Final Analysis
I have truly enjoyed participating in the Fountas & Pinnell online community. This community is supportive to it's members and the Fountas & Pinnell team themselves always begin feedback or comments on a positive note. The group posts daily on both Twitter and Facebook. Their online blog is updated weekly. I joined this group hoping to learn reading strategies and ideas to incorporate in my own classroom. I also wanted to advocate for more indigenous content in the program. My needs were met through this group and I believe its variety of posts and diversity of members would meet the needs of almost any teacher. The Fountas & Pinnell Community maintained its student-centered focus throughout all of the posts I saw. Even when promoting resources, students' needs were still mentioned. It attempts to make reading (and teaching reading) as fun and meaningful as possible for students. One challenge I had throughout was being aware of members who were not as supportive or kind as the F&P team. One member on Facebook commented on a post in what was received as a sarcastic tone, using the word "Yikes." to end her comment. It was hard not to be bothered by her negative comment. I am hopeful that most of the members in this online community are there to learn from one another and ask questions that will not be met with judgement. However, I will try to better prepare myself, just as we would prepare our students, for the online world. I feel I have learned a lot from the Fountas & Pinnell Literacy Community. I have been given the opportunity to communicate and learn from teachers all over the world. I believe collaboration is a vital part of teaching, whether in person or online. Collaborating with this community will help improve my planning, teaching, and assessment as we move into a new school year.
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July 31, 2018 Today I joined the Fountas & Pinnell Literacy Community online. I did not experience any challenges and received my “welcome” email immediately. I also followed the F&P Literacy Community on both Facebook and twitter to engage with their social media outlets. August 5, 2018 I posted on the Discussion Board of the Fountas & Pinnell website. I have not yet received any responses. August 6, 2018 I have not received any responses to my post on the Discussion Board of the F&P website. I attempted to reach out a second time via Facebook. August 7, 2018 I received a notification that a response has been added to my post on the Discussion Board of the F&P Website! The response does not give a direct answer regarding the addition of Aboriginal based characters or series in the literacy program. However, I am very happy that I received such a quick and positive response. If enough teachers reach out and speak of the need for Aboriginal content, it is possible that our requests will be met in the near future. August 8, 2018 I received a response via Facebook today regarding the message I had sent on August 6. This response did not quite answer my question as well as the comment I received on the discussion board of the F&P website did. Their response on Facebook focused more on the literacy system coming in a different language instead of English stories containing Aboriginal content. It does not sound like they are focused on transferring their stories to a different language but I hope they will consider diverse characters and content in the near future. August 9, 2018 As I was checking the F&P Literacy Facebook page, I couldn't find posts from any classroom teachers regardless of how far down I scrolled. All of the posts were written by the F&P Literacy team. I found another Facebook page titled Fountas & Pinnell Literacy Community. This Facebook group is where teachers can connect, post, and comment on others' ideas and information. The description of the group states, "Through this community Irene and Gay invite you to connect, converse, ask questions and share stories on how you've implemented your favorite Fountas & Pinnell Literacy™ resources in the classroom." I have requested to join the group and am patiently waiting my acceptance. August 10, 2018 My request to join the F&P Literacy Community Facebook page was approved. I posted a question there this morning and am waiting for responses. Fingers crossed! August 12, 2018 By asking my question on the Facebook page, I was hoping to gain insight to making the F&P classroom as student focused as possible. The response I received gave general ideas for differentiating tasks for students. The F&P program can be utilized according to students' ability and reading level. However, the assessment piece and instruction ideas are not as learner-centered as I would like. I am grateful for the response I received but feel it is less about the F&P program and more about teaching strategies in general. August 13, 2018 I was scrolling through the F&P Literacy Community's webpage when I came across a post that really spoke to me. He was asking about a formative assessment piece for teachers to use while students are working on their independent reading. What I liked most about this post was that it focused on helping the student. If we can recognize where the student is struggling, we will know where to focus on teaching. I am excited to see what other ideas are shared on the post. August 14, 2018
One online outlet I have not utilized much for communicating with this professional community is Twitter. I am not an active Twitter user and am only following 37 accounts currently. I took some time this morning to explore the Fountas & Pinnell Twitter accounts. I am still a little nervous to tweet myself but I did explore theirs! This is one area I will look to improve on moving forward. I believe with careful consideration, this Learner-Centered design can be supported through planning, instruction, and assessment.
