intro to curriculum design

04/09/2304/09/23 Prog Ed 101/BCDSProg Ed 101/BCDS

CURRICULUM DESIGN:CURRICULUM DESIGN:What do you want your What do you want your

students to learn this year?students to learn this year?And how are you going to And how are you going to

know if they do?know if they do?Peter GowPeter Gow


Goals for this sessionGoals for this session

Describe effective curriculumDescribe effective curriculum

Communicate key definitionsCommunicate key definitions– AssessmentAssessment– Generative topicGenerative topic– Essential QuestionEssential Question– Backwards planningBackwards planning

Review stages of unit designReview stages of unit design

Walk through a design procedureWalk through a design procedure


EFFECTIVE CURRICULUMEFFECTIVE CURRICULUMHas a point that is clear to student Has a point that is clear to student and teacher.and teacher.

Has built-in components that support Has built-in components that support student improvement.student improvement.

Is safe, fair, and credible.Is safe, fair, and credible.

Presents a clearly charted course Presents a clearly charted course from point to point toward a clear from point to point toward a clear set of goals.set of goals.

Offers opportunities to rehearse and Offers opportunities to rehearse and improve the meaningful performance.improve the meaningful performance.


What’s in a curriculum?What’s in a curriculum?A text or source of informationA text or source of information

A set of previously mastered skillsA set of previously mastered skills

Previously mastered knowledgePreviously mastered knowledge

A set of tasks to be completed to A set of tasks to be completed to promote mastery of skills and knowledgepromote mastery of skills and knowledge

A set of performance tasks to assess A set of performance tasks to assess mastery and understandingmastery and understanding

A set of standards and criteria against A set of standards and criteria against which performance will be evaluatedwhich performance will be evaluated


Curriculum by the chunk:Curriculum by the chunk:

The class—piece by pieceThe class—piece by piece

The homework assignmentThe homework assignment

Small-scale assessmentsSmall-scale assessments

Big assessmentsBig assessments

But design the work for each unit But design the work for each unit or topic or chapter as a part or topic or chapter as a part of a whole—and do it backwards.of a whole—and do it backwards.


WAIT! What is an “assessment”?WAIT! What is an “assessment”?ASSESSMENT ASSESSMENT is the process of “is the process of “measuring” and/or measuring” and/or

describing student learning and understandingdescribing student learning and understanding. .

An assessment is a task that asks a student to An assessment is a task that asks a student to demonstrate the quantity and depth of what demonstrate the quantity and depth of what they have learned. they have learned. Assessment in the technical Assessment in the technical sense refers to the work being done. sense refers to the work being done.

(NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH EVALUATION: Evaluation (NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH EVALUATION: Evaluation is the process of judging the quality of the is the process of judging the quality of the work—this is the part that requires making work—this is the part that requires making critical judgments about student work.)critical judgments about student work.)

The test is the assessment; your score on the The test is the assessment; your score on the test is the evaluation.test is the evaluation.


THE DAILY LESSON PLANTHE DAILY LESSON PLAN

Have a goalHave a goal

Have a planHave a plan– ActivitiesActivities– Questions/prompts/challengesQuestions/prompts/challenges

Have an idea of what success Have an idea of what success will look likewill look like

De-brief yourself--what worked? De-brief yourself--what worked? what didn’t?what didn’t?


STAGES OF UNIT DESIGN, STAGES OF UNIT DESIGN, BACKWARDSBACKWARDS

(Use “A First Draft of a (Use “A First Draft of a Unit” here)Unit” here)


1. What’s the point1. What’s the pointIDENTIFY THE POINTIDENTIFY THE POINT of the unit at the topical of the unit at the topical and conceptual levels: What is the and conceptual levels: What is the generative topicgenerative topic or what are the or what are the understandingsunderstandings (in other words, the (in other words, the central, interesting issues) for this unit? central, interesting issues) for this unit? What are the What are the essential questionsessential questions (the big (the big rhetorical ones that raise the subject rhetorical ones that raise the subject matter to the broadest conceptual level)?matter to the broadest conceptual level)?

Then, state your own desired results for the Then, state your own desired results for the unit (a.k.a. unit (a.k.a. understanding goalsunderstanding goals). Roll ). Roll your own, or look at content standards your own, or look at content standards (NCTM, AAAS, Parker School, etc.)(NCTM, AAAS, Parker School, etc.)


HOLD IT! What’s a . . .?HOLD IT! What’s a . . .?GENERATIVE TOPIC: GENERATIVE TOPIC: This is the big This is the big idea behind the learning: perimeter, idea behind the learning: perimeter, the causes of the Civil War, the the causes of the Civil War, the future tense, solubilityfuture tense, solubility

ESSENTIAL QUESTION: ESSENTIAL QUESTION: This is a broad, This is a broad, open-ended question posed for the open-ended question posed for the purpose of inspiring deeper thought purpose of inspiring deeper thought and inquiry. Use an EQ to set up the and inquiry. Use an EQ to set up the intellectual problem posed by each intellectual problem posed by each unit, topic, or chapter unit, topic, or chapter →→


EQs—some examplesEQs—some examplesWhat is the relationship between What is the relationship between humans and their natural environment? humans and their natural environment? Why are innocent people sometimes Why are innocent people sometimes blamed for society’s suffering?blamed for society’s suffering?What is the relationship between 2-What is the relationship between 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional space? dimensional and 3-dimensional space? Why does matter behave differently in Why does matter behave differently in different states?different states?How do we use language to express How do we use language to express time?time?How can numbers be used to represent How can numbers be used to represent human behavior?human behavior?


2. Think like an assessor2. Think like an assessorDETERMINE ACCEPTABLE EVIDENCEDETERMINE ACCEPTABLE EVIDENCE. What will . What will understanding look like? What will understanding look like? What will demonstrate to me that my students have demonstrate to me that my students have achieved the understanding goals I have achieved the understanding goals I have set? set? This is what you must set up your This is what you must set up your assessments to ask for.assessments to ask for.

Problem sets, tests, quizzes, projects, and Problem sets, tests, quizzes, projects, and journals are all okay here, as long as journals are all okay here, as long as they are keyed to giving students the they are keyed to giving students the chance to demonstrate understandings.chance to demonstrate understandings.


(How to think like an assessor)(How to think like an assessor)ASK YOURSELF:ASK YOURSELF:What evidenceWhat evidence would be sufficient and would be sufficient and revealing evidence of understanding?revealing evidence of understanding?What performance tasksWhat performance tasks must anchor the must anchor the unit and focus the instructional work?unit and focus the instructional work?How will I be able to How will I be able to distinguishdistinguish between between those who really understand and those who those who really understand and those who don’t (although they may seem to)?don’t (although they may seem to)?Against what Against what criteriacriteria will I distinguish will I distinguish the work?the work?What What misunderstandingsmisunderstandings are likely? How are likely? How will I check for those?will I check for those?


3. Hit the plan book3. Hit the plan bookPLAN LEARNING EXPERIENCES PLAN LEARNING EXPERIENCES and instruction. A and instruction. A few catch phrases might help here:few catch phrases might help here:

Active classroom learning Active classroom learning involvinginvolvingstudent-centeredstudent-centered, , problem- or project-basedproblem- or project-based work that allows students to work that allows students to

tap multiple intelligencestap multiple intelligences might be best. might be best.

Now that you have your goals and assessments Now that you have your goals and assessments in mind, you can think about the in mind, you can think about the groovy groovy taskstasks. Now you can identify the . Now you can identify the knowledgeknowledge and and skillsskills that are really essential to that are really essential to understanding.understanding.


TASKS AND ASKSTASKS AND ASKSTASKS:TASKS: Use the “SIX FACETS” template Use the “SIX FACETS” template to help you design the TASKS that you to help you design the TASKS that you will give students—the work they must will give students—the work they must do to achieve understanding.do to achieve understanding.

ASKS: ASKS: Use the “SIX FACETS” and Use the “SIX FACETS” and “TEACHING WITH BLOOM” sheets to set “TEACHING WITH BLOOM” sheets to set up the up the questionsquestions that lead to the that lead to the tasks. What words will you use to tasks. What words will you use to direct student thinking in particular direct student thinking in particular ways? (Compare, describe, develop, ways? (Compare, describe, develop, analyze, list . . .)analyze, list . . .)


LET’S LOOK AT ANOTHER LET’S LOOK AT ANOTHER PLANNING MODELPLANNING MODEL(Use “Unit Design, (Use “Unit Design, Backwards” here)Backwards” here)


QUESTIONS??QUESTIONS??

intro to curriculum design

Education