the 1970's was such a shift in the way in which our services are provided that consequences for surrounding areas were inevitable. With the first wave of decentralisation of the inner city areas supermarket food industries left to edge-of-city sites causing much strain on the need for corner shops which in comparison to the mega-stores were of low variety and unattractive to shoppers. This coupled with the fact that the residents of rural areas were increasingly becoming more mobile meant that there was an overall decline in general store and corner shops in many rural areas that neighboured large cities. With a decline in services available close by there are always going to be people who lose out. For instance older residents that perhaps have lived in these villages for a long time may not be car owners. Consequently these people will decide to move to a place that has the services they require close by and there will be a decline in population. Any area in a cycle of declining population and loss of services often continues to do so until the process of dilapidation is out of control. We saw this process in Caistor, a rural settlement outside of Grimsby, where the introduction of a Morison's Super store 7 miles away had caused great decline. Also a Tescos 10 miles away from Caistor provided a bus service to and from the village meaning the rate of decline is intense. Evidence we found showed that for a town of population of 3,500 the village still had adequate services. However, the roots of the village were of a prestigious schooling reputation, which had fuelled much growth in the area at one time. Now the supermarkets have a firm hold in the neighbouring area the growth has subsided to what we see today. Many stores closed down, being converted back into residences in many cases. Only some specialist functions survived. Mainly those that rely on the village image to sell their product, for example Sandham's Wine cellars. Large losses in services and shops have clearly occurred though and from the looks of the village it will have difficulty in attracting outside investment. You can read also Waves This is a common problem in rural areas today, the problem has spiralled into disrepair and only a large cash injection to make the area seem more attractive will solve the problem. In more suburban areas including rural areas that have become suburbanised due to urban sprawl another consequence of decentralisation is apparent. Along the edge of Leeds places like Moortown and Headingly we noticed that District centres were catering for their local communities. In Moortown there was a clear Jewish presence in the area and in Headingly a student orientated district centre. Both examples of how the change in retail provision is affecting change. People can afford to be more demanding and to go farther afield to find what they want so retailers are responding by getting closer to the communities they cater for. b. ) Inner city areas in light of the mass decentralisation have understandably tended to decline with the closure of smaller shops drawing the public away from the city centre and many traditional high street areas have become very run down places. This has caused somewhat of a response from city planners who finally admit that decentralisation is a bad thing and doesn't simply relieve congestion. The American response to the decline of their inner city areas was to convert the CBD to specialist shopping areas that offer something the out of town malls and plazas do not. Many schemes including the adaptation of high rise foundations to custom shopping centres have been paid for in order to rescue America's city centres from desertion. In Britain however, city centres have declined still, but not nearly as much as America due to planning controls put in place and less suburbanisation. Still the major movements of decentralisation have created a pull factor away from the city centre and high street units. There were five main changes to the high street: 1. ) Large companies having standard image, large stores were broken into smaller units and a core and frame of the CBD itself was emerging, where it was clear that in the frame area refurbishment of shop fronts and insides was no longer economically viable 2. ) Functions became more varied with an increasing number of personal consumer services, financial, household, medical, leisure, and government services. . ) The perception of the high street as the focus for the community has become less strong 4. ) Land rental price increases and there was increasing competition for non-retail investors to maximise profits through office blocks etc 5. ) The highs street's position in the urban structure is under threat as retailing diversifies in character and location Another affect that the changes have brought about, are the planning responses in Britain. We saw how America specialised its CBD in order to make it more attractive again. British city councils have taken action to combat the decentralisation and many schemes have been tried, some worked, others failed, in any case the answer usually requires a large monetary input. In Leeds for example full pedestrianisation of large blocks has made for more pleasant shopping environment attracting shoppers making the land more desirable for retailers again. Attractive indoor centres are an extension of this with places like the Trinity centre, which have clearly had large investment and the heritage based Granary Wharf and Corn Exchange that link a tourist attraction in to bring in the shoppers. Mass shop front refurbishment like that of the Victorian quarter, which has also been roofed over, attract prestigious shops into the area and breathe life into the city centre again. The costs involved for these type of schemes are no doubt enormous and one can only expect to see retail prices rising as a result. But Leeds is just one example of where the schemes have worked, many other British cities to this day are suffering the affects of decentralisation brought about by the Retail Revolution.