When planning under the Learner-Centered Design, teachers are planning with the student in mind. Educational plans for instruction and assessment should focus on helping children to become better learners, improving morale in schools, and teaching all students to the best of their ability. The F&P resources can focus on the student during planning and instruction. If a group of students are excited about bugs, for example, try putting them together during a guided reading lesson or as a writing group to see how the conversation and shared interest drives student learning. When teachers instruct their lesson, building on students’ prior knowledge, life experiences, backgrounds, and interests, students are more likely to be engaged and find relevance and meaning in the new information. Assessment in the F&P program was a little harder to connect to the Learner-Centered Design; it seemed to connect more with assessment through a Subject-Centered Design. The F&P program comes with a Benchmark Assessment System that is an “accurate and reliable tool to identify the instructional and independent reading levels of all students and document student progress through one-on-one formative and summative assessments”. The skills, reading rate, and comprehension questions are already created and given to the teacher to use. This benchmark system does not allow for students to develop rubrics and decide what a “fair” grade would require. To allow for more student-focused assessment, teachers can ensure they are only assessing students at a level where they are able to engage in some success. Ensuring the texts are at an instructional level allows students to feel motivated and successful. Teachers may also give students choice on which book they would like to read for their assessment. The level would be chosen by the teacher but the book title or subject could be chosen by the student. Giving constant feedback that is meaningful and personalized is another way teachers can include the student in the assessment process. The resulting benefits to the students are evident through improvement in attitudes, confidence and skill attainment. After exploring The Fountas and Pinnell Literacy Community, I discovered a strong connection to a Learner-Centered Curriculum Design. While the act of reading is woven through all of the subjects taught in school, the fact that the F&P program focuses on the needs and interests of students places it in the Learner-Centered design.
The guided reading program provides teachers with access to resources to support teaching and student learning. These resources are designed to support “all students in your classroom - and open doors to a world of opportunity beyond”. One question I have in terms of supporting “all” students is regarding Aboriginal content. F&P is an American program that has created a Spanish system to support their Spanish-speaking students. I am curious if the program is considering or will soon consider our First Nation students in Canada. “The schools we envision recognize every child’s right to grow up literate as a member of a dynamic learning community that values the richness of linguistic, ethnic, and cultural diversity. Members of the school community are treated and treat others with empathy, kindness, and respect. Students are motivated to investigate new ideas that fuel intellectual curiosity and act as powerful agents in their own learning. Because students are fully engaged and feel a sense of joy in their own learning, they achieve a higher level of literacy.”
This is the Fountas and Pinnell program’s vision statement. It is clear that the main focus resides on the students and educating teachers to better support children’s literacy growth. Through these values, a Contemporary Philosophy of Progressivism and Humanistic conception of curriculum are easily identified. The Humanistic curriculum focuses on the individual and attempts to provide students with concepts that they find more interesting and self-fulfilling. A F&P community and classroom provides the opportunity for students to “read, think about, talk about, and write about relevant content that engages their hearts and minds everyday.” Curriculum Design After exploring The Fountas and Pinnell Literacy Community, I discovered a strong connection to a Learner-Centered Curriculum Design. While the act of reading is woven through all of the subjects taught in school, the fact that the F&P program focuses on the needs and interests of students places it in the Learner-Centered design. The guided reading program provides teachers with access to resources to support teaching and student learning. These resources are designed to support “all students in your classroom - and open doors to a world of opportunity beyond”. One question I have in terms of supporting “all” students is regarding Aboriginal content. F&P is an American program that has created a Spanish system to support their Spanish-speaking students. I am curious if the program is considering or will soon consider our First Nation students in Canada. On July 31, 2018 I joined the Fountas & Pinnell Literacy Community online. I did not experience any challenges and received my “welcome” email immediately.
I also took to Twitter and Facebook to follow the F&P Literacy Community’s social media outlets. Other challenges may arise as I continue to engage with this professional community. These challenges will be documented and reflected on in my Module 5 electronic journal. Fountas & Pinnell (F&P)
The professional community I chose to access is the Fountas & Pinnell Literacy Community. http://www.fountasandpinnell.com/engage/ The Fountas & Pinnell program focuses on developing teacher expertise through a variety of resources and professional development opportunities. By strengthening their skills through professional development, teachers are able to better support children’s literacy growth. Levelled books and appropriate phonics and writing activities are used in this program in a way that is supportive to the child’s age and development. The goal of this guided reading program is to bring the child to the reading level appropriate for the grade. Teaching must begin where the child is able to engage with some success. I chose to engage with the Fountas & Pinnell Literacy Community because it is the reading intervention program used at the school I work in. Children’s literacy growth and development is an area I am very interested in. When students enter grade one, they have very few literacy skills and self-initiating actions towards reading. I rely on the F&P resources in my classroom to support and engage students in the reading process. In this professional space, I hope to engage in conversations about including Aboriginal content in the F&P resources. The literacy program has just released a Spanish system to support ESL students in the United States. I hope to bring awareness to the need of indigenized resources for Canadian students. By engaging with this community, I hope to learn valuable information that can help support students’ reading skills throughout my school. My goal is to access ideas and information that can improve my classroom reading instruction. With this new knowledge, I can provide guidance and leadership for my colleagues in strengthening their literacy instruction as well.
