EDUP3093 Task 3 Written Assignment

Currently, the curriculum in education has been evolving in order to make sure the
generations are improving their capabilities in gaining knowledge. There are a few factors that
influence the change in the curriculum such as current needs, government policies,
technological development and culture. However, all that can only be implemented with the
help of teachers. We can see now there is the 21st century learning system where it is student
centered, but this learning system in my opinion is not so appropriate for younger learners. It
is because children from age 4 to 7 years old is under the preoperational stage of cognitive
development (Babakr et al., 2019). This means that, they only start to develop their linguistic
skills and the capacity to think in symbols progressively. Besides, they are also only able to
think logically in one direction and it is difficult for them to understand other’s point of view. So,
from there, the statement teacher as an agent of curriculum change is to create the best
learning experience for the students. The statement actually gives us the vague idea whereby
teachers are able to make the 21st century learning even more effective by implementing the
ideas and all the background research they did in order to change from the traditional
education norm to the new, modern one where a teacher has multiple roles in the curriculum
for example teachers as planner, gatekeeper, facilitator, motivator and also an evaluator.

In addition, teachers are also aware that there are a few curriculum models to follow
when it comes to teaching the students. The models are separated into 2 categories namely
process model and product model. Tyler’s Model and Taba’s Model are product models
whereas Stenhouse’s Model is a process models. The product model of curriculum
development focuses on the final result, with the primary aim being the effective completion
of items like tests and projects whereas the process model emphasizes the entire learning
experience including frequently promote active learning, discussion, and individual student
reaction (Sheehan, 1986). All the curriculum models are designed to help teachers to
systematically arrange a method in teaching to ensure the effectiveness of the teaching and
learning process.

This takes us to the question “What kind of models is suitable in using to teach writing
skills to a group of 6 years old?”. Since writing skill is one of the must-know skills in life, I think
it is more suitable for teachers to teach the 6 years old children using the product model. This
is because most children at the age of 6 are still not aware of what they need to learn. This is
because most of their learning time are incorporated with activities that involve games in order
to help them develop holistically. Therefore, in my opinion, to teach an important academic
skill such as writing skill to children around this age, the teachers or we can identify them as
the “More Knowledgeable Others” must be the one planning the children’s curriculum in
education because they are more aware of what is important and what these children needs
to know in order to successfully learn the skill (Ammar & Hassan, 2018).

Learning how to write should be a fun activity for the children to enjoy because the
role of the teacher should be a planner where he or she will usually come up with various of
fun activities to encourage the children to write. Moreover, to ensure that those activities
planned must be able to help strengthen the hand muscles, ensure a good grip and also
practice the ability to write neatly on lines. So, if I am required to teach a group of 6 years old
to write, I will teach using the Tyler’s Model. This is because this model has taken the
consideration of the students’ needs and also the school. According to Denham (2002), Tyler’s
model is based on specific goals rather than a general one which is good so that the students’
can really be on the right track to achieve the goals with good learning opportunity. Tyler’s
Model consist of 4 basic principles namely “Defining appropriate learning objectives”,
“Establishing useful learning experience”, “Organizing learning experience” and “Evaluating
and revising the curriculum”.

To teach a group of 6-year-old children to write, as a planner I will prepare a lesson

plan in a form of daily plans. I start by setting the learning objectives after observing all the
children for the first few days. Then, from the data of the number of children that are able to
write, I will set the learning objective to fit everyone. For example, by the end of this activity,
the children are able to fill in 5 empty blanks correctly according to the pictures given. Next, I
will create a meaningful learning experience. In order to do this, I need to find content that can
cater to the students’ interest. For example, the cartoon “WordWorld” not only catches their
attention, it also gives them the input on learning how to spell words through phonetic sounds
(WordWorld, 2022). Spelling is one of the most important aspects in writing skills because the
it is the key to write efficiently and effectively. The third step is that I will come up with an
activity to enhance the writing proficiency. I will start by showing the alphabets written on
flashcards while making the sound of the alphabets. The steps of writing the alphabets are
also shown and the children will be asked to write the alphabets in the air. After that, triple
lined worksheet with a few words written in dotted form will be given to the children to learn to
write in the lines. The children will be monitored to make sure everyone is able to do it correctly.
If not, I will assist them by holding their hand as they write. After the activity like watching the
cartoon and also a little practice on how to write within the lines, I will give the children a task
to match 5 pictures with the words given as an evaluation. If the children are able to match the
words correctly according to the pictures and write them on the line neatly, it is said that the
objective of the activity is achieved, however, if the children are unable to complete the task,
I have to revise on certain aspects that cause this problem. When doing the revising, I should
also reflect on myself, on the way I explain and carry out the activity. I have to think from the
children’s perspective and come up with another way for them to learn how to write maybe the
size of the paper can be enlarged in order to have more control when writing.

In conclusion, teacher as a planner should be normalized when it comes to teaching

the younger learners as they are more prone to follow what they are being taught at this age.
Therefore, teacher should make sure the curriculum planned is appropriate for their age,
abilities and needs to make sure they are able to develop holistically in all aspects. Not only
that, teachers should also come up with various ways to make sure the children are constantly
engaged to learn.
 Reference

Ammar, A., & Hassan, R. M. (2018). Taking it through: Collaborative dialogue and second language
learning. Language Learning, 68(1), 46-82.

Babakr, Z., Mohamedamin, P., & Kakamad, K. (2019). Piaget’s cognitive developmental theory:
Critical review. Education Quarterly Reviews, 2(3).

Denham, T. J. (2002). Comparison of Two Curriculum/Instructional Design Models: Ralph W. Tyler

and Siena College Accounting Class, ACCT205.

Sheehan, J. (1986). Curriculum models: product versus process. Journal of advanced nursing, 11(6),
671-678.

WordWorld. (2022, September 22). Totally Terrific Duck/A Star is Born | WordWorld [Video]. Youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4z0namO1cgc