Chapter 3 - Needs Analysis

I’m having a tough time trying to apply the whole idea of “curriculum development” to myself right now. I think because the curriculums we have right now is something we have to do, have to follow anyway. The biggest difference between our school and the other LKSD schools is that we teach Yugtun to grade 6 and not grade 3. In fourth grade on up, we use the Yuuyaraq curriculum which is our social studies/science curriculum. The best thing about the curriculum is that individual teachers and schools can adapt it to meet the regional language/dialect and resources.

I’m not used to being in a position of developing curriculum as this book suggests. I can take the ideas to apply to our school, but I don’t understand why I would need to. How this book best applies to me is in the terms of language maintenance. Already I see the need for Yugtun language maintenance and I do believe with my research I will get the information that I need. Several of the procedures suggested in the book are what I plan on using when conducting needs analysis. I’m going to give interviews, focus groups, and that I’m going to conduct this semester. These area things that pop out when reading this chapter.