Designing the Classroom Curriculum Designing the Classroom Curriculum | Page 72

Designing the Classroom Curriculum
The Steps to Follow
Step 1: Review evidence based best practice considerations that apply to the Key Learning Area /
Subject you are teaching in.
Step 2: Reflect on the information you gleaned as part of LMQ1 to ascertain what specific strategies
or overall curriculum design considerations are required to support the ‘peculiarities’ of students.
Step 3: Record findings as dot point summaries and link these through a coding system to a
portfolio of evidence/materials or as links to reference materials using an appropriate
(documentation) template.
Example LMQ3: 25
Learning Management Plan for: English Unit of Work for Stage 1 Poetry
LMQ3: How do my students’ best learn? (Best practice)
BEST PRACTICE
Enjoying poetry
* Read poems to students randomly; not
for set lessons.
* Share the children’s favourite poems.
* Use incidental and planned.
opportunities to read and share poetry.
* Encourage participation in chants and
create original chants with the children.
* Innovate on the structure and features
of popular strong rhythmic, rhyming or
descriptive poems to create original
poems.
* Ensure that poetry is part of every day’s
program.
Being immersed in poetry
* Provide anthologies (commercial and
classroom-produced) for children to select
and read.
* Make a class book or write poems on
large sheets of paper for group sharing
times.
* Set up a ‘poem tree’.
* Make a ‘dip-and-share basket’ by
placing copies of popular poems in a
basket or box, and throughout the day a
child may select a poem from the basket
to share with the class.
* ‘Poetry pal sessions’ with children from
another class. Children will browse and
select their favourite poem and prepare
an oral presentation for their pal.
LEARNER PECULIARITIES … HK has a hard time working in groups. TBD, SBD & TJ need programs that incorporate ESL outcomes. AZ still not yet
proficient on some ES1 outcomes. BA, KD & OP are exceptionally bright and will need opportunities to extend themselves.
ATTITUDES & PERCEPTIONS: “Children need opportunities to read, listen to, perform, respond to and talk about poetry…immerse students in
poetry so that they become used to hearing it and look forward to their experiences with it” (Wing Jan, 2009, p. 271).
HABITS OF MIND: Thinking flexibly; thinking about our thinking; questioning and posing problems.
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These examples are attributable to Leah Maree Sommerfeld
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