The Holistic Curriculum

 

 

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 Educational learning theories

There are five primary educational learning theories: behaviorism, cognitive, constructivism, humanism, and connectivism. 

 
 
Gardner's Multiple Intelligences

The theory claims that human beings have different ways in which they process data, each being independent. The eight types of intelligence described by Gardner include: musical-rhythmic, visual-spatial, verbal-linguistic, logical-mathematical, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal and naturalistic.

 

Maslow's hierarchy of needs

 
Maslow's hierarchy of needs is an idea in psychology proposed by American psychologist Abraham Maslow in his 1943 paper "A Theory of Human Motivation" in the journal Psychological Review. Maslow subsequently extended the idea to include his observations of humans' innate curiosity.

 

 


I

 

Unit: Curriculum

Theme: The Holistic Curriculum


Introduction

In education, a curriculum is broadly defined as the totality of student experiences that occur in the educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view of the student's experiences in terms of the educator's or school's instructional goals.


II

Learning Objectives

 

  • Understand the holistic approach 
  • Explain the main aspects of a holistic curriculum
  • Gain awareness of the benefits the holistic curriculum provides
  • Experience the planning of a holistic curriculum


III

Main Lesson


1

Macro-Curriculum

In curriculum design, macro means understanding where you want to end up before you begin.

 

2

Micro-Curriculum

The micro-curriculum relates to the specific content within topics or sub-topics, set out as specific knowledge, skills and experiences.


3

Mind Up for Life

https://mindup.org


Go to Mind Up for Schools > Mind Up for Educators and Schools

Program Details: 

  • Designed with every classroom in mind

  • Positive School-wide culture and climate

  • Benefit for Teachers: An Optimistic Classroom


IV

A Note to Remember

 

While the micro focuses on the tiny details of a topic, the macro is the big picture, and too often, we can lose sight of it. In curriculum design, macro means understanding where you want to end up before you begin.


V

Case Study

Goldie Hawn

Goldie Jeanne Hawn (born November 21, 1945) is an American actress, producer, and singer. She rose to fame on the NBC sketch comedy program Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1968–1970), before going on to receive the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Cactus Flower (1969). Hawn maintained bankable star status for more than three decades.


Goldie Jeanne Hawn (born in Washington DC, November 21, 1945) is an American actress, producer, and singer. She rose to fame on the NBC sketch comedy program Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1968–1970), before going on to receive the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Cactus Flower (1969).

 

Hawn was raised Jewish. She began taking ballet and tap dance lessons at the age of three and danced in the corps de ballet of the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo production of The Nutcracker in 1955. She made her stage debut in 1964, playing Juliet in a Virginia Shakespeare Festival production of Romeo and Juliet.

 

By 1964, she ran and taught in a ballet school, having dropped out of American University where she was majoring in drama. In 1964, Hawn made her professional dancing debut in a production of Can-Can at the Texas Pavilion of the New York World's Fair. She began working as a professional dancer a year later and appeared as a go-go dancer in New York City and at the Peppermint Box in New Jersey.


 


(51:23 - 1:08)

Mind Up for Life


 

VI
 
Discussion Questions  
 
1. What would be a holistic approach to a school program?
 
2. Describe the optimistic classroom 

 
 
VII


Activity



Get in groups and (based on your previous design) plan a holistic curriculum that includes the elements listed bellow to achieve happiness for children. Integrate these elements with the curriculum you designed already during our previous class.

1. Brain Break

2. Teaching children how to learn about their brain and how to use it.

a) Focus
b) Happiness
c) Kindness
d) Gratitude journaling

3. Teach children brain fitness:
a) Resilience
b) Self-Awareness
c) Critical Thinking

4. Teach Children how to manage their own brain/reality.


5. Work with parents.

6. Include evidence based research/Positive Psychology.
 
Conclusion
 
Brain-breaks and gratitude-journaling are two, very tangible (measurable), elements that can be added to the general curriculum.

VIII

Journaling

 

 IX

Glossary

macro-curriculum: The overall understanding of where you want to end up before you begin designing the curriculum.

micro-curriculum: the specific content within topics or sub-topics, set out as specific knowledge, skills and experiences.

brain breaks: In the classroom, brain breaks are quick, structured breaks using physical movement, mindfulness exercises, or sensory activities.

gratitude journals: journals where students reflect on their days and remember the good parts. Students who have tried out this exercise tend to express their gratitude for a variety of things, including friends and family, their teachers and school, and basic needs like food and clothing.

holistic curriculum: A holistic curriculum is the type of curriculum that doesn't just aim to teach academic subjects but also aims to develop a child holistically by fostering their psychological, emotional, moral, spiritual, and physical growth.

