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Curriculum is a collection of practices and materials used for instruction that has been designed to support the needs of students in society and to build their knowledge. Curriculum consists of historical events, cultures, individualism, relatable experiences, opportunities to prepare for the real world or working world, and more.

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In the readings, curriculum is a continuous reworking in the midst of change, reform, societal transitions, diversity, and much more. Its reworking seek the best ways to deliver education based on its community, based on its priorities, and based on time.

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Curriculum theory is when a curricula is studied looking at the development, objectives of the curriculum, implementation, and design. Then taking those studies and deciding what needs to be taught and what knowledge is important for students to learn.

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3. Identify several curriculum leaders who contributed to the field and are most relevant to the curriculum at your level of instruction. Compare and contrast their approaches to curriculum development.

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3. Identify several curriculum leaders who contributed to the field and are most relevant to the curriculum at your level of instruction. Compare and contrast their approaches to curriculum development.

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Rudolf Steiner

Similar to John Dewey, Steiner contributed to the field of 3rd - 5th grade education through the emphasizes of hands on experiences, experiences that build critical thinking and problem solving skills, and also experiences that focus on it being student led which leads to actively learning.

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4. Whose thinking "in the field" best informs (or matches) your knowledge of curriculum-making?

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4. Whose thinking "in the field" best informs (or matches) your knowledge of curriculum-making?

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A curriculum is a standards-based course of study that is implemented in a planned sequence of events, experiences, readings, understandings, activities, etc. with a goal of mastering the implemented standards.

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Afsana Haroon

Kari Calderon

Veron Gray-Lindsay

Chloe Poskevich

Mackenzie Hampton

Kristi Niblett

Cherene Lewis

Mikia Tracy

Michal Evans

Michael Jeffcoat

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Be Prepared

Accept agreed upon tasks

Collaborate

Communicate in the GroupMe chat

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John Dewey contributed to the field of 3rd-5th education by emphasizing the importance of hands on learning and actively engaging students in their learning, like we see being taught so much in elementary schools today.

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Curriculum theory is meant to examine and form educational programs of study. It is deciding what is most important to teach and how to teach it.

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A field within education that examines the principles, concepts, and frameworks underlying the design, implementation, and evaluation of educational curricula. It encompasses theoretical and philosophical aspects of curriculum development, aiming to understand how and why curricula are structured and organized in particular ways to achieve certain educational goals. The goals of these theories are to supplement research purposes to improve the educational field, and understand best practices and practicalities on what should be taught, how it should be taught, and why.

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Based on the 3-5 group, we believe that curriculum is a structured set of learning experiences, goals, content, and materials provided to achieve specific standards and should be inspirational, rich, purposeful, and intentional. It needs to be adaptable based on current and societal needs, covering multiple grade-level bands. It integrates principles from various theories and emphasizes learning as a continuous and interconnected process, adaptable to new insights and societal changes. The ultimate goal is to transform the educational system to meet the needs of societal values, attitudes, and norms while contributing to continuous growth and development.

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A field within education that examines the principles, concepts, and frameworks underlying the design of curriculum. It encompasses abstract thinking of philosophical and theoretical approaches to analyze curricula and its development.

Curriculum Theory umbrellas all aspects of designing instruction, implementation of material, and how students “should learn” dependent upon how teachers should teach. Some theories are focused on specific material students should be expected to know to be intellectual, others focus more on the individuality of students regarding their needs as a pupil. There are some theories that focus on the goal of society for the future by forming theories that stem from creating experiences as students to produce a better character as civilians.

The range of perspectives and frameworks that guide the development and organization of educational content is intertwined to time periods of situational circumstances. Curriculum Theory is forever evolving with society and leans against past theories for support and advancement.

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Overall the group synthesis on the theorists that contributed to 3rd-5th education is John Dewey, Addams, Ralph Tyler, Taba, Steiner and Schwab . We noticed how Dewey and Steiner emphasized the importance of hands on, experiential learning which is widely used in elementary education today. Tyler's "Rationale" is relevant at our level of instruction because it is important that we define objectives and evaluate outcomes of our students. Tyler and Dewey both challenged traditional methods, but Tyler took a more systematic approach focusing on objectives. In contrast, Dewey's focus was geared toward the student having experiential learning opportunities with a less rigid curriculum. Tyler, Taba, and Schwab offered a structure to help schools design and develop the curriculum in a way that had not been presented by Dewey.

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Curriculum theory defines the concept of a curriculum, its development, use, and evaluation. It's how an institution decides what to teach and learn, and how learning will be measured.

