A Planning Guide For Curriculum

"With imagination and serious reflection, the author has generated a detailed resource with exercises, worksheets, staff development activities, and sample maps to assist any staff developer or curriculum designer. This book particularly connects to those who are at the beginning levels of their mapping journey." —From the Foreword by Heidi Hayes Jacobs A step-by-step guide to successful curriculum mapping initiatives! While curriculum mapping is recognized as a highly effective method for serving students′ ongoing instructional needs and creating systemic change, the means for putting this data-based decision-making process into practice may not always be clearly understood. This in-depth resource speaks to teachers and administrators with varying levels of curriculum-mapping experience and describes how teacher groups drive the process by engaging in collaborative inquiry as they review one another′s curriculums for gaps, redundancies, and new learning. The collected data assist in designing month-to-month instructional plans for all grade levels and subjects, resulting in a curriculum that is coherent, consistent, and aligned with standards. Drawing on her experience in working with thousands of educators across the country, Janet A. Hale offers specific steps for coordinating and sustaining strong mapping efforts that become embedded in school culture. The author explores the stages of contemplating, planning, and implementing a curriculum mapping initiative and helps the reader examine critical components that affect a learning organization′s progress through each phase. The book presents powerful tools and features that significantly enhance curriculum mapping efforts: Samples of four types of curriculum maps—Diary, Projected, Consensus, and Essential Guidelines for deciding what type of map to use to begin the process Assistance for selecting a Web-based mapping system Reflective questions at the end of each chapter A complete glossary of terms A Guide to Curriculum Mapping includes extended coverage of the challenges of curriculum mapping, offers encouragement and advice from educators who have successfully implemented a mapping initiative, and provides the necessary clarity to put curriculum mapping into action.

What is understanding and how does it differ from knowledge? How can we determine the big ideas worth understanding? Why is understanding an important teaching goal, and how do we know when students have attained it? How can we create a rigorous and engaging curriculum that focuses on understanding and leads to improved student performance in today's high-stakes, standards-based environment? Authors Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe answer these and many other questions in this second edition of Understanding by Design. Drawing on feedback from thousands of educators around the world who have used the UbD framework since its introduction in 1998, the authors have greatly revised and expanded their original work to guide educators across the K-16 spectrum in the design of curriculum, assessment, and instruction. With an improved UbD Template at its core, the book explains the rationale of backward design and explores in greater depth the meaning of such key ideas as essential questions and transfer tasks. Readers will learn why the familiar coverage- and activity-based approaches to curriculum design fall short, and how a focus on the six facets of understanding can enrich student learning. With an expanded array of practical strategies, tools, and examples from all subject areas, the book demonstrates how the research-based principles of Understanding by Design apply to district frameworks as well as to individual units of curriculum. Combining provocative ideas, thoughtful analysis, and tested approaches, this new edition of Understanding by Design offers teacher-designers a clear path to the creation of curriculum that ensures better learning and a more stimulating experience for students and teachers alike.

Stay a step ahead of technological change so that every student can flourish! Students and classrooms are growing more technologically savvy every semester, which presents you with an essential choice: Will you let these learning tools sit idle, or will you unleash the power of technology for your students and staff? The first edition of Planning for Technology created leaders who empowered students to master the technological tools now required for success. This second edition will prepare you for the coming decade, when the pace of change will be much faster. In addition to the core methods and exercises, this book includes: Revisions addressing essential digital developments of the past decade that school leaders must learn to utilize New content covering guidelines for addressing the new Common Core State Standards, distributed leadership, adult learning theory, digital citizenship, cybersecurity, cloud computing, and more A new chapter on creating a "culture of technology" that goes beyond user manuals to create responsible, tech-savvy students Technology is no longer optional—it is a requirement for success in the 21st century. Planning for Technology is the go-to resource for ensuring your students thrive. "This book is about how to plan for technology, promote it, pay for it, and take steps to ensure that it really is improving student achievement. This book makes school administrators consider more thoughtfully how they are using technology for teaching and learning and why. It helps the reader understand how to plan for and implement technology in a more effective way." —Patricia L. Tucker, Retired Regional Superintendent District of Columbia Public Schools, DC "The reflective activities at the end of every chapter prompt leaders to think about diverse areas they may have not thought about before." —Frances L. O’Reilly, Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership The University of Montana-Missoula

