How could cross- curricular leaning potentially impact on Primary Education?

Emily Vaughan

Blog Task

How could cross- curricular leaning potentially impact on primary education?

Children all learn in their own individual way. Cross curricular learning impacts on the children’s relationships with one another when doing activities or group work on a table or even as the whole class but they can also learn from one another to mirror the real world. Progression through teaching to 3 to 4 subjects planning and tracking progression will be difficult but also essential to when it comes to teaching the topic within the subject. Perkins, D (2009) in sessions teachers must be ensure learners are clear what the learning expectations are and the time for skills and knowledge development and a concluding performance for learners to digest what they have learnt and what they will develop this in the next session.  Power, (2002) suggests that ‘schools need to embrace cross curricular learning and move away from reform that positions subjects in ways that hark back to some imagined past , rather than forwards to more globalised times.’ However this quote is debated on that people need to accept that in an information world, knowledge itself will be beyond the capacity of the human brain and that the important skills will be in evaluating and applying knowledge. However Barnes, J (2011) argued ‘the variability between us is surely humanklnd’s greatest resources. There is an immeasurable variety of possible connection between neurons controlling our senses, memory, physical and emotional responses but also an amount of wealth of possibilities suggests that we each experience the world around is in a subtly different way. Cross curricular approaches mirrors and maximise this valuable diversity’.

Donaldson, G (2015) however he points out that teachers and schools ability to respond to the changing needs is taken back and constrained but all together the current national curriculum and assessment arrangements no longer meet the needs of the children and young people in schools in Wales and for a new change are fundamental and powerful to make changes to the curriculum. In recent days the new curriculum is all about different thinking and the practices towards topics where as children would participate and engage with one another. Radical changes to the curriculum will be made such as health and well-being will be linked in with areas of learning experience and not for primary schools in particular but to be a new change to the curriculum.

It was argued that in the 1967’s learning should not be divided into subjects such as Maths, English etc. Eisner (1996) blames this way of thinking for a diminution of children’s knowledge towards the strategy. On the other hand Piaget says that we never know how to put ourselves in the place of children we do not enter into their ideas we lend them ours always following own reasoning’s we heap up only follies and error in their head, this is important with curriculum design’. By connecting you’re knowledge you learn better in many ways but many argue that it unleashes the creative potential of the individual children/child. Two theorists believed that interaction between children was very important, they say ‘besides acquiring new knowledge the emphasis in what they call project lessons is also on motivation and acquiring practical knowledge and developing social learning.

The curriculum is an important purpose of education as teachers follow by this structure but also it also requires a high level of skill on all key areas within topic. A connected curriculum need not and should not be exclude discrete subject teaching and stick to the one, head teachers need to ensure that the principles of inclusion are built into thematic curriculum planning and regularly monitored and lastly clear moral and social imperatives information and influence innovatory curricula content and pedagogy. Good practice means that children’s essential part of the process with respect to decision making and involving one another in early stage of primary school right through to comprehensive school. Schools need to be provided with advice on strategies that assist in acknowledge and recognising areas of the curriculum which needs strengthening.

According to James, O (2009) ‘young people are rarely out of the news but rarely in it positively, endless stories of young people’s lack of attention and motivation to attend school, yet the future of the planet, depending on their learning needs.’

Reference List:

Barnes, J. (2011). Cross-curricular learning 3-14 (2nd ed.). Los Angeles, [Calif.] ; London: SAGE. (Accessed: 13^th November)

Barnes, J., and Shirley, I. (2007). Strangely familiar: cross curricular and creative thinking in teacher education. (Accessed: 13^th November)

Burton, N and Brundrett, M (2005) Leading the Curriculum in the Primary School, London. Sage. (Accessed: 15^th November)

Bell, D and Ritchie, R (1999) Towards Effective Subject Leadership in the Primary School, Buckingham: Open University Press. (Accessed: 15^th November)

James, O (2009). Britain on the couch. (Accessed: 15^th November)

Perkins, D (2009). Making learning Whole: How Seven Principles of Teaching can transform Education. San Francisco: Joseph Boss. (Accessed: 15t November)