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Throughout the readings curriculum refers to the structured set of learning experiences, goals, content, and materials provided. It has the subjects and topics taught, the learning activities and resources used, and the assessment methods applied to evaluate student learning. The curriculum is designed to achieve specific standards.

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Curriculum theory involves studying and analyzing how curricula are designed and implemented. It has a range of perspectives and frameworks that guide the development and organization of educational content and experiences. Curriculum theory addresses questions about what should be taught, why it should be taught, how it should be taught, and how learning outcomes should be assessed.

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Tyler is known for his "Rationale" approach, which emphasizes defining clear objectives, selecting learning experiences, organizing instruction, and evaluating outcomes.

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Curriculum is planned experiences that students practice and work to achieve proficiency in content areas. It is a system of instruction and learning with specific goals, strategies, and resources.

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Curriculum is the set of knowledge deemed valuable to learn, the planned and unplanned experiences that students will participate in, the resources to be used, and the methods used to evaluate whether or not the students are reaching the learning goals.

Curriculum should be inspirational, rich, purposeful, and intentional to. Curriculum should be fluid, and adaptable based on the current needs of the students and societal needs.

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Curriculum is the timeline projection, mastery, and strategies for specific content areas. It is continuous and covers multiple grade-level bands with connections. Curriculum can be broad in idea and style or specific to theories on how students learn and based on societal needs.

The curriculum offers a structured guide for all educators that implements scaffolds and extensions catered to the content. It should be fluid, impactful, and enriching to the learners.

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Curriculum theory is abstract thinking, a philosophical and/or theoretical approach to learning. The concept of curriculum theory is to project the goal and outline the formats to achieve the desired task. Some theories are generated based on the needs of the learners, the developmental stages of growth, or the concept of higher-level learning. Others highlight the philosophies of life and the needs of society for the future.

Curriculum theory is the evolution of strategies. It expands the concept of studying the design of teaching to improve the quality of learning. It causes individuals to ask questions and progressively attack deficits to spark change.

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Jane Adams:

She was an educational philosopher who believed in connecting educational experiences to the practices of the individual being taught. Also, she believed that formal education should take place inside and outside the school. That learning is a gift that supersedes the classroom.

In the field of 3-5 education, Addams's ideas are prevalent more than ever. This generation of students begins to question the purpose of learning and the desire for its importance connected to the real world. Students do not just want to learn for the sake of learning but feel their time spent is valuable for the future. Also, as students progress through school we lose the parental focus at home in informing parents of the necessities of the instruction and how to let it flow outside the school house.

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Dewey's beliefs about education regarding curriculum-making match mine most of the time. Like Dewey, I believe many components affect education and a student's ability to learn. In theory, education should be individualized to meet the needs of the students. The learning should be rich and impactful. I don't want students to learn just to learn. I want students to desire to learn and find the importance of it.

Dewey states that "if the interaction between curriculum, student, and teacher is dynamic rather than prescribed or present, all will be transformed." The need for learning should be prioritized to create critical thinkers instead of ROTE learners.

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I believe John Dewey’s thinking “in the field” matches my knowledge of curriculum-making the most. I work at a STEAM school so problem based learning is really the foundation of most of our student’s learning, especially in science and math. Therefore I am constantly designing my learning to be experiential for my students. When making these experiences, they are designed so that students have to think critically and use those problem solving skills, which I think leads them to learning at their own rate and not always at the rate of the teacher. As mentioned in chapter 22 "subject matter needs to be worked out actively to grasp its underlying principles", so if we are giving our students time to work actively, then they are going to begin learning actively without the teacher trying to forcefully make them learn the subject matter. Another thing I believe informs my curriculum making when it comes to Dewey's theory of experiences, is that students learn better when given experiences and opportunities to work with themselves or with peers, and also when it is connected to real life. When students are able to relate to the learning in the classroom, they are able to make their own personal connections which then leads to them being more engaged and involved wanting to share what they already know.

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I love how Michael worded about Addams's idea of making the learning meaningful and purposeful. That students today want to know that what they are learning is valuable for their future.

John Dewey-

Dewey's thinking of getting to the WHY/HOW of the learning and developing critical thinkers and conceptualizers is evident in how we teach today. Engaging students' minds and facilitating questioning, conversation, and collaboration as opposed to rote fact learning and memorization. Creating an environment of experience where the learning can carry outside of the classroom (Addams).

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This one was hard for me to choose...

Ralph Tyler and the 4 step "Tyler Rationale" affected a long line of theorists and we still see it today. Thinking over what the needs of the students/school/district are, what experiences would help us meet those goals, how will the experiences/learning be structured, and determining how to assess.

