CED 525 Week 2...Thematic Instruction

In my reading for the this past week I came across a informative document, from the website http://www.netc.org/focus/strategies/them.php,that gave me a sense of pride in my own curriculum design and implementation. Thematic instruction is very relevant to my own professional development because I want to teach and inspire the at risk learner. I feel this territory is rarely challenged and those who embrace this arena are always searching for methods that encourage learning. The author identifies that this approach relies on teachers who have a strong sense of curriculum as a learning process and can see ways to connect learning with key concepts. The goal is to choose themes that relate to students' lives to ensure interest and engagement in the content. The at risk learner feels that education is not relevant to their life and lifestyles, their environment is not conducive to learning. Thematic instruction allows the teacher to build her lesson based on her students lifestyles, therefore making the material relevant to their individual lives. According to the document "Classrooms free of threat, students engaged in immersive learning experiences, and curriculum that connects to the community and the students' lives are all aspects of brain-compatible teaching (Caine & Caine, 1991, 1994, 1997a, b)." Allowing the students to recognize that knowledge can be found in their own neighborhood, can build confidence in learning and applications.