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= 6/11 -- Final check-in! = media type="file" key="Final check-in.mp3"

= 6/10 Curriculum Project update -- Nobody contacted me with questions about the final assignment, the Curriculum Project, so rather than posting a Q&A I've amended the requirements a bit (with the goal of making things a bit more manageable) and posted them here. Changes are noted below in red. Also, let's change the due date to Sunday, June 20th. Let me know if you have any additional questions. =

Part 1 will be a descriptive paper that outlines the curriculum “problem,” or challenge, that you are trying to solve. For those of you who are practicing teachers, this should be a real-life, practical challenge from your own classroom: A piece of your curriculum that you would like to re-work, re-think, add, or transform. For those of you who are not classroom teachers, it can be a hypothetical curricular challenge in a K-12 setting. This portion of the project should be ** 1-2 pages **, typed and double-spaced.

Part 2 will be a plan for a 1-2 week curricular unit **[You are welcome to do a two-week plan, but one week is fine -- you won't receive "more" credit for doing 2 weeks rather than one. I'm looking for thoughtfulness in planning, not quantity.]**, either in a single subject area or an interdisciplinary unit. Using what you’ve learned about the “backward design” planning process, you will create a unit (5-10 lessons) centered on an organizing curricular theme of your choice.

You **will not** be writing full-blown lesson plans for this unit. Instead, the unit plan will be based on the “backward design” principles and will include: 1) A 1-paragraph rationale for why the unit has relevancy for your students 2) The essential question(s) the unit explores 3) The desired results of the unit: the key understandings students will have as a result of experiencing this series of lessons. What will students know, understand, or be able to do //as a result// of the unit? These will not be taken from state standards documents (though you should certainly take them into account), but will be your own goals for the unit, tailored specifically for your students. 4) A written plan for assessing the unit. What evidence will you use to determine whether students have achieved your desired results? Will there be a culminating project? How can you assess their learning in authentic ways that demonstrate what they have learned? 5) A day-by-day overview of the unit’s learning experiences with **one** paragraph (or bullet-pointed) descriptions of each lesson. Descriptions should include a learning objective, a brief description of the content of the lesson, methods/activities you will use, and what students will be asked to do. 6) A list of books, poems, videos, or any other resources you will incorporate. Also, a list of any resources you used to help plan the unit.

= 6/7 Hi, everybody. Join me in congratulating your classmate Annie Holdren, who gave birth to baby Preston on Friday. Feel free to leave a message for Annie on the discussion board on this home page. = = 6/6 Week 4 assignment page is here. =

= 6/2 ** Q&A: Curriculum Scholar/Issue Paper (or creative project) **= = = Here are some questions I’ve been asked individually about the Curriculum Scholar/Issue Paper that I thought might be beneficial for the group:


 * Q: Do I have to address all the questions listed on the assignment description?**

A: No. Use those as a guide, but not a checklist. There may be other, more interesting, questions that occur to you as you do your research. However, since this is a curriculum course, your paper should definitely focus at least in part on the scholar’s views on curriculum.


 * Q: How many