Rachel & I worked together to create a Padlet document! Our work summarizes how planning, instruction, and assessment fit into the different curricular designs.
Please view our document at: https://padlet.com/rachelault/hco9rnpy61v8padlet.com/rachelault/hco9rnpy61v8 The PDF version is also available below.
Thank you! I look forward to reading your comments.
Curriculum
“Curriculum can be defined as a plan for achieving goals” (Ornstein & Hunkins, 2013). As an educator I have always viewed curriculum to be a government-based document used to guide my teaching and student learning. I never considered all of the elements or frameworks that go into unpacking and creating curriculum structures. Various authors have outlined conceptions of curriculum. These conceptions were created based on questions about content, goals, and organization of education (Al Mousa, 2013). Eisner and Vallance’s Five Conceptions of Curriculum: An Overview Eisner and Vallance (1974) outline five conceptions of curriculum in their article, “Five Conceptions of Curriculum: Their Roots and Implications for Curriculum Planning”. The Development of Cognitive Processes is the first orientation outlined in the article. This approach to curriculum focuses on the “how” of education and learning (Eisner & Vallance, 1974). Student learning and development become the primary concern. Intellectual operations are also refined within this conception to best support student learning. If a system can be altered to improve cognitive development, the change is supported through this conception. The ultimate goal of this curriculum piece is intellectual autonomy; students will gain the skills necessary to think for themselves and become independent beyond school. Curriculum as Technology is the second conception outlined by Eisner and Vallance (1974). Like the first, Curriculum as Technology focuses on the how but this “how” is much different. Instead of focusing on how the student learns best, Curriculum as Technology focuses on the process in which the learning is presented and knowledge is communicated. Because it is less student-focused than the first approach, it is believed to be a more value-free system. Self-Actualization or Curriculum as Consummatory Experience is discussed as the third conception of curriculum. This approach is much more student-centred, focusing on the intellectual needs of each individual learner. Educational goals should be designed for each student, giving them what they need for their specific personal growth. Curriculum should be relevant for each student and can be absorbed and used in the student’s everyday life both in the present and future. Social Reconstruction-relevance is considered the fourth conception of curriculum which focuses on how curriculum fits in with society at large. Instead of focusing on the individual, Social Reconstruction-relevance focuses on the rapidly-changing society. Students need to be equipped with “survival skills” to endure the issues of society. Students not only need to survive the change but they must also learn to be part of the change. Academic Rationalism is the final orientation described by Eisner and Vallance (1974). This orientation’s primary focus is providing students with the skills necessary to continue Western cultural traditions. Curriculum, from this viewpoint, should include subjects that contribute the most to the cultural wealth. McNeil’s Four Conceptions of Curriculum: An Overview John McNeil (2009) outlined four conceptions of curriculum in his article, “Contemporary Curriculum in Thought and Action”. 1. Humanistic Curriculum is the first conception defined by McNeil. The Humanistic Curriculum focuses on the individual and allowing students to develop independent judgement and discover who they are (2009). This foundation attempts to remove dissatisfaction from the curriculum and provide students with concepts they find more interesting and self-fulfilling. 2. Social Reconstruction Curriculum is defined by McNeil as being “interested in the relationship between curriculum and the social, political, and economic development of society” (2009). It focuses on equipping students with knowledge that can be used to improve society. Through this conceptions, schools should focus on teaching skills that are less important to the individual but more important to society (Al Mousa, 2013). 3. Systemic Curriculum is based on goals, standards, and outcomes. “Instructional objectives, benchmarks, and other indicators are used to evaluate progress toward the goals and standards and to signal the need for modifications” (McNeil, 2009). Goals are outlined and curriculum is designed to help students meet those goals. 4. Academic Rationalism Curriculum is the final conception outlined in McNeil’s 2009 article. Through this conception, students are made into independent thinkers. They need to “ask questions, hypothesize, synthesize, and draw conclusions in any academic discipline” (Al Mousa, 2013). Students will develop the skills necessary to think, question, and problem solve beyond school and into their daily life. Sowell’s Five Conceptions of Curriculum: An Overview Sowell has also outlined five conceptions of curriculum in the article, “Curriculum: An Integrative Introduction” (2005). 1. Cumulative Tradition of Organized Knowledge holds that education should develop cognitive achievement and help students understand knowledge. 2. Social Relevance-Reconstruction focuses on preparing students for life beyond school. Through this conception, curriculum should prepare students “for living in an unstable, changing world” (2005). The needs of society are put over the needs of the individual. 3. Self-Actualization as a curricular conception focuses on the individual and how schools can help students discover their fullest potential (Al Mousa, 2013). Curriculum through this framework is based on the needs and interests of the learner as opposed to the needs of society. 4. Development of Cognitive Processes focuses on developing intellectual processes (Sowell, 2005). Curriculum should allow students to growth as learners and strengthen their cognitive skills. 5. Technology is the final framework outlined by Sowell (2005).It requires learning to be systematic and efficient. Putting It All Together: After reviewing these articles, overlap between the theorists’ curriculum conceptions was obvious. 1. Curriculum focusing on the individual: Eisner and Vallance, McNeil, and Sowell all identified the individual as the main focus of conception in one of their theories. This is one conception of curriculum that has been carried forward throughout time. For me this should be the most important focus for curriculum. As a teacher, I believe everything we do should be for our students. Through the Self-Actualization and Humanistic conceptions of curriculum, the students interests are put first. This makes me think of how we use differentiation in our classrooms. Through our lessons and assessments we find a variety of ways for students to show their learning and understanding. Multiple intelligences and learning styles have been studied to prove that students learn and express understanding in a variety of ways. This conception calls for teachers to be warm, patient, and flexible with their students. We should attempt to portray our lessons in a way that is interesting and relevant to the lives of our students. I am currently reading a book called “The Wild Card” written by Hope and Wade King (2018). This book focuses on making our teaching more engaging for students. It may require us to transform our classrooms into a jungle when learning about living things or perhaps a Doctor’s Office when learning about contractions (surgery). While it may take time and effort, I believe it will be worth it! If students are excited about school and what they are learning they are more likely to attend school and have a positive outlook on their education. “The best teachers and the most sensitive curriculum planners can shape education experiences that in turn shape student’s personal commitment to learning” (Vallance, 2001). 2. Curriculum focusing on Society: Eisner and Vallance, McNeil, and Sowell all identified society to be the main focus of conception in one of their theories. While named slightly different, the Social Reconstruction, Social Reconstruction Curriculum, and Social-relevance Reconstruction theories all state that curriculum should focus on building learners that will fit in with and contribute to society. This curriculum should also equip students with the skills to survive a rapidly changing world. 3. Curriculum focusing on Cognitive Process: Eisner and Vallance and Sowell discuss the importance of cognitive process in their curriculum conceptions. When focusing on cognitive processes, curriculum will develop intellectual autonomy. Ideally, students will gain skills necessary to become independent thinkers and problem solvers. I can connect this to the popular Growth Mindset idea we are seeing in schools today. We want students to understand that by having a Growth Mindset (instead of a Fixed Mindset) they can improve their academic achievement. A Growth Mindset means students believe they are capable of succeeding, understanding it may take more effort, and that it is okay to make mistakes. A Growth Mindset allows students to handle change and a difficult problem in a positive way. Curriculum conceptions that focus on Society and Cognitive Process are both very important to education today. However, while they are both quite different I still have a hard time separating the two. In order to be a productive member in our rapidly changing society, students know how to think, problem solve, and ask the right questions. While there are some subjects I believe will always hold value in school and society, such as reading and basic math skills, having students improve their cognitive processing skills will ultimately help them contribute the most to society. Personally, I cannot put the needs of society as a whole above the needs for each individual student. These two conceptions could possibly be combined in a way to include developing cognitive processes as they contribute to society. I believe if we are to strengthen society we must build up each of its members. 4. Curriculum focusing on Technology: Our four theorists chose to include technology as one of the curriculum conceptions. Technology is needed in education now more than ever before. Vallance (2001) states “the vast changes in technology in the past dozen years give more intense meaning to the technological conception”. While many skills taught in schools can also be passed down to the student from their parents, technology is different. What we are seeing is technology skills being passed from children to adults instead. Technology has become a part of everyday life and denying that through curriculum would be a mistake. I am often in awe of teachers who worked in a time before technology. Now with access to Youtube, Pinterest, E-mail for collaborating, and Google, teaching seems like a brand new career. It is our duty as educators to fit technology into our classrooms and curriculum. When used correctly, technology can act as a tool for teaching, learning, and assessing. 5. Curriculum focusing on Academia: Again, each of the theorists finds a conception of curriculum focusing on academia. The classic disciplines, according to Western culture tradition, are taught in curriculum and enable individuals to learn concepts and improve intellectually (Al Mousa, 2013). This is where our subjects/specialized classes come into curriculum. At the high school level, students have opportunity to pick the subjects they are most interested in. While the subjects available are supported by Western cultural tradition, the opportunity for choice contributes to the self-actualization theory as well. Curriculum focusing on academia is popular among educators possibly because it takes away some of the debate and anxiety over what should be taught in schools. Since schools are already faced with the issue of “too much to teach and not enough time”, curriculum based on academia provides opportunities for students to “acquire the most powerful products of man’s intelligence” (Eisner & Vallance, 1974). While these conceptions of curriculum are still under scrutiny, I am not convinced that any of them should be removed. Perhaps a bit of adjusting can be done but ultimately I believe each conception continues to be relevant to curriculum and learning today. |