Core Design Features
Curriculum
“Good teaching is rocket science. Teachers achieve this remarkable feat when they apply sophisticated instructional approaches that requires deep understanding of the subject matter and how students learn.”
Resources for Reflection
Importance of High-Quality Instructional Materials - Oregon Department of Education
Teaching and Learning Through Storylines - NSTA
Curriculum & Instructional Materials (Ch. 7): Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation - National Academies of Science
A Project Based Approach to Teaching Elementary Science - Edutopia
From Vision to Practice: A Comprehensive Guide to High Quality Instructional Materials - Education Elements
A Research-Based Science Curriculum - Edutopia Video
“TEACHERS AND STUDENTS DESERVE THE VERY BEST INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS AVAILABLE TO GUIDE THEIR LEARNING JOURNEY.”
Personal or Group Exercises
On pg. 52, Short & Hirsch discuss the role that curriculum serves and how educators and students interact with it. Construct a model that shows your system of science education. Consider how curriculum fits in and influences student learning. Does your model help to identify places within your system that need attention? What changes would you like to see when you reflect on your curriculum?
How would you rate your “Curriculum Literacy?” What about your colleagues? How can your reflections guide your professional learning needs? Have you communicated that with your leadership?
Perform a self-audit of the instructional materials that you use in an upcoming unit. Log the time you spend searching for and adapting those materials for your students. Document locations from where you are pulling most of your lesson resources. How well aligned are these resources with the vision of the Framework for K-12 Science Education and the NGSS? What insights does this provide you and your team? What questions does this raise that you can take to your district leadership?
Considering the emphasis shifts for curriculum (pg. 55), how much do you agree or disagree with the following…
Some teachers will have a difficult time giving up developing thier own curriculum.
Some teachers find it difficult to accept new instructional models and routines.
Learning what to teach (content) & how to teach (pedagogy) with HQIM takes too much time!