Taba and Schwab took it a step further by incorporating needs for change due to the Civil Rights movement during their time.

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Curriculum is the material and structure of what is taught in schools. It is influenced by the needs, values, and educational objectives of society. It has clear objectives, tools, and assessments that is used to measure if objectives are met.

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Examining the fundamental ideas and structures that direct the creation, application, and assessment of educational curricula is known as curriculum development. It includes a range of viewpoints and methods for comprehending how social, cultural, political, and historical settings influence curriculum.

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There are many curriculum theorists who contribute to the field Ralph Tyler, Hilda Taba, but for me, Jerome Bruner and John Dewey are more relevant to  3rd- - 5th grade instruction. Some of the differences and similarities between their approaches includes:

Experiential learning vs. Spiral learning. Bruner emphasizes an organized method where ideas are methodically reviewed and developed, whereas Dewey places more emphasis on learning via experience and matching with the child's interests. Additionally, child-centered vs. organized Progression was another approach: Bruner offers an organized progression through the spiral curriculum, while Dewey takes a very child-centered approach.

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John Dewey was a highly influential thinker in the field of curriculum-making and his approach closely align with current understandings and practices and so his thinking best matches my knowledge of curriculum making. John Dewey's emphasizes hands-on learning and critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Modern methods of developing curricula are influenced by Dewey's theories about how to include students' interests and experiences into the curriculum. Dewey's contributions offer solid models for creating curricula that succeed. I am influence by him significantly. As a result, I do many experiential learning in my classroom which in-turn boosts my students Georgia Milestones Performance.

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I believe that Dewey's ideas and practices focus on student-centered learning, problem-solving, and the connection between education and real-life experiences. I feel like this is something I strongly like to incorporate into my classroom and feel like I relate with Dewey's theory here. Overall, Dewey's progressive education theory emphasizes experiential learning, critical thinking, and the integration of student interests into the curriculum. He advocated for an education system that prepares students for active participation in a democratic society.

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What is Curriculum?

A curriculum can be defined as an ongoing and dynamic process of learning and development that adapts and evolves over time. Based on my reading, a curriculum should be a structured education plan that has specific learning objectives, teaching methods and assessment strategies towards educational goals to meet the needs of societal growth and development.

The concept of curriculum integrates the principles from a number of theories such as John Dewey, Lev Vygotsky, Bobbett (1918, 1924), Tyler (1949), (B. Smith et al., 1950), Hilda Taba (1962), Joseph J. Schwab (1969) and several others that emphasizes learning as a continuous, interconnected, shaped by interactions between individuals and their environment in a way that is flexible in response to promote lifelong learning by adapting to new insights, societal changes, and individual progress, rather than being static or rigidly defined. A true definition of curriculum may be relate to the theoretical beliefs. One can say the outcome and expectations distinctly points to transforming the educational system to meet the needs of societal values, attitudes and norms, while contributing to the continuous growth and development of society.

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Curriculum theory is a dynamic collection of data that supports the ongoing development of curriculum. The idea of curriculum theory involves the integration of diverse theories, philosophies, historical influences, scientific and practical approaches. curriculum theory aims to foster growth, critical thinking, and social awareness in educational experiences. It continuously expands to ensure education remains a transformative force for positive change in individuals, communities and society at large.

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There are a number of curriculum influential leaders who contributed to curriculum instructions at grades 3 to 5. Such leaders may include John Dewey, Hilda Taba, Joseph Schwab, Jane Addams, and Ralph Tyler. They blend theory with practical understanding to create learning experiences that resonate with young minds. These leaders created a framework that acts as guidance for teachers to engage students through experimental approaches which includes project-based, hands-on activities and develop relevant lessons, that is ideally implacable to students at these grade levels. Their ideas also sought to

collaborate with parental engagements, community members, and fellow educators, they build a supportive network that nurtures every child's academic growth and personal development. Based on my experience, students at this stage tends to be more stimulated by practical engagements especially in small group activities.

In comparing and contrasting the ideas of these leaders John Dewey emphasized experiential learning and active student participation while Hilda Taba introduced a structured approach to curriculum design, organizing content around central concepts. Joseph Schwab emphasized integrating practical and theoretical knowledge in curriculum development, highlighting the dynamic interaction between educators, students, and subject matter while Jane Addams advocated for education as a tool for social justice and community engagement, promoting inclusive and equitable educational practices. Ralph Tyler developed a systematic model for curriculum design, emphasizing clear educational objectives, effective learning experiences, and assessment methods. Together, I think their diverse contributions have significantly shaped the modern education that are in practice today at all levels of the education system but is very crucial at the grades 3 to 5 level both in general education and special education.

