I was going to create an audio file for my post, but it is not being very kind. I will try to post it again in a different format.
How has your definition of curriculum been shaped by the course readings and discussions? How and why has your definition of curriculum changed?
Wow, this course is definitely one of the most beneficial courses in the program. Not the others were not, but this really allowed me to begin understanding and evaluating current issues with what is expected in the W, T and T curricula. During the course, I began to understand more about the critical need for aligning the w,t,t curriculum. I never really knew that there were three definitive areas. Once I grasped that knowledge, I began to understand that there are many misalignments within school and state level curriculum frameworks. This has not only helped me in my role at CASA in helping to develop a school curriculum framework, but also the need for the district where I sit as a school board member. I have even begun helping with their mapping and curriculum development. http://newportsd.wikispaces.com/ Teachers are now posting their curriculum maps on this district wiki.
As a young teacher, I was often handed a curriculum guide and said here you go, now figure out how to cover the standards. There was very little in how to teach, just what to teach. Today, I understand that the written should also include how it is taught. It is vital for teachers to begin understanding the HOW as well as the WHAT in curriculum. Without best practice models, we will never reach the children.
Today, I continue to see the real need for a truly embedded technology approach while building curriculum. It can not continue to be the extra. To me it is the learning essential within the other core essentials. I will continue to train share and talk to whoever will listen to the need for school leaders to build collaborative innovative curriculum that allows our children to be critical creative innovative thinkers and doers, NOT TEST TAKERS!
This is an exciting time in education. We can be the change agents that drive local, state and national education reform. We just have to keep saying and doing it until they listen, understand and do something to build 21st Century learning experiences for all of our children.
http://blabberize.com/view?share=174601
2/24/10
2/8/10
Curriculum Development
# As a school administrator and instructional leader, what instructional technology would you expect to see in the written, taught, and tested curriculum of a school or school district striving to meet the needs of 21st century learners?
As a school administrator, I will continue to be an advocate of Web 2.0 resources in education and a proponent of a fully integrated curriculum. It is critical that we create a 21st Century curriculum standards that are fully infused with technology resources and skills. Today's instructional practices and learning opportunities must reflect the times that we are living. We can not continue to practice the 20th Century methodologies with 21st Century students and desired learning outcomes. What are we doing to prepare our students for 2020? This is a question that I continue to ask myself and others in education. How are we going to get children ready for a global workforce that currently does not exist? We need to be visionary leaders who strive to design, develop, implement and evaluate the most up-to-date and sound pedagogical strategies for today's students. Instruction must be meaningful and current. The written, taught and tested curriculum must be aligned to standards and be connected at every level. If curriculum is not written or taught, how can it be tested. If written and taught yet not tested, we perpetuate a culture that creates instructional programs that have no validity in student growth and achievement. Valuable information must be gathered through reliable and valid means of assessment in order to assist in driving data based instructional decisions.
# What instructional technology would you promote to differentiate instruction for all learners? Consider some of the Web 2.0 tools discussed in Week 3 and some of the tools/ applications suggested in the UDL discussion.
Learning should be thought of as an evolving necessity for rich academic growth and achievement. Status quo in education just won't due! I will continue to promote Web 2.0 resources as well as various hardware in student learning experiences as well as teacher professional development. I have spent much time in assisting others with the integration of Web 2.0 tools into instructional practices. My wiki contains many resources and quick suggestions for integration. It really more like a hobby and fascination for me. I get so excited when I see a light bulb go off in the teachers that I work with. Simply because I know that they will share the tools and strategies with students. I have shared tools for collaborative activities during instructional practices. Please visit my wiki to get a glimpse of what I truly enjoy doing to assist with teachers, administrators and other education enthusiasts. Web 2.0 Guru My resources are listed on the resource page and my strategies can be found on my Best Practice 2.0 Some of my favorite most effective tools are scriblink.com, this helps for instant collaboration in small groups or from classroom to classroom. I also love www.notaland.com for web page development and commenting tools. Feedback can be gathered before, during and after instruction. This tool is great for formative assessment. Place your comment below. A real world example.
I believe that we need to find out how our students learn in order to provide learning experiences that meet them where they are. I have used learning profile inventories to gain insight into how students prefer learning. It is also imperative to know the readiness and interest levels of students. These steps will provide us with valuable information when designing instruction that works. I have created and used DI lesson/activity templates to assist teachers with designing strategies that work.
As a school administrator, I will continue to be an advocate of Web 2.0 resources in education and a proponent of a fully integrated curriculum. It is critical that we create a 21st Century curriculum standards that are fully infused with technology resources and skills. Today's instructional practices and learning opportunities must reflect the times that we are living. We can not continue to practice the 20th Century methodologies with 21st Century students and desired learning outcomes. What are we doing to prepare our students for 2020? This is a question that I continue to ask myself and others in education. How are we going to get children ready for a global workforce that currently does not exist? We need to be visionary leaders who strive to design, develop, implement and evaluate the most up-to-date and sound pedagogical strategies for today's students. Instruction must be meaningful and current. The written, taught and tested curriculum must be aligned to standards and be connected at every level. If curriculum is not written or taught, how can it be tested. If written and taught yet not tested, we perpetuate a culture that creates instructional programs that have no validity in student growth and achievement. Valuable information must be gathered through reliable and valid means of assessment in order to assist in driving data based instructional decisions.
# What instructional technology would you promote to differentiate instruction for all learners? Consider some of the Web 2.0 tools discussed in Week 3 and some of the tools/ applications suggested in the UDL discussion.
Learning should be thought of as an evolving necessity for rich academic growth and achievement. Status quo in education just won't due! I will continue to promote Web 2.0 resources as well as various hardware in student learning experiences as well as teacher professional development. I have spent much time in assisting others with the integration of Web 2.0 tools into instructional practices. My wiki contains many resources and quick suggestions for integration. It really more like a hobby and fascination for me. I get so excited when I see a light bulb go off in the teachers that I work with. Simply because I know that they will share the tools and strategies with students. I have shared tools for collaborative activities during instructional practices. Please visit my wiki to get a glimpse of what I truly enjoy doing to assist with teachers, administrators and other education enthusiasts. Web 2.0 Guru My resources are listed on the resource page and my strategies can be found on my Best Practice 2.0 Some of my favorite most effective tools are scriblink.com, this helps for instant collaboration in small groups or from classroom to classroom. I also love www.notaland.com for web page development and commenting tools. Feedback can be gathered before, during and after instruction. This tool is great for formative assessment. Place your comment below. A real world example.
I believe that we need to find out how our students learn in order to provide learning experiences that meet them where they are. I have used learning profile inventories to gain insight into how students prefer learning. It is also imperative to know the readiness and interest levels of students. These steps will provide us with valuable information when designing instruction that works. I have created and used DI lesson/activity templates to assist teachers with designing strategies that work.
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