This final module of the Early Childhood Education Specialization modules of this master's program focused on a number of key areas; 1) Considerations in Designing an Early Childhood Curriculum, 2) Early Childhood Curriculum Development, 3) Infusing Diversity and Culture into the Early Childhood Curriculum, and 4) Best Practices in Early Childhood Education.  At the beginning of this module we discussed the various pros and cons of technology in the early childhood classroom.  There are clearly a number of drawbacks and technology should never be used simply for the sake of using it, however it certainly has many benefits when teaching in the early childhood classroom.  It makes learning so much more fun for the students and they are often more motivated to learn when they are able to explore various technological education tools in the classroom.  One thing that was clear from the research we did was that the use of technology in the early childhood classroom with appropriate adult support can lead to better learning outcomes for the students.  However, it is also true that the age of the children must be considered when deciding what technology to use and when setting time limits, and teachers must have a proper use for that technology in mind i.e. it is the means by which to achieve a certain learning goal and not simply killing time in the lesson.

   We also learnt about the importance of incorporating social experiences into the early childhood curriculum in order to enhance learning and promote social and emotional health in young children.  When children take part in such experiences in the classroom, it helps them to develop a number of skills such as collaborating, turn-taking, sharing etc. and also helps them learn to manage their own emotions and show empathy to others.  It seems that the best way to do this is to encourage activities that provide opportunities for social interaction such as role-play and the use of learning centres, and reading stories to demonstrate different feelings and ask students to talk about times they themselves have had those same feelings.

   Another useful aspect of this module was when we explored different curriculums in early childhood education.  I had previously read about a number of the curriculums that we explored, however I have never actually had any experience in teaching them.  Therefore it was very useful to look at the curriculum programs in depth and hear directly from cohort members who have experience teaching them.  I would personally like to try teaching a PYP curriculum in a future teaching position, as this seems very different to the overly book-focused style of teaching that I have had to follow for the last year.  Montessori also sounded very interesting, and I would love to see such a class take place in person to get an idea of what a typical day is like when following such a curriculum.  We also explored how a curriculum could be based around a number of themes which could be taught through a variety of school subjects.  For example, if the theme was 'Bugs and Insects', the children could learn about the different insect body parts or life cycle (science) and they could also complete a craft activity where they create the different insect body parts using a variety of materials and put them together (art).  This way they are learning based around the theme but it is also incorporating the different school subjects in relation to that topic, so that young children will be more interested and motivated, and the content will be easier for them to comprehend as it is all connected.