chapter 8

I skimmed through the chapter and thought about what I do here at the district office developing materials. When I develop materials, most of the time it is the request by language teachers from bilingual institute. The Yugtun language teachers usually maneuver the steering wheel of which materials they want to see in their classrooms. We do not develop text books, but authentic materials to use in classrooms. It is mostly teachers that make decisions of what to use in the classrooms.
Reading the articles made me think how students are into laptops out in the villages. Using Yup'ik blogging or etc. will benefit the students to practice the language. Students find it fun to work on the computer. There are more options for students to make language more meaningful with their innovative ideas. Emailing now is a big thing for students and if pen pals were organized to be done in Yup'ik they would utilize and make learning fun!

Chapter 9

Chapter 9 Questions

Yuuyaraq is now under pilot and evaluation. Although it is not done it is being piloted and evaluated at the same time by the language teachers. The types of procedures were employed are essential questions, contents integrated to curriculum, skills or objectives, instructional procedures, resources and types of assessments (formative and summative). The results of the curriculum have not been disseminated yet, but will after this year. The changes have not been disseminated and any changes as a result of implementation have not been changed.
As a teacher I would be interested in summative assessment. I would want to know the aspect of the worth of the curriculum. Maybe it is because I want to know about the validity of the curriculum I have created. For the administrator I think it would be the summative assessment. I assume it would be formative and summative assessment for the parents. But I am assuming. I don’t really know what the community would pick to evaluate the their program. I would assume.

Chapter 6 reflection

I thought chapter 6 talked about interesting labels for various types of curriculum development. I never use to think of curriculum as various types. Now I see that they had names for various reasons. After reading the chapter I thought about the curriculum for various subjects how they fit into some of the categories listed. I have noticed that most of the curriculum I have seen are integrated some are one kind than others. It various from curriculum to curriculum I guess whoever developed them had various reasons for various ones I guess. Come to think of it with the language change and shift now in the villages there has to be change all across the Yup'ik curriculum to fit the needs of students. Even Yup'ik proficiency test needs to be changed. I heard it was developed over 20-30 years and over those years our language has changed and it needs revision. I know some of items are not relevant of what we do now and some are.

Week 5 reflection

I thought this chapter was pretty interesting because it allowed me to think further of what I have been doing here at the district creating curriculum for classroom use for all teachers and students. The chapter stressed how goals are developed for educational programs and developers draw on their understanding of both present and long-term needs of learners. Developing Yuuyaraq curriculum has long been developed using Yup'ik values and beliefs as the basis of the curriculum. These values and beliefs were developed by elders and Yup'ik teachers during summer institutes back in 1980's which then the scope and sequence was developed to guide the Yup'ik values and beliefs to create lessons for students to learn about our language and culture. Each Unit or theme developed has rationale, values, and beliefs embedded. It is the same with the Upinguarluta thematic unit for K - 3rd grades. Both the Upinguarluta and Yuuyaraq Thematic Units are set in a heuristic spiral where they start from basic to more harder critical and analytical way of learning including the orthography and grammar. All this is connected to Yup'ik worldview where human, nature, and spiritual realms are connected. That is how both Upinguarluta and Thematic units are connected. When I read the chapter I saw some connections in each of the listed Academic rationalism where are Yup'ik philosophy is embedded(values and beliefs) where mental discipline is involved to respect our worldview. It is learner centeredness teaching from experience and prior knowledge.
I thought about people who developed Yuuyaraq and Upingaurluta thematic units what went on through their minds when they were developing the curriculum. I am so impressed with units they came up with and the importance of teaching them in class. We are very fortunate, I believe with what we have in our Yup'ik language here at the district. I know in the future it will keep changing with language change plus social changes.