Assessing Other Groups

It was interesting to assess the other groups UBD projects. There were some similarities between the all the groups and then there were some glaring differences. Some groups decided to write a rubric for assessment, while others just chose to use a piece of an assessment tool. Some of the assessments were coherent with their mission statement and their goals and big ideas. These groups took into consideration the Backwards by design model to heart. Other groups still were using old methods to try and design a curriculum.

Overall I found the process enlightening and hopefully my own curriculum development will serve me well into the future.

CCCS LA - Cheat Sheet

Cheryl Pieroni, David Schwartz, Gina Cush, Howard Freund

Core Curriculum Content Standards for

Language Arts:

The language arts core curriculum content standards aspire to promote students ability to construct meaning in any facet of life. Students learn to read, write, speak, listen and view critically, strategically and creatively. If students learn to use these arts individually and with others, they will have the literacy skills they need to discover personal and shared meaning throughout their lives.

The following is a list of the standards detailed in the language arts CCCS:

1.) READING- Students should be able to read a variety of material and understand what they read.

a. Concepts and print

b. Phonological awareness

c. Decoding and word recognition

d. Fluency

e. Reading strategies

f. Vocabulary

g. Comprehension skills and Response text

h. Inquiry and Research

2.) WRITING- Students should be able to write clearly for different readers they are addressing.

a. Writing process

b. Writing Product

c. Mechanics, spelling and handwriting

d. Writing forms, audiences and purposes

3.) SPEAKING- Students should be able to speak publicly with confidence and fluidity in a variety of situations.

a. Discussion

b. Questioning

c. Word choice

d. Oral presentation

4.) LISTENING- Students should be able to construct meaning from aural communication.

a. Active listening

b. Listening comprehension

5.) VIEWING AND MEDIA LITERACY- Students should be able to effectively view information from nonverbal resources.

a. Construct meaning from media

b. Visual and Verbal Messages

c. Living with Media

Big Idea Knowledge Skills Dispositions

Reading	3.1 Students will understand and apply the knowledge of sounds, letters and words in written English to become fluent readers	Read a Paragraph or story. Sound out words.	Patience Listening
Writing	3.2 Students will write in clear, concise, organized language that varies in content and form for different audiences and purposes	Write a paragraph or story. Learn structure.	Creativity
Speaking	3.3 Students will speak in clear, concise and organized language that varies in content and form for different audiences and purposes.	Recite a story. Speak in front of an audience.	Bravery Courage Supportive Empathy
Listening	3.4 Students will listen actively to information from a variety of sources in a variety of situations	Listen to CDs, teachers and students. Hear different stories. Answer questions.	Attentive
Viewing and Media Literacy	3.5 Students will access, view evaluate and respond to print, nonprint, and electronic texts and resources	Conduct a search. Write reflective work about research material. Read online texts, newspapers and other sources.	Patience Inquisitive Reflective

Strengths:

1.) Open to interpretation and encourages differentiated instruction.

2.) Benchmarks build on past and current practices.

3.) Aligned to state tests.

4.) Allows for teachers to make instruction relevant to school culture.

5.) Enables teachers to make instruction multicultural and gender conscious.

Weaknesses:

1.) Broad themes of content are not specific enough for new teachers.

2.) Does not lend itself to electives.

3.) Difficult to make connections between each standard.

4.) Does not guide teachers as to what method to use to deliver instruction.

Readings:

Cusick, P., & Borman, J. (June 2002). Reform of and by the System: A Case Study of a

State’s Effort at Curricular and Systemic Reform. Teacher’s College Record, volume

104, number 4. 4/08, from Education Research Complete

Cziko, C. (Summer 2001). High School Literacy. Retrieved 4/08, From Brown

University. Web Site:http://www.alliance.brown.edu/pubs/voices/3qtr2001/adlit.shtml

McGhee, M. & Lew, C. (August 2007). Leadership and Writing: How Principals'

Knowledge, Beliefs, and Interventions Affect Writing Instruction in Elementary and

Secondary Schools. Educational Administration Quarterly, Volume 43, Issue 3.

Retrieved 4/08, from Education Research Complete.

Snow, C. (July/August 2005). From Literacy To Learning. Retrieved 4/08, From Harvard

Education Letter. Web Site: http://www.edletter.org/past/issues/2005-ja/snow.shtml

Wolk, R. (March 2007). One Size Fits Whom? Retrieved 3/08, from Teacher Magazine.

http://www.teachermagazine.org/tm/articles/2007/03/01/05pers.h18.html

Thinking or Re-thinking like an Assessor

I was interested to read about thinking like an assessor because I have never actually assessed a student before, although after reading about it, it seems rather intuitive. But it was pointed out that teachers tend to move straight from goals to activities, which I would naturally do since that seems logical.

In backward design then it is important to remember there is a second step before planning activities and exercises and that is finding appropriate evidence and assessment tools to plan better activities that truly unpack the understanding of students.

I really liked the examples that were given, because they were real-world applications of the concepts that the students would learn, for instance in math, students have to apply volume to a moving company and how big a truck they would need to move certain furniture and boxes.

I also noticed that at the end of our class we are required to make a self-assessment of our learning. To make a gauge at the mid-way point, Id have to say that Ive learned a tremendous amount so far, but still there are many confusing questions that need to be answered.

Grappling with Understanding

This week's reading poses some interesting hypotheses about enduring understandings for teachers. One of the them is that teachers must grapple with a student's misconceptions and background knowledge in a content area. One such example was Newton's Law of Gravity. Students may perceive that a larger object will hit the ground before a smaller object, but that is not the truth. The fact is that objects fall at the same rate. That was an enduring understanding that students must be able to transfer into application of that knowledge.

Another facet that teachers must grapple with are the six facets of understanding, which are explanation, interpretation, application, perspective, empathy and self-knowledge. Each facet takes the teacher through another step in the transfer process for students.

Another area that a teacher must grapple with is the "expert blind spot" This was reiterated in this chapter even though it was talked about in previous chapters. The enduring struggle for teachers in getting students to truly understand a subject is to understand that as a teacher "expert" in their content area, that the students may be learning this material for the first time. Overcoming the expert blind spot is a big key in determining if students truly understand the material.

And finally, teachers grapple with finding truly enduring questions to ask students. These come in two forms, one is the big ideas and the other are topical questions. The big ideas are those essential questions that probe the student's thought process. The topical questions should be used as a stepping stone to further understanding. Teachers need to sequence topical questions so that students follow along the necessary understandings to the larger overarching questions and big ideas.

If teachers can accomplish all of these aspects of enduring understandings with students it can foster true learning for the students.

Novice Teacher Traits

I found a website through my research that talks about the characteristics of new teachers. When I conducted my year-long field experience, I also learned a little about what a good teacher looks like. Some of the things that I learned were, classroom management skills, lesson design, and differentiated instruction. My field experience was in a school for disabled kids, so these skills were vital to survival in the classroom.
But the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory also lists these as characteristics of successful new teachers: Setting up a classroom, responding effectively to behavior and discipline problems, motivating students and engaging them, creating a community of learners, working effectively with ELL students, assessing student performance, understanding the CCCS, Learning to communicate and involve parents, developing time management skills, continuing to develop professionally, connecting theories in college to classroom practice.
Im sure that some of these will be included in our group project for teaching new teachers how to be successful. Take a look at the link if you have the time, it was very informative about providing support to beginning teachers.
http://nwrel.org

Politics and Curriculum

From the SCI readings about politics and public policy, it seems that creating a curriculum is not that much different than our government trying to create a law. There is a committee process, a drafting process and a passing process.

Having worked in state government for a number of years, I understand the constituent interests that must be addressed in order to draft and pass a bill into law. It sounded like putting a curriculum in place is much the same way with different special interest groups, some with larger voices than others all weighing in on the process.

It always amazed me how our state government ever passed any laws with strong partisan politics at work, but now I can see how difficult it must be for educators, and administrators to put into place a new curriculum.

Mission Statement

My goal is to work with a special ed population, so I believe my mission to be to "help students reach their full potential", whatever potential that may be.

In some cases that could be based on developmental levels, and other cases on emotional abilities.

What Is Curriculum?

January 25, 2008

Curriculum is literally "the course to be run" but in the sense that a school can use curriculum for student learning, it is more the courses, which include coursework and co-curricular activities that promote student learning and are derived out of a school's mission.

Wiggins and McTighe cite that curriculum is the long-term educational goals that come out of the school's mission for every learner within specific content areas. The core content standards are just codes to work around, and the curriculum is the actual architecture of the content understanding.

Thus there are larger educational goals that are not addressed if the "textbook is the de facto curriculum and coverage is the de facto goal." In fact, Wiggins and McTighe argue that this is merely a list of "stuff" and not curriculum and this all too common way of conceiving curriculum is fundamentally flawed.

Wiggins and McTighe state clearly that "a curriculum is not a list of places to visit, but an engaging and effective itinerary."

Thus curriculum is a plan for understanding content, not just how to teach it.

Design

If the curriculum should be designed backwards from the mission, then the stakeholders that should be designing the curriculum should come from different areas of the educational community. Both teachers, administrators, supervisors and also community voices should be included in the curriculum designing process.

The curriculum should achieve long term goals that help students achieve applicable skills in the world and not just memorization of facts and lists.

Therefore curriculum writing and design can't be done in a bubble.

Control

Control of curriculum development should more closely be tied to feedback of curriculum design. Wiggins and McTighe cite Thomas Gilbert and the fact that feedback is rarely used to adapt and adjust written curriculum. They go on to state that in other endeavors this is not the case, such as in sports. That the best game plan sometimes does not provide the best results, and thus during the game it has to be adjusted based on visible results happening on the field of play.

Thus Wiggins and McTighe argue that curriculum also must adapt to the achievement of students in the classroom. The classroom being like the playing field and the students like the players in the game. If one plan isn't working, adapt a new plan that will achieve the results that are intended.

It must all go back to the long range educational goals that are derived from the mission of the school, so that there is a framework to work from and not a haphazard collection of lists and events to memorize.

The control therefore lies in the teachers and administrators hands to effectively give feedback and monitor the progress of student achievement relative to the curriculum.