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Ralph Waldo Emerson and John Dewey's thinking best informs my knowledge of curriculum and influences my practices as a special education teacher. John Dewey emphasized experiential learning, child-centered education, and inclusive practices, influencing how special education tailors learning to individual student needs. In creating and executing Individualized Educational Plan these are pertinent domains that acts as guidance in assessing students strengths and weaknesses. Ralph Waldo Emerson's also focuses on individualism and personal growth that inspires approaches in special education that promotes self-reliance and the realization of students' unique potential. With Emerson's belief, my lessons are student centered as I allow students the opportunity to explore and learn from their missteps while allowing them to critically think about a concept and self reflect as they advocate for themselves through experiences. As such their philosophies have influenced my pedagogical practices by advocating for personalized growth and learning, independence, and inclusive educational environments that support diverse student abilities and backgrounds.

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Curriculum is an on-going set of practices that help perform standard based tasks. It should be an on going set of learning goals that changes as the times and the students it serves change as well. It helps achieve efficient learning while providing resources and practices to evaluate the level of learning achieved.

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Curriculum theory was created to help bridge the gaps Taba wanted to take into account the content that goes into creating a curriculum rather than just the process itself. Including student interests merited the curriculum theory.

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John Dewey's ideas matched mine when it came to thinking "in the field". Dewey had strong beliefs that we should stimulate our students minds through hands on activities and experimenting rather than trying to figure out how much knowledge we could back into their brains. You can't always predict how a students is going to react to the way you display the information so being able to pivot as you are teaching is something I try to think about in my classroom. Dewy also knew that all students progress wouldn't be linear. This always stood out to be because after my first year I was able to see how progress on all levels is extremely rewarding whether it is linear or not. As a teacher you need to meet your students where they are and that is why I was able to really connect with Dewey's beliefs.

I also connected with Emerson outlook on education and curriculum. He knew that we needed to reconstruct our curriculum continuously as different students and material were introduced. This is still very relevant today as we have new standards that need to be taught and a wide variety of students to accommodate for so making sure our curriculum aligns is important to be meeting all of those needs. He also encouraged creativity amongst students which then again aligns to Dewey's beliefs as well.

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Put simply, curriculum can be defined as what students are expected to learn and what they are able to do or show to prove that learning took place.

I feel like everyone provided really in depth and thoughtful answers for this question! I definitely think that our overall answer should include that curriculum can change over time and that it should inspire as much as it informs.

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Curriculum theory describes the philosophical approach to curriculum development. Curriculum theory takes into account what students are expected to learn in different subject areas, how the curriculum should be implemented (backed by research), and the goal(s) of the curriculum as a whole.

I like the way many of our group members pointed out that curriculum theory changes over time based on the needs of society and historical events/movements! I think it's important to include that curriculum theory changes over time, but still keeps in mind what is going to be taught and how.

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I believe that John Dewey is an extremely influential curriculum leader for 3rd-5th grades because he believed that encouraging active learning helped students grasp the principles and structures of the subject matter being taught. He also encourages inquiry in all subjects which leads to critical thinking and a growth mindset.

Other influential curriculum leaders for 3rd-5th grades are Ralph Tyler and Hilda Taba because they each provided clear steps that could be utilized when developing a curriculum and making it more effective. While these help all grade bands, I believe that they are especially important for our grade band because 3rd-5th grades are transition years and can be difficult for students if what they are being taught is not organized and developed well.

I think it's important to point out the variety of theorists our group has identified! It just shows how our different backgrounds and experiences have shaped who we are as educators!

I also just wanted to send a kuddos for those in the GroupMe chat who are lifting each other up! I noticed that with this question many people worked together to make sure that it was answered fully, and I just wanted to make sure that I said thank you because it shows how much we all care about this program. Keep it up, everyone!

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Dewey’s thinking matches my knowledge of curriculum-making the most because of the child-centered approach, but mostly because of his emphasis on cultivating responsibility. According to the text, “for Dewey, responsibility means accepting the consequences of inquiry…For teachers and their students, to cultivate responsibility implies critically examining what is learned for its impact on life itself, rather than simply covering or getting through it.” I love this because it encourages educators to think about why we are teaching the subject matter. When we care about what we are teaching, the students care as well.

Hi everyone! I just wanted to let you all know that I did my best to synthesize everyone's thinking into one cohesive response for this question. Thank you all for providing such thorough and thoughtful answers! Please feel free to look over this response and make any changes that you see fit.