The untold story of the root cause of America's education crisis--and the seemingly endless cycle of multigenerational poverty. It was only after years within the education reform movement that Natalie Wexler stumbled across a hidden explanation for our country's frustrating lack of progress when it comes to providing every child with a quality education. The problem wasn't one of the usual scapegoats: lazy teachers, shoddy facilities, lack of accountability. It was something no one was talking about: the elementary school curriculum's intense focus on decontextualized reading comprehension "skills" at the expense of actual knowledge. In the tradition of Dale Russakoff's The Prize and Dana Goldstein's The Teacher Wars, Wexler brings together history, research, and compelling characters to pull back the curtain on this fundamental flaw in our education system--one that fellow reformers, journalists, and policymakers have long overlooked, and of which the general public, including many parents, remains unaware. But The Knowledge Gap isn't just a story of what schools have gotten so wrong--it also follows innovative educators who are in the process of shedding their deeply ingrained habits, and describes the rewards that have come along: students who are not only excited to learn but are also acquiring the knowledge and vocabulary that will enable them to succeed. If we truly want to fix our education system and unlock the potential of our neediest children, we have no choice but to pay attention.

Get all the tools your after-school program needs for a well-balanced program. This resource provides an overview of learning and child development; offers tips and tools for selecting, planning, developing and evaluating after-school activities; and demonstrates how to link these activities to sample learning and quality standards. The book also introduces the reader to curriculum resources focusing on seven key learning areas believed to be central to comprehensive, high-quality, after-school programs.

Discover new, practical methods for teaching literacy skills in your early childhood classroom. Has teaching early literacy skills become a stumbling block to getting your preschool students kindergarten ready? Break out of the tired “letter of the week” routine and learn how to transform your lessons with fun and effective techniques. Teach Smarter: Literacy Strategies for Early Childhood Teachers will equip teachers to infuse every aspect of their teaching with exciting hands-on literacy teaching methods that engage students and help them build authentic connections with books, so that 100% of their students will have a strong literacy foundation and will be fully prepared for success in kindergarten and beyond. Respected author Vanessa Levin, veteran early childhood educator and author of the “Pre-K Pages” blog, breaks down the research and translates it into realistic, actionable steps you can take to improve your teaching. Features specific examples of teaching techniques and activities that engage students in hands-on, experiential learning during circle time, centers, and small groups. Offers a simple, four-step system for teaching literacy skills, based on the foundational principles of early literacy teaching Demonstrates how to build your confidence in your ability to get 100% of your students ready for kindergarten, long before the end of the school year Understand the problems with traditional literacy teaching and identify gaps in your current teaching practice with this valuable resource.

Now its fourth edition, Planning an Appropriate Curriculum in the Early Years offers a comprehensive guide for early years practitioners and students on how to plan and implement a suitable curriculum for the children in an Early Years setting. It examines the key roles and responsibilities of practitioners working in Early Years settings and those with responsibility for leading and managing provision for EYFS in primary schools. Completely revised and updated in line with the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, latest research evidence and OFSTED requirements, this book covers the following aspects of the Early Years including: what we mean by planning an appropriate curriculum in the early years; transition from nursery to school and into Year 1; defining quality learning and play in the early years assessment procedures and examples; integration of two-year-olds into school; the role played by parents and carers in children’s learning and development; the ways in which vulnerable children are provided for; examples of planning material developed by practitioners. With case studies of good practice and questions for reflective practice and group work, this timely fourth edition will be welcomed by students and practitioners looking to provide high quality and effective learning experiences for the under-fives.

This planning guide encourages reformation of the Wisconsin art education curriculum toward a less linear, sequential, and compartmentalized approach. The new program draws on recent knowledge of how students learn and how curricula components can be integrated. Focusing on themes and concept development, the guide supports independent thinking and problem solving, and favors experiential activities. Clear links between national standards, state goals, district curriculum, classroom instruction, and student assessment are established. The guide is divided into 12 sections: (1) Philosophy; (2) Curriculum Development; (3) Visual Learning; (4) Art and Society; (5) Design Art; (6) Studio Art; (7) Planning for Instruction; (8) Planning for Integration; (9) Incorporating Education Goals and Standards; (10) Planning for Assessment; (11) Aspects of an Effective Program; and (12) Appendixes, which include State Standards for Licensure, Art, Curriculum, and Instruction; the Wisconsin Administrative Code; the Family-Community Partnership in Schools Checklist; and Resources. (MM)

This book, the second in the Perspectives on Higher Education series, brings together a number of insights into a key area of higher education: curriculum planning, design, and implementation. This book is designed to provide educators with the knowledge and skills needed to design, develop, and evaluate university curricula, programmes, and courses. It is aimed at those involved in programme development and delivery at many levels, from the most experienced administrator or senior professor through to the new teacher.In this manner, beginning from the initial steps of curriculum design all the way through to quality assurance and how to evaluate whether your curriculum has met its intended aims, this book is intended to be a short and easy-to-reference guide for educators at all levels.