 

X

Sources

Understanding Macro in Curriculum Design. https://blog.eduplanet21.com/2018/09/25/understanding-macro-curriculum-design

Understanding Micro in Curriculum. Design.https://blog.eduplanet21.com/2018/09/25/understanding-macro-curriculum-design 

 Gratitude Journals for Students. https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/gratitude_journal_for_students

 Holistic Curriculum, and Benefits and Challenges of Progressive Education.https://scholainternational.com/blog/2021/05/20/holistic-curriculum-and-benefits-and-challenges-of-progressive-education/

 

 

XI

Student's Work

 

Holistic Curriculum

Melissa katie megan anna ellen soffia

1.We can implement 1 brain break in between our class... breathing exercises, taking a walk outside of classroom.

2. Journaling in the beginning and end of class to reflect how each student is feeling and how the class might have changed their mood/gratitude/etc 

3.Giving the students the opportunity to reflect on their work and self correct as they complete tasks. 

4. Creating a specific time in class where everyone can explain their feelings and current realty with no judgement. Peers can offer advice and / or relate to their classmates current struggles and obstacles as they navigate through ligr.

5. Conferences with the kids parents that involve a clear and detailed explanation of the goal and purpose of the class. Tell the parents how their child is doing and affirm to them that each student progresses and learns differently. 

6.Encouraging self correction and taking brain breaks will help the students be more connected in the class as well as make them have a better overall outlook on being there. They will associate happy thoughts with the class. 

Holistic Curriculum

Yadi, Isa, Alex, Maya

MINDUP


  1. Brain Break

  2. brain breaks in between switching subjects

    • have the whole class do breathing exercises and little desk yoga stretches 

  3. brain break corner in the room where students can go if they need a break

    • noise canceling headphones

    • fidget toys

  1. Teaching children how to learn about their brain and how to use it.

    a) Focus

  • 5 senses reset: what can they see, smell, touch, hear

    b) Happiness

  • power poses

  • positive affirmations in the start of class

c) Kindness

  • compliment each other: pick a number (each student is a number) and they write a compliment to them

d) Gratitude journaling

  • write what they are happy or sad about; high and low of the day


  1. Teach children brain fitness:

a) Resilience

  • rose, bud, thorn

  • figure out how we can work on the thorn

b) Self-Awareness

  • write one strength that we like about ourselves

  • write one thing we want to work on

c) Critical Thinking

  • riddles

  • puzzles


  1. Teach Children how to manage their own brain/reality.

  • self portrait/ self identity chart

  • label and identify their own personality traits


  1. Work with parents.

  • weekly email report to the parents 

  • weekly take home sandwich; 2 positive things, 1 thing to work on

  • in the email, tell the parent what to work on their child with 


  1. Include evidence-based research/Positive Psychology.

  • How will they learn from their experiences and tragedies?

  • reflection: identify how the unique things about them have contributed

     to their strengths and who they are today

     

 

 Holistic Curriculum

Nicole, Trishika, Emilia, Ambi

Collapse

What we'd like to add to our curriculum- a hollistic approach. 


1- A meditation break between and after class for the children to calm down and settle their brains. It would help children be less hyper and allow them to focus better. 

2- gratitude journaling: ask children at the end of class to share their take aways from class including what they liked, didn't like, what was their most valuable take away was.

3- brain fitness: self-awareness- letting students create small movements using techniques learned in class to express how they are feeling today. 

4- Incorporate a block of SEL(social, emotional learning) during the week to teach children how to manage their own brain/reality. 

5- Sending back interactive homework. Asking students to teach their parents what they've learned in class. 

6- positive psych: if there are any negative feelings or any disliking of activities mentioned in gratitude journal, teachers must try to make those positive in nature. 



Holistic Curriculum

Chloe, Gabie, Ren, Kayla

The brain break activity would be humanism, cognitivism, and connectivism because with young children, it is important to establish interpersonal skills and knowing that we acknowledge their emotions. In terms of Gardner's Multiple Intelligences, the bodily-kinesthetic teaching method is important knowing the age group and that movement is an important concept in our curriculum. We would also focus on gratitude journaling, maybe a thank you note as an exit ticket that would be given to the instructor so it teaches them how to be grateful for the little things as it would only be one sentence. This would strengthen their self-awareness as they acknowledge their emotions and are able to communicate it to others. It also allows them to dive deeper into their emotions because in adolescents who have ignored it as a child, they have immense trouble trying to communicate and analyze how they're feeling and this would be reflected in mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, etc. To work with the parents, we would ask each parent on their insight of how their child learns (but this depends on the class size), so week by week, there would be a one-on-one meeting. This assists in the teaching style that we would provide. Additionally, we would meet quarterly just to keep track of progress in the child, to see what is and what is not working.

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