An Excellence And Enjoyment Education Essay

An Excellence And Enjoyment Education Essay contest and debate the benefits and drawbacks of cross-curricular and thematic approaches to article of faith and learn. You must draw upon a get of academic sources including Excellence and Enjoyment (DfES, 2004)Thematic didactics is a mode of tenet that is becoming to a greater extent(prenominal) and more prominent within schools crosswise the country due to the Governments education review and their proposed new curriculum for 2011. The transposition to this method of teaching is think to help reorganise the traditional force field argonas into thematic atomic number 18as of attainment, easing the pressures on schools to teach strictly to the curriculum and buckle under their instructors the freedom they need in order to do cross-curricular thematic lessons. This cover up will attempt to define both thematic and cross-curricular education and discuss their respective advantages and disadvantages.Shoemaker (1989) states tha t a cross-curriculum education is one that is set up so that classroom subjects overlap with one a nonher, the method attempts to bring in concert numerous aspects of the curriculum into various lessons to reflect the real world such(prenominal)(prenominal) that students privy use knowledge learned in one scene as a knowledge base in other contexts (Collins, Br accept, Newman, 1989). Shanahan (1995) agrees with this definition, he states that thematic teaching is a method of organizing teaching around themes or topics making it possible to integrate instruction across core beasThematic units be designed to encourage students to delve deep into topics bankrupting both an consciousness and understanding of existing connections across ideas. The above definitions suggest that thematic and cross-curricular teaching is essential for chelaren to associate that acquisitions learnt in one class argon substantial tools for completing tasks within other subjects in school and tasks outside. Applebee, Langer, Mullis (1989) report wherefore the change to this method or teaching is necessary while students are teaching the basic information in core subject areas, they are not learning to apply their knowledge effectively in opinion and reasoning Marzano (1991) and Perkins (1991) build on this they believe that these methods work towards addressing some r level offant problems in education, one in particular being that of isolated skill instruction. Ofsteds report The Curriculum in Successful Primary Schools (2002) in which it was storied that successful schools were the ones in which The teachers recognised that where links are effective they enable learners to apply the knowledge and skills learned in one subject to others.Because cross-curricular and thematic teaching involves the linking of activities that are designed around topics or themes as healthful as crossing numerous areas within the National Curriculum they bring home the bacon an environme nt that fosters and encourages process learning and active involvement of in tout ensemble in any students (Fisher, 1991), this would therefrom help teacher address the different learning styles of pupils within their classrooms. A claim that Komorowska (2001) backs up, stating that because teaching children is not systematic, the methods and techniques chosen by the teacher are of a higher significance than their results. With regards to the diverse learning styles that children have, experts have identify three (http//www.time4learning.com/learning-styles.shtml) audile assimilators remember by talk out loud, worry to have things explained orally and may have trouble with written instructions. Auditory learners may talk to themselves when learning something new.Visual learners easily remember optic details and prefer to see what they are learning. They prefer to write smooth instructions and may have trouble following lectures. This type of learner enjoys art and drawing reads maps, charts and diagrams hale fascinated with machines and inventions plays with lego likes mazes and puzzles.Kinesthetic learners prefer activities that accord them to do what they are learning about. Tactile learners like to touch things in order to learn about them and like to move around when talking or listening. Shows you rather than tells you.Through the use of thematic and cross curricular teaching, classroom teachers are able to cater for these three distinct groups of learners and, therefore, bring about an atmosphere in which each group remains interested in the lesson thus combating any boredom and increasing the pupils potential for learning. Former secretarial assistant of State for Education and Skills, Charles Clarke, wrote in the Excellence and Enjoyment Strategy (2004), What makes wide primary education great is the fusion of excellence and enjoyment. Children learn bump when they are excited and engaged but what excites them and engages them best is truly small teaching, which challenges them and shows them what they can do. Which falls in line with Larsen-Freemans statement (2000) that learning becomes even more effective due to it being facilitated in a at ease environment, and Resnicks (1989) claim that this method increases pupils motivation for learning and their level of engagement because they can see the value of what they are being taught and become more actively engaged in the lesson as opposed to the isolated skill learning that other methods offer.It is, however, important to consider general learning characteristics as well as the previously mentioned groups of characteristics and how these are successfully manipulated through the use of these methods. Thaiss (1986), Krogh (1990) and Jacobs (1989) all write that children that are able to use investigatory skills to explore what they are learning, and interact with other members of their learning