Course Description
The purpose of this class is to examine changes and developments in the way our public school elementary systems curriculums are designed. Our end goal will be to take a close at elementary school curriculums from a few different decades and to make hypotheses as to why certain aspects of elementary school education have changed (or have not changed). Perhaps any changes in curriculum have been the result of new scientific developments. Or perhaps they reflect current events in the era. Regardless, to get to that goal, we must first take a look at foundational concepts in childhood development, education models, and the influence of parenting styles.
Week 1: Rudimentary Developmental Theories
In our first week of class, we will brush up on the foundations of childhood development. Before discussing elementary school education, it is important to be familiar with the prevailing theories of development, which educators use to understand the population of children they are teaching. It’s a lot of reading but is foundation for understanding the rest of the material in the course
1) Experiencing the Lifespan, Janet Belsky (2nd Edition)
Part III: Childhood
Chapters 5: Physical and Cognitive Development
- Motor development
- Physical growth
- Piaget’s preoperational and concrete operational states
- Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development, language
Chapter 6: Socioemotional Development
- Developing sense of self
- Social skills
Week 2: Exploring the Idea of Increasing Classroom Demands
In week two, we will begin to take a look at the potential idea that elementary school children are given expectations that are beyond what is age-appropriate.
1) The Hurried Child: Growing Up Too Fast Too Soon
Dr. David Elkind, (2006 Edition)
Chapter 3: Dynamics of Hurrying: Schools
The Hurried Child is a landmark work on the topic of childhood development. In this chapter, Elkind argues that the “factory model” of education hurries children because it ignores individual differences in ability and learning style.
2) “Report Debunks ‘Earlier is Better’ Academic Instruction for Young Children”
Washington Post
Author Valerie Strauss reports on a paper written by Lilian G. Katz, professor emerita of early childhood education at the University of Illinois. This report collects a number of research studies that suggest that there is no evidence to supports that children must be pushed academically from the onset to optimize early brain development.
Week 3: Parenting and education
So far, we’ve been looking at childhood development and the education models are accommodating or perhaps unaccommodating to the stages of development. A crucial component in all of this is the parental influence.
1) Experiencing the Lifespan
Janet Belsky, (2nd Edition)
Part III: Childhood
Chapter 7: Settings for Development: Home and School
- Parenting styles
- Child abuse
2) The Hurried Child: Growing Up Too Fast Too Soon
Dr. David Elkind (2006 Edition)
Chapter 2: The Dynamics of Hurrying: Parents
In this chapter, Elkin discusses the parental pressure to have their children grow up quickly. He argues that this pressure reflects the parental need, not the child’s need or inclination.
3) How To Raise Successful Kids Without Over-Parenting
Julie Lythcott
https://www.ted.com/talks/julie_lythcott_haims_how_to_raise_successful_kids_without_over_parenting
Lythcott talks about what she called a “checklisted childhood,” one in which “every piece of homework, every quiz, every activity is a make-or-break moment for this future we have in mind for them.” She discusses applauding and encouraging academic achievement to foster development.
Week 4: New Ideas and Developments
A large focus going forward will be on developments and changes in elementary school education that may have taken place over the last decades. We will ease off the readings this week and begin with a couple of videos that are good food for thought for the rest of the research in store.
1) “Let’s Teach For Mastery- Not Test Scores”
Sal Khan, founder of Khan Academy
https://www.ted.com/talks/sal_khan_let_s_teach_for_mastery_not_test_scores/transcript?language=en
Sal Khan suggests a new and different model of education that steers away from the traditional academic model. Khan argues that grouping students together, and teaching them all together at the same pace creates gaps between the mastery levels of children in the same grade.
2) “The Best Kindergarten You’ve Ever Seen”
Takaharu Tezuka
I thought this would be a fun addition to our syllabus- a look at an innovative classroom design in a school in Tokyo.
