Curriculum Analysis of the cybersmart

Curriculum

Curriculum Analysis of the cybersmart

CurriculumMargaret Guernsey

July 22nd, 2010

EPSF 8440

Margaret Guernsey

July 22nd, 2010

EPSF 8440

What is the Cybersmart Curriculum?

• A free curriculum to teach students how to use the Internet safely, wisely, and responsibly.

• More information can be found at http://cybersmartcurriculum.org/

Curriculum Materials

• Organized by grade level from K - 12

• Broken down into 5 categories, which spell out SMART

• S: Safety and Security Online

• M: Manners and Cybercitizenship

• A: Authentic Learning and Creativity

• R: Research and Information Fluency

• T: Twenty-First Century Challenges

Curriculum Materials Continued

• Lesson plans and related materials are included with the curriculum.

• Teacher can add, remove, or combine lessons as he or she chooses.

• A plethora of resources for each lesson are provided both online and offline.

Boundaries of Materials

• Lessons cover multiple grade levels, which can make it too basic for the older age of the spectrum.

• Students are more engaged when teachers personalize the lessons for their class.

Current School Boundaries

• Not enough time devoted to the topic.

• Only offered during one trimester.

• Only offered to students in grades 6-8.

• The school should consider expanding the curriculum across more grade levels.

Nature of the Educational Experience

• Empower students to take control of the choices they are making online.

• Develop an understanding of how making poor choices online effects and impacts others.

• None of the content is taught in isolation; therefore it can be related to the students’ real life experiences

Relationship to the Life of the School

• Ethics and Values are reinforced

• Ensures that students are being taught how to use the school issued computer appropriately both on and off campus.

• Prepares students to be digital citizens.

• Multiple types of educational experiences are possible.

Curriculum and Discretionary Space for Teachers

• There is plenty of discretionary space for teachers.

• Teachers can pick and choose the lessons most valuable and applicable for their students.

• Lessons can be combined to cover multiple subjects at once.

• Current events can easily be incorporated into the lessons. (i.e Cyberbullying stories in the news)

Level of Curriculum Materials

• Macro Curriculum

• Does not focus on only one subject

• Focus on current issues that students encounter in their every day lives.

• When evaluating it is important to analyze all components.

• Curriculum is both horizontally and vertically aligned.

Relationship between curriculum and Standards/Testing

• Being a private school we are not subject to the same standardized testing that public school is.

• This curriculum helps benefit our students by teaching life skills that can not necessarily be measured through testing.

• The lessons learned through this curriculum can be seen in student’s actions.

Philosophical Orientation of Curriculum Materials

• Experimentalist Philosophy

• Focus on child’s life experience

• Allows students the ability to search for their own meaning of understanding.

• Integrated approach

Philosophical Orientation of School

• Essentialism mixed with Experimentalism

• Strong Academic Environment that is Student Centered

Review of our School Mission Statement

• Our Mission helps identify our purpose.

• We need to develop more than just an understanding of the mission.

• There is a need to operationalize the mission statement in order to have measurable goals.

• The mission statement needs to be more practical...not just for show.

Behaviors, Skills, and Values Emphasized by the Curriculum

• Decision Making

• Every action has a reaction

• Citizenship

• Treating others the way you want to be treated

• Showing respect to others

The type of thinking that is Valued or Promoted

• Independent thinking is promoted.

• Students learn how their actions online affect others.

• Students learn to recognize the difference between online communication and face to face communication.

• Students acknowledge that a difference exists in types of communication and they work to develop skills to communicate clearly and effectively.

influence of Content on Curriculum

• The content of the curriculum is the driving force of the curriculum.

• The content is influenced by the lives of the student and their experiences.

macro-curricular structure of The curriculum

• Integrated Core Organizational Scheme

• Multiple subjects are covered

• Focus on issues that the students are likely to encounter

How Does this curriculum fit into the larger macro-curricular structure of our

school?

The curriculum

• allows students to explore issues outside the general education requirements/standards.

• educates the whole child.

• develops skills that will be necessary to be successful in life.

•We are not bound by the same state testing requirement and have the freedom to make this part of our curriculum.

Horizontal Articulation of Curriculum

• Lessons are available for each grade level from Kindergarten through 12th grade.

• Lessons relate to the overall mission of the school.

Vertical Articulation of Curriculum

• The same topics are taught throughout each grade level at varying levels.

• Each year builds upon the previous and skills are continually reinforced.

Principles that organize the Macro-Curricular Structure

• Two main principles

• General Education

• Specialized Education

• In the lower grades these principals are clearly seen. We need to work on articulating these principles in the upper grades.

• Need to build in time for collaboration across departments and grade levels to assure that the principles are being met and that there is vertical and horizontal articulation.

Necessary Instructional Support

• The CyberSmart Curriculum is fairly scripted so teachers do not need to have any special instructional proficiencies.

• It is helpful to be able to relate to students and recognize student needs.

• It is also helpful to be able to adapt lessons or combine lessons, but not necessary.

• Another suggestion is to pair a teacher new to the curriculum with one who has used it before.

Evaluation of Curriculum

• There are no formal summative evaluations at this time.

• Informal/Formative evaluations are performed during each class to gauge where students are in their level of understanding.

• Students are evaluated on a daily basis by how they live their lives and if they choose to apply the principles that they learn.