Sept 27 Sharing of 1 field experience

thus far… KWL – Why should principals

be considered to be the “master teacher?”

Vision - ReviewA realistic, credible, and attractive

future picture for an organization.The ideal best for all peopleCreates culture of commitment,

meaning, and standard for successForward-thinking – a bridge

between present and future

Mission - Review

A clear and compelling goal that unifies everyone.

Must stretch and challenge the organization, yet be achievable.

Core beliefs, values, and purpose

Guiding principles Are stated and operational

Compelling purpose Why your organization exists Why YOU are a part of it Relevance for kids and adults Demanding and encouraging kids and adults

that they CAN DO anything

Sharing of… Building level principals’ responses to

what they believe to be your school’s / district’s Vision Mission Values How an aligned curriculum should tie into

each

Design…• Think of something that you REALLY

want in which its design is very attractive…

• We are really looking for something that is designed well,… that fits our needs…and is convenient, efficient, and may be either expensive or reasonably priced

REMEMBER: Educators are and SHOULD BE designers…

• Why not design teaching and learning for children that taps the same emotions and desires as we do when we shop for items?

• We want students to find our design of teaching and learning COMPELLING

Again - Backwards Design works!

• Requires…• Great amount of thinking, visualizing, and brainstorming

RATHER THAN allowing a textbook to drive it• Specification of desire results/outcomes BEFORE focusing

on content, experiences, activities, materials and resources• PROBLEM: Designing instruction using a backwards

framework is uncharacteristic for most teachers• Many teachers begin with and stick exclusively to a text –

this a focus on teaching and not the learning…

3 Stages of Backward Design

1. Identify desired results• What should students know, understand, and be able to do as

a result of the experience (Content and Skills)• What content is worth understanding?• What enduring understandings or big ideas are desired?

2. Determine acceptable evidence• What will we use to assess what students should know and

understand? • Use of analytical rubrics, performance measures &

assessments, and checklists are your evidence

3 Stages of Backward Design

3. Plan learning experiences and instruction• What methods, pedagogy, and tools will most benefit all

students?• What knowledge and skills will students need to achieve the

results desired?• What is the most effective and efficient way to have kids

experience the experiences? • Assessment is crucial when more than one teacher shares the

same content standards• Agreement on evidence of learning is necessary• This is why teams, mapping systems, professional

development, and technology are crucial to achieving curriculum cohesion

Big Ideas and Essential Questions

• Essential questions CONNECT the big ideas to individual students through relevant, connected instruction

Our teaching design should make sense and constantly seek relevance

Even seemingly dull 19th century literature can be brought to life (without worksheets!)….

How do we get to THAT kind or similar other kinds of

experiences?

By asking GOOD questions – Essential Questions

Open-ended, encompassing, broad Encourage kids to justify, interpret, prove, and

give their opinion Rarely, if ever, use memorization to recall

information Information in context Can/should be transferred to students’ own

experiences or to another content area Not often answered with a brief statement, but

rather a brief (at least) explanation

The BEST Essential Questions…• Connect to the BIG IDEAS in multiple ways throughout

lesson• Teacher is mainly the FACILITATOR instead of

DISEMMINATOR• FACILITATING: gives more chances to use higher order

thinking skills (and increases retention)• Good questions look for interesting, alternative, or

different viewpoints • Focus on reasoning and NOT, necessarily, a single correct

answer• Open other doors of discussion

Good design (UBD), connections to relevant examples in kids’ lives, among more, will prepare

kids more

BREAK

Curriculum Planning Must be goal-driven at the classroom, school

and district level Common assessments lead to expected valid

and reliable student results Results define whether or not an established

curriculum is working or requires re-defining Primary modes of planning curriculum

identified

Determine responsibilities/Planning decisions

Planning for curricular decisions can come from the federal, state or local level

A balance is required to know when to proceed and under what conditions Keystones and move to PA Common Core or

Common Core Goal – to standardize, as much as possible, so

that it may result in high achievement for as many students as possible regardless of subgroups demographics

Determine responsibilities/Planning decisions

Overall, it is best to plan to establish curriculum and resources to support it that prepare students for the FLOOR expectations but offer extensions and challenge that can take some kids to reach for the CEILING

Determine Organizational Structures

Establish curriculum team to begin addressing goals Team makes recommendations – leadership

determines final curriculum changes/movements Sometimes adopted by Board

Individual school curriculum advisory councils – meet yearly to discuss goals, make recommendations, etc.

Decisions then made by building administrators after hearing all recommendations Staffing and budgeting resources considered and acted

upon

Align Educational Goals with Curricular Needs

What are long term outcomes of the work being done?

Decide which goals should be accomplished through courses of study and what can be accomplished otherwise (school counseling, wellness, etc.)

Allocate goals across the curriculum (writing, reading comprehension, etc.)

Decide what, if any, goals can be accomplished through use of technology

Curriculum Database Using UBD by Wiggins and McTighe and

Danielson, frameworks/tools for facilitating curricular functions can be used to simplify and frame curriculum planning Performance Pathways SAS

Several other worthy systems that can work to align and drive curriculum Many of which support the notion of developing

Habits of Mind, higher order thinking, etc. that have a UBD embedded approach

Curriculum Calendar Master calendar that assist everyone with

making systematic decisions for curriculum evaluation and devlopment

Absolutely crucial to frame discussion with grade levels, teams, and content areas

Used to monitor curriculum in an ever-expanding review process (Bernhardt model).

Evaluate and Provide Resources Must provide funds, time, and availability of

resources to move curriculum forward Such a process allows schools to make

decisions and provide data about need for additional staffing or reduction of staffing

Report to Board about needs after careful, delineated discussion with members of admin team

Provide Staff Development Must provide funds, time, and availability

of resources to move curriculum forward Scarce nowadays in some districts

Can you think of other ways to provide much needed PD?

For next time… Look on Wiki for examples of

Field Project Work on individual SAS portal project

Read CL Chapter 8