2. 2008 - KINDERGARTEN (PLUS NEWBORN): THEMATIC- SENSES
2009-2010 - 1ST-2ND GRADE: THEMATIC: MAGIC SCHOOL BUS
(WORLD GEOGRAPHY/ LITERATURE)+ STANDARD MATH CURR.
2011 - 3RD: THEMATIC: TRAVELING ACROSS AMERICA (UNITED
STATES GEOGRAPHY/ LITERATURE) + ALEKS
2012 - 4TH: THEMATIC: CALIFORNIA HISTORY + ALEKS
2013 - 5TH: THEMATIC: UNITED STATES HISTORY + ALEKS/MATH
WHIZZ (+ ABC MOUSE FOR THE PRESCHOOLER)
2014 - 6TH + KINDERGARTEN: THEMATIC: ANCIENT HISTORY +
GRID + ALEKS
Joanne Woolf
VOCS Parent
2008-Present
Thursday, May 29, 2014
6. More than one way to educate a
child...
http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h11u3vtcpaY
http://www.pinterest.com/medkharbach/the-best-of-ted-talks-for-teachers/
Thursday, May 29, 2014
7. It all starts with
your family’s
educational philosophy...
Thursday, May 29, 2014
9. Traditional Contemporary
Perennialism Essentialism Progressivism Existentialism
Based on
Universal Truths
Strong Core
Curriculum, High
Academic Standards
Create Independent
problem-solvers
Free Will,
Individuals Shape
their Futures
Read the Great
Books, Socratic
Method
Back to the
Basics
Lessons are
Relevant, Hands-on
Learning, Critical
Thinking
Students control
their own
education
Teacher-Centered Active Self-Learning
UnschoolingClassical Education
Thursday, May 29, 2014
10. This essay was previously published in Gary K. Clabaugh & Edward G. Rozycki Understanding Schools: the foundations of education Chapter 19, (NewYork: Harper Rowe, 1990) pp. 565 - 571. Retrieved from Web
2/6/2014 http://www.newfoundations.com/GALLERY/ISMS.html
ForYour
At-home
Philosophy
Studies
Thursday, May 29, 2014
11. Retrieved from Web 2/6/2014 from: http://tlr.hccs.edu/facultyportal/tlp/seminars/pdf/comparison_edu_philo.pdf
*link provided
Thursday, May 29, 2014
12. Step #2
Determine your educational
philosophy & evaluate your
curriculum to ensure that it
agrees.
Thursday, May 29, 2014
14. Summary of Methods...
! Traditional*(Read Textbooks and answer questions, etc)
! Classical (See Mrs. Hayes)
! Charlotte Mason(Classical Conversations. "Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life." ~Charlotte Mason)
! Waldorf (“Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire.”William Butler Yeats)
! Montessori (One test of the correctness of educational procedure is the happiness of the child.-Maria Montessori)
! Reggio Emilia
! Leadership Educational Method/Thomas Jefferson Ed.
! Literature-based*(incorporated into thematic/Whole Language Approach)
! Unit Studies*(often used interchangeably with thematic)
! Unschooling*(can be useful at various points in the year)
! Project Based Learning (PBL)*http://bie.org/(First Lego League/Lego Robotics)
! Differentiated Instruction* (can use with thematic, multiple grade levels)
! Thematic* (Linda Smith: Senses, Magic School Bus, Traveling Across America)
! Eclectic Method*(using what works for your family)
Thursday, May 29, 2014
15. Step #3
Make a list of
the most important things
that you want your
child to learn this year
(hint: Check out the common core standards,
school sponsored classes, clubs, and competitions)
Thursday, May 29, 2014
17. Step #4
Involve your child and
consider his/her interests,
strengths, and weaknesses
in your curriculum topics,
“delivery” and evaluation.
Thursday, May 29, 2014
19. What about adding “coding” to your list of important things?
Thursday, May 29, 2014
20. Thematic Research
• "Effective thematic instruction involves using a theme as 'conceptual glue' for learners, strengthening bonds to
knowledge" (Northwest, 2005).
• Cognitive research shows that educational programs should challenge students to link, connect, and integrate
ideas and to learn in authentic contexts, taking into account their perception of real-world problems. (Bransford,
Brown, & Cocking, 1999; diSessa, 2000; Linn & Hsi, 2000)
• Themes are a way of understanding new concepts. They provide mental organizing schemes for students to
approach new ideas (Caine & Caine, 1997; Kovalik, 1994).
• Research on brain-based teaching explains that the brain learns, and recalls learning, through nonlinear
patterns that emphasize coherence rather than fragmentation. The more teachers make connecting patterns
explicit and accessible for students, the easier the brain will integrate new information (Hart, 1983).
• Classrooms free of threat, students engaged in immersive learning experiences, and curriculum that connects
to the community and the students' lives are all aspects of brain-compatible teaching (Caine & Caine, 1991, 1994,
1997a, b).
• Students learn through different modes, styles and multiple intelligences. Teachers should access and integrate
these modes for increasing opportunities for students to access and retain new knowledge (Gardner, 1993).
• Student choice invokes critical thinking, decision making, and reflection. When students are asked to select
from alternatives, they are encouraged to take responsibility for their learning process (Beane, 1997; Caine &
Caine, 1994).
taken from: http://www.netc.org/focus/strategies/them.php
Thursday, May 29, 2014
21. Thematic
...Allows you to Simplify
...is Literature Based
...Accommodates Differentiated Learning
...Can Easily Incorporate Hands-on
Learning
...is Flexible
...Can adapt to student interests
Thursday, May 29, 2014
22. Consider “moving topics around” even if you don’t want to do
all out “thematic”. ..
For example, spring is a great time to study metamorphosis
and butterflies. TheVery Hungry Caterpillar is a great
language arts book to go along with it, and you could do a field trip to
Bugslore Museum to buy a caterpillar to watch it change at home.
For older kids, when they are studying explorers, it is a great time to study
magnets and how a compass works.They could make a compass using a
needle, a glass of water and a magnet.
Thursday, May 29, 2014
23. What are we preparing
our kids for?
Thursday, May 29, 2014