Notes: Something Wicked This Way Comes Essay

Main characters: 1. William Halloway – One of the main protagonists of the novel. Will is thirteen years old and has white-blonde hair and eyes â€Å"as clear as summer rain.† Although very obedient, Will is also sweet, sensitive, and does not want to grow up because he thoroughly enjoys being young. He always finds the right thing to do, even in the most trivial of situations. Will has an active role in fighting against the carnival’s evil powers. 2. James â€Å"Jim† Nightshade – Best friend of Will Halloway. A rash boy, who acts a foil to Will’s character, in that he thinks less and acts quickly in his actions. He has wild, tangled chestnut brown hair and grass-colored eyes. Jim yearns to become older, making him vulnerable to the carnival’s many temptations, but is ultimately saved by Will’s friendship. 3. Charles Halloway – Father of William. He is the dynamic character of the novel, as in the beginning he is kind, yet does not care to relate to his son for fear that age shall always get in the way. However, after gaining courage from fighting off the carnival’s evils, he gains admiration, love and friendship from his son. 4. Mr. Dark – Major protagonist. A sinister man who bears tattoos all over his body, one for each person successfully tempted into joining the carnival. Mr. Dark initially holds sway over the other main characters, but his power weakens when Charles uses positive emotions against him, something he cannot comprehend or withstand. Dark’s background is a mystery, although he refers to being raised in a strict religious upbringing. Minor Characters: 1. J. C. Cooger – Dark’s partner in running the carnival, Mr. Cooger is a fierce, red-headed man who is first seen repairing the carousel. He catches and terrifies Will and Jim until Mr. Dark intervenes. Like Mr. Dark, his origins are unknown. 2. The Dust Witch – A blind soothsayer with a sixth sense and the ability to perform many feats of magic, the Witch is portrayed as one of the carnival’s most dangerous members. However, her increased sensitivity to the presence and emotions of other people makes her vulnerable to positive feelings. 3. Miss Foley – A fifty-year-old schoolteacher of Will and Jim. Much like the other victims of the carnival, Miss Foley wished to become young and beautiful again. However, when she got her wish, she became frightened because she went blind. 4. The Skeleton – An extremely thin, skeleton-like creature who is one of the more frequently appearing freaks. Like all of the other freaks, he once desired to be younger and was eventually tricked into joining the carnival. The Skeleton appears to be one of the more loyal freaks as, near the book’s end, he takes the time to carry the recently deceased and youth Mr. Dark with him after all the other freaks ran away. 5. Tom Fury/Dwarf – A lightning rod salesman who is turned into an insane dwarf by the carnival and is recruited into it, with no memories of his former life. Main Setting: The novel is set in Green Town, Illinois during October 23 – October 25. The year is not listed, but it seems probable that it takes place in the 1950’s era. Several things might lead a reader to conclude this fact, including the simple freedoms the boys enjoy, the respect the boys offer to adults, and the small town atmosphere that, for the most part, represents an atmosphere that is not largely present in American society today. The fact that text is set in the fall season allows readers to feel the enhanced suspenseful mood Bradbury pens into the entire story with Halloween being involved in the storyline. The characters birth dates are significant in that they are before or after Halloween. Plot Outline: Two boys named Will and James encounter a strange lightning rod salesman, while they’re just on the verge of their fourteenth birthdays, who says a storm is coming their way. Later, the townsfolk also begin to notice a certain shift of the atmosphere, as if there’s something very different in the air. The boys learn about the carnival coming to town and get excited, while Will’s father has a bad feeling about it. When the ominous Dark Man arrives, the boys are both terrified yet thrilled. It seems to be just another carnival at first, but it’s not before long that the forces of darkness themselves are manifesting from the haunting melodies of the carousel-which can change your age depending on which way you ride it-and the glaring Mirror Maze. With his collection of freaks and oddities, such as the Fat Man, Mr. Electro, and the blind Dust Witch, Dark intends to take control of the town and seize more innocent souls to damn. It’s up to Will and James to save their family, friends and themselves because â€Å"something wicked this way comes.† Symbols: * Boys – Young boys run where they will and act upon passing fancies. Things occur unexpectedly and pop up out of nowhere, just like the young boys who run everywhere and can be anywhere at any given moment. The unpredictability of young boys is matched only by that of life. Part of the reason that Jim and Will may have been the ones to figure out the carnival is that, while they did not anticipate it, they move with it. They see it arrive and witness it end, because they move fast enough and far enough to see many things. The other people in the town are a step behind, and they are no match for the carnival. Will’s father, on the other hand, gets in touch with his youthful side just in time to put an end to the carnival. The three run together at the end of the book, just as life in Green Town turns a new page. * The Evil Carnival – Throughout the book the carnival is associated with nothing but bad deeds and awful events. It is a place of evil run by evil people. The carnival is not a part of the town, so its evil is something beyond the normal evil in man. In fact, its evil may be viewed as the evil that threatens to destroy towns. The carnival is the evil that drives people apart and unites them through fear and manipulation, rather than through freedom and caring. The carnival is the evil that threatens to make all people selfish and greedy, and it must be combated in order to ensure that there will always be communities of people living together in harmony. Sentences on dominate themes: 1. â€Å"You’ll live and get hurt,† she said, in the dark. â€Å"But when it’s time, tell me. Say goodbye. Otherwise, I might not let you go. Wouldn’t that be terrible, to just grab ahold?† 2. â€Å"For the thing it most wanted were hidden in the dark.† – Chapter 34, page 121 Important Quotes: 1. â€Å"Not words, old man,† said Mr. Dark. â€Å"Not words in books or words you say but real thoughts, real actions, quick thought, quick action, win the day.† 2. † . . .If you’re a miserable sinner in one shape, you’re a miserable sinner in another.† 3. â€Å"Too late, I found out you can’t wait to become perfect, you’ve got to go out, fall down, and get up with everyone else.† 4. â€Å"Sometimes the man who looks happiest in town, with the biggest smile, is the one carrying the biggest load of sin. There are smiles and smiles; learn to tell the dark variety from the light. The seal-barker, the laugh-shouter, half the time he’s covering up. He’s had his fun and he’s guilty. And men do love sin, Will, oh how they love it, never doubt, in all shapes, sizes, colors, and smells.†