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Overwhelmingly, the 3rd-5th grade band agrees that John Dewey’s thinking in the field best informs or matches our knowledge of curriculum-making. Each group member gravitates toward his emphasis on problem-based and experiential learning as a way to meet the needs of each of our students. This type of curriculum mindset allows teachers to create classrooms that facilitate student engagement, critical thinking, and problem solving skills. Keeping these goals as a priority, students are encouraged to engage in inquiry, converse with one another, and collaborate. This child-centered approach allows for student interests to be taken into consideration which leads to real-life application of what is being taught. Furthermore, it motivates everyone involved, students and their teachers, to cultivate responsibility, which according to chapter twenty-two of the Sage Handbook means “critically examining what is earned for its impact on life itself, rather than simply covering or getting through it.” This idea keeps educators focused on why we are teaching the subject along with how it should be implemented. While Dewey’s thinking was identified as the greatest influence for our grade band, Jane Addams and Ralph Waldo Emerson’s ways of thinking were also identified as being influential. Similar to Dewey, Jane Addams advocated for a learning environment that would cultivate experience and learning that would carry outside of the classroom. Emerson’s emphasis on creativity, individualism, and personal growth are also intertwined in our pedagogical outlook. His emphasis on continuously reconstructing our curriculum heavily influences how we all teach which is apparent each year when we receive a new group of scholars, when standards are revised, when we change grade levels, or when another profound change in our field takes place. In summation, these curriculum theorists’ philosophies have greatly influenced each of our pedagogical practices, whether we teach general education, special education, talented and gifted classrooms, or a combination of such learners. Their emphasis on experiential learning, personal growth, independence, and inclusive environments support students from diverse backgrounds, meeting their needs and encouraging agency.

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I believe Ralph Tyler and Taba were very influential on grade 3-5 curriculum. They both were able to create an outline for teachers to look at when creating a curriculum. The questions and steps they developed allowed for teachers to take a step back and evaluate their own teaching as well. It is important to make sure we are hitting on the students critical thinking when executing a lesson or a specific curriculum.

John Dewey and Steiner also were influential on grades 3-5. They both encourage hands on thinking while having student do experiments and storytelling. This structures the students in the upper grades to expand their thinking and have time to synthesize what they have learned on their own as well.

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Joseph Schwab was a scientist and biology professor at the University of Chicago. He was recruited and asked by the federal government to help produce a reimagined science curriculum that was rigorous to compete against Soviet Union during the Cold War. His contribution to curriculum emphasizes the interaction between theory and practice in curriculum design and the importance of deliberation. He proposed 4 commonplaces are integral to curriculum deliberation: Teacher, Learner, Subject Matter, and Milieu (Connelly et al., 2008). He argued that effective curriculum decisions require a balance of all these commonplaces as a unified front to promote meaningful experiences for the learner. His model prioritizes deliberative inquiry for teachers to explore various perspectives within content. His model, also, believed in the inclusivity of the learner and teacher to incorporate their values, insights, and experiences. I think his work impacted 3-5 education due to its prioritization of inquiry-based teaching approaches to help support a rigorous scientific curriculum in schools. As a 5th-grade Math/Science/SS teacher myself, I see the benefits of my students' learning of science as phenomena-based. I encourage them to analyze and think critically as they begin a new science unit through various activating strategies. To better understand certain scientific concepts, I introduce STEM bins that meet the standard of the unit so students can receive a hands-on approach to their learning.

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I agree with Micheal that Dewey best informs my knowledge of curriculum making. I believe students all learn differently and should have the ability to use hands on learning. We want to build learners that that want to learn and use critical thinking skills.

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Dewey is often regarded as the father of progressive education. He believed that education should be student-centered, emphasizing active learning, problem-solving, and the application of knowledge to real-life situations. Dewey criticized traditional education methods that focused solely on rote memorization and passive absorption of information. Central to Dewey's philosophy was the idea of learning through experience. He argued that students learn best when they are actively engaged in meaningful activities that require them to solve problems and interact with their environment. This concept laid the foundation for hands-on learning approaches and inquiry-based learning methods that are widely used in education today. Much of my teaching style is inspired by Dewey's influence on education especially as a 5th grade teacher. By the end of a unit, my students are expected to synthesize their learning and apply their knowledge in contextual problems as they take their assessments. The best way to contextualize your learning is to place yourself within the context itself. Therefore, my students best learn through scientific experiments, meaningful role-playing of word problems, and more.