This course focuses on curriculum design and development principles and practices in English language and literacy and their application in the English language classroom in secondary grades. Students will develop in-depth understanding of relevant principles and practices, and critically reflect on curriculum development for language and literacy skills in the UAE context. This evaluative process will allow them to apply relevant principles and effective practices from current research to develop medium to long-term English language learning pathways that foster English language and literacy skills progression. Students will also learn to critically self-evaluate their professional practice, knowledge and skills in terms of promoting and optimising curriculum progression and development with and for their students in the classroom.
Week 1
Introduction to the Course: Course Outline Curriculum reforms in the UAE
History of English in the UAE K-12 Curriculum
Required readings:
Recommended readings:
Week 2
Curriculum Progression and development
Overview of models and trends in curriculum development Classroom-level curriculum development
Required readings:
Recommended readings:
Week 3
The English language curriculum: Progression pathways
Required readings:
Recommended reading:
Week 4
The English language curriculum: Progression pathways
Required readings:
Various curriculum documents for local and international curricula.
Recommended readings:
Week 5
Classroom strategies for curriculum progression – Part 1
Laying the Groundwork for Visible Learning for Literacy
Required reading:
Fisher, D., Frey, N., & Hattie, J. (2016). Visible learning for literacy, grades K-12: Implementing the practices that work best to accelerate student learning (pp. 1-34). Corwin Press.
Week 6
Classroom strategies for curriculum progression – Part 2
Surface Literacy Learning
Required reading:
Fisher, D., Frey, N., & Hattie, J. (2016). Visible learning for literacy, grades K-12: Implementing the practices that work best to accelerate student learning (pp. 35-70). Corwin Press.
Week 7
Classroom strategies for curriculum progression – Part 3
Deep Literacy Learning
Required reading:
Week 8
Classroom strategies for curriculum progression – Part 4
Teaching Literacy for Transfer
Required reading:
Week 9
Evaluating Curriculum Developments – Part 1
Meeting the UAE standards
Required reading:
Teacher Standards for the UAE: [here] link to be added
UAE inspection framework: [here] link to be added
Recommended reading:
Week 10
Evaluating Curriculum Developments – Part 2
Teacher Reflection and Pupil Voice
Required readings:
Week 11
Evaluating Curriculum Developments – Part 3
Determining Impact, Responding When Impact Is Insufficient, and Knowing What Does Not Work
Required reading:
Assignment 2 due