community, whether thats other pupils, teachers or classroom assist ants, genuinely learn more than those children that are not encouraged to ask questions and cope opinions with other learners. Vygotsky (1962) gives us an explanation as to why this technique is successful. He tiptoped out that children who have different skills, learn from each other. This is because through the rise of investigation, questioning and working together, pupils are given the opportunity to see tasks from the point of view of others.Finally, the humanistic approach in teaching emphasises the importance of item-by-item and distinctive characteristics of a human being and the desire for fulfilment. In education it means student-oriented teaching rather than teacher-oriented one Biskup (1990). Fisher et al says, what promotes creativity is a questioning classroom, where teachers and pupils ask unusual and challenging questions where new connections are made where ideas are represented in different ways- visually, physically and verbally where there are fresh approac hes and solutions to problems and where the effects of ideas and actions are critically evaluated. In a humanistic classroom, such as the one that uses thematic and cross-curricular methods, the teacher is not only a supporter and helper but excessively a learner. This is because the work is based on themes that the teacher may not be used to, it brings the teacher sight to the same level of the child and the pupil almost shines charge in investigating by petition questions. The teachers main role is to create an atmosphere in which learners feel relaxed and do not have any inhibitions thus learners talents are exploited during the learning process.Of course, whilst there are numerous benefits to using these methods, there are in any case a number of drawbacks which must be considered. David Hart, former general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, Theme-based education will disadvantage pupils in the transition to secondary. And it will make the secondary t eachers task much more difficult. This is to say that even though there may be benefits to teaching like this within a primary classroom, pupils heading from a by and large thematic based style of teaching could possibly find that the generic wine style of teaching within secondary education i.e. topic-based learning, difficult to go under to. Thus disadvantaging the pupils learning experience, compared to classmates who are used to this type of teaching.Further drawbacks of the methods embarrass the need for ongoing collaboration between teachers and training, as the themes must be carefully and thought through in order for them to be important and make sense within the curriculum. Chris Woodhead, states in his report of 1992 that, Its harder for teachers to structure a coherent provision in the subjects that are worth studying if theyre nerve-wracking to construct links between these subjects as well. The extra work that Woodhead comments on is necessary for the success of t he methods because the intertwining of the curriculum within that one topic, as express earlier, may be difficult and would require a lot of planning and collaboration with other members of staff, and without this extra work from the teachers it is possible that some marrow that could be covered may be missed. Finally, with regards to planning, the resources available to teachers within a school could also be a potential obstacle for the deuce methods. For example a school may not have ample ICT resources for all year groups to use in order to develop these skills during literacy or numeracy lessons.There is also the possibility that within these sessions that some pupils get dislocated and lose sight of the main concepts of the activity or lesson. This could be down to poor planning and organisation of the teacher or due to the pupil being over-stimulated with the many different activities in motion within the lesson, thus, resulting in the pupil being spread thinly across the lesson, leaving efforts for learning ineffective.The cross-curricula and thematic methods of teaching can be beneficial to teachers and students, as discussed previously they allow children to learn in a way that is most instinctive to them. As Scott and Ytreberg (1990) state some children develop early, some later. Some children develop gradually, others in leaps and bounds. It is not possible that at the age of five all children can do x, at the age of seven they can all do y, or that at the age of ten they can all do z.. This is to say that children are all different human beings learning things at different rates. These methods allow all pupils to pick up the intended learning objectives and goals through this investigatory process, its through this process that the pupils become more responsible and engaged in their own learning. In effect this levels the play field allowing the pupils to successfully complete the learning objective in their own way and within the intended pe riod of time. However, it would be prudent to take to these methods with caution as the drawbacks discussed do seem to have basis such asBiskup, D. (1990). Podejcie humanistyczne w nauczaniu jzykw obcych. Jzyki Obce w Szkole, 2-3, 118-124.Fisher, B. (1991). successful Learning A Whole Language Kindergarten. Portsmouth, N.H. Heinemann.Fisher, R and Williams, M. (2004). Unlocking Creativity. Oxon David Fulton. p2.Komorowska, H. (2001). Metodyka nauczania jzykw obcych. Warszawa Fraszka Edukacyjna.Krogh, S. (1990). The Integrated Early Childhood Curriculum. New York McGraw-Hill.Larsen-Freeman, D. (2000). Techniques and principles in manner of speaking teaching. New York Oxford UP.Scott, W.A., Ytreberg, L.H. (1990). Teaching English to children. New York Longman Inc.Shoemaker, B. Integrative Education A Curriculum for the Twenty-First Century. Oregon School Study Council, 33/2 (1989).