TE5508 - Curriculum Studies 2 (3-7 years)

The teaching and learning approaches for this module provide you with a mix of lectures, workshops and technologically enhanced learning reflecting the Notional Student Workload (NSW) contained in the descriptor for this module. You will find this approach similar to that of Curriculum Studies 1, with the added raised expectations surrounding independent application and assessment.

Your lectures will critically examine key sources of policy, evaluation and theoretical literature and will encourage you to connect with your own independent reading, which will be key to your success here. You will experience a diverse range of input from University-based tutors and Partnership teachers, who have relevant practical experience and theoretical knowledge in teaching and learning the core and foundation subjects across the Early Years Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. Subsequently, you can be assured that lecture content is relevant, up-to-date and takes account of recent practice and policy changes surrounding planning, teaching and assessment approaches in schools.

Your workshops are a practical, challenging element of this module and will demand your full participation. Workshops are not an optional extra for this module and we have found that students who have done well previously have prepared, attended and participated in the workshop work and independent supporting tasks. We are mindful that you will have a range of preferences for small group work, but we do expect you all to thoroughly prepare for and participate in these sessions. Practical workshop sessions will also be led by a mixture of University-based tutors and Partnership teachers who will ensure that the key elements of each subject are explored in further depth to allow you to consider how to apply ideas to your own planning during your Educational Placements.

You will be expected to make active use of the eLP (Blackboard), using it as a starting point for your own reading. All lecture and workshop presentations will make reference back to the Teachers’ Standards (2012) to allow you to join up your learning across the programme and begin to compile evidence towards the completion of your Teachers’ Standards file. The module team are committed to ensuring material is placed on the eLP in a timely manner (wherever possible) so you are able to use this to complement your face-to-face learning and reading.

As with all other modules on your programme, successful academic achievement requires a system of robust support and guidance to help you focus on your learning needs. In addition to the pastoral support you will receive, the tutors involved in delivering this module will provide guidance and academic counselling to ensure that you are able to confidently engage with the academic rigour of this module. This dialogue will be face-to-face in lectures, workshops or individual tutorials and is an essential aspect of the programme’s assessment for learning strategy. Extensive support is also accessible online as part of the University’s commitment to technology enhanced learning. This employs the use of the e-learning portal (Blackboard; including Pebble+) and social networking and collaborative tools.

A central feature of the academic support available to you is the service provided by the University Library. This 24/7 service caters for all your learning needs, has extensive access to electronic texts and tutorials that will directly support the development of academic skills aimed at improving your critical thinking and analytical writing.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. Online reading lists (provided after enrolment) give you access to your reading material for your modules. The Library works in partnership with your module tutors to ensure you have access to the material that you need.

Knowledge & Understanding:
1. Identify and analyse appropriate learning opportunities, linked to the curriculum across subjects, including the next steps for learning.
2. Investigate and practise the subject-specific knowledge and skills necessary across core and foundation subjects in order to plan, teach and differentiate effectively and impact upon children’s learning

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
3. Critically reflect on the evidence of progress made and the effectiveness of pedagogical approaches used for individual children’s learning needs across the 3-7 age phase.
4. Evaluate the contribution of transferring knowledge, skills and understanding in a subject through integrating learning across the curriculum
5. Communicate effectively through the correct use of Standard English.

Personal Values Attributes:
6.. Analyse recent and relevant pedagogy, literature and practice in the curriculum to justify ideas and approaches.

Summative Assessment:

Written Planning Task: During sessions you will collaborate with colleagues to formulate ideas and lesson sequences for a variety of subjects. These will be formatively peer assessed in small groups in tutor-led sessions.

The summative task will be developed from your assessed placement lesson planning.
Component 1: A sequence of three fully evaluated and annotated lesson plans in any subject area from your age phase. (2,000-word equivalent)

(KU 1, 2)

Component 2: A written reflection on the planning, teaching and evaluation of this lesson sequence. (3,000 words)
You will explain the rationale behind the sequence of lessons detailing your chosen pedagogical approaches and your curricular aims. You also need to include your critical reflections of the teaching of these lessons, as well as the consideration of lesson objectives and success criteria, approaches and overall pitch. You should demonstrate your use of a reflective cycle.

(IPSA 3, 4, 5; PVA 6)

Assignment title: Planning for Progress: A critical reflection of a lesson sequence

Summative grades, alongside formative written feedback regarding your planning will be provided via ESAF.

(KU 1; iPSA 3, 4; PVA 5)

Educational Research and Enquiry 1
Educational Placements 1
Professional Studies 1
Curriculum Studies 1
Enhanced Curriculum Studies 1

Educational Research and Enquiry 2
Educational Placements 2
Professional Studies 2

In this module you will focus upon your developing acquisition of the requisite subject knowledge for successful planning, teaching and differentiating children’s learning in the core and foundation subjects across the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. You will investigate creative and innovative learning opportunities, as you continue to develop a variety of teaching skills, approaches and expertise. The development of your subject knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage and National Curriculum core and foundation subjects for children across the 3-7 age phase and beyond is continued. Additionally you will be able to explore both the discrete subject specific differences between subjects and their similarities across curriculum to allow for integrated learning to evolve; all of which is underpinned by theoretical foundations.

You will have the opportunity to apply and practise your emerging understanding and skills developed here; across the non-assessed and assessed elements of your placements in the Educational Placements 2 module in semesters 1 and 2. This approach and continued acquisition and development of subject knowledge and skills across the core and non-core subjects of the curriculum, allows you to consider your chosen age phase, and will begin to lead towards your success both; during not only your assessed placement this year, but also as the foundations of success for your final assessed placement and eventually in your first post as an Early Career Teacher.