York Public Schools

Curriculum Design

December 1, 2010

Toby Boss

ESU 6

Goals for Today

• Review the curriculum components

• Review the process

• Continue to work on curriculum products

Mission Statement:

• "York Public Schools will prepare each learner with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to become an effective citizen by providing diversified curriculum and experiences."

Essential Question

• What should curriculum accomplish?

Literature Framework

Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2007). Schooling by design. Alexandria, VA. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Curriculum Defined

• The blueprint for learning derived from the desired results.

• Takes content and shapes it into a plan for effective teaching and learning.

• Based on the learning goals for students.• Once we agree on the goals, what would the

learning plan look like, and what methods would help us achieve our goals?

Curriculum is not…• A list of places to visit

• A list of content (which even if preceded by verbs is not a curriculum, but an inventory of stuff)

• Hierarchical lists of the major topics:– The Civil War– Parts of a Cell– Long Division

Curriculum should…

• Be written backward from worthy tasks that require students to use content wisely.

• Help students “do the subject”, not just learn it’s findings.

• Be the blueprint for learning

• Include a robust set of components – not just the “what”.

Transfer

• Apply learning to new situations not only in school, but also beyond it.

• The point of school is to learn in school how to make sense of learnings in order to lead better lives out of school.

• Learn now to apply lessons to later challenges.

Curriculum Components

• Mission• Enduring

Understandings, Essential Questions

• Curriculum Maps• Common

Assessments• Rubrics

• Anchors• Learning Activities• Diagnostic and

Formative Assessment

• Differentiation• Troubleshooting

Guides

Curriculum Maps

• Show a snapshot of the important learning objectives tied to standards

• Maps include:– Number of days for instruction– Dates taught and assessed– Assessment– Resources– Learning Activities

STRAND STANDARD

OBJECTIVES (What it looks like in the classroom)

The learner will É

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(classroom, STAR, objective,

subjective, project, etc.)

RESOURCES (Materials, web sites,

auto-visual, print)

LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Stage 1

• Focus on Assessment– Common Unit Assessments– Rubrics– Anchors

Common Assessments

• Answers the question:– How will we know students have learned?

• Demonstrations of the most important learning targets.

• Ongoing measures of learning for gauging progress and guiding improvement efforts.

Rubrics

• Common rubrics provide consistent evaluation and specific feedback

• Provide more consistent evaluation from one teacher to the next

• Provide targets for students

Anchors

• Tangible examples of student work to illustrate various performance levels

• Provides examples for classroom instruction

• Provides models for students to better evaluate their own work

Status Check

• Where are we in relation to Stage 1?

Stage 2

• Focus on Instruction– Learning Activities– Formative Assessments– Differentiation– Troubleshooting Guides

Learning Activities

• Research based instructional strategies are tied to the learning goals.

• Recommended resources are identified.

Diagnostic and Formative Assessments

• Diagnostic Assessments: Pre-assessments to provide information that aids in planning instruction. A check of prior knowledge is an example.

• Formative assessments: ongoing assessments that provide information to guide instruction.

Differentiation

• Directions for tailoring instruction to student needs.

• Provides resources and strategies for differentiation aligned to the learning goal.

Troubleshooting Guides

• Advice and tips for addressing predictable learning related problems

• Provides assistance for novice teachers based on the experience of veterans

Status Check

• Where are we in relation to Stage 2?

Reaching Consensus

• Consensus: – A collective decision that everyone can

support after openly and extensively considering the diverse facets of the issues.

– Litmus test: What is best for kids?– Every team member can answer “yes” to

• I can live with this decision• I will support this decision

– A win-win. There are no losers

Next Steps

• Collaborate– Reach consensus– Share ideas with others -even if you are

the only one teaching a course

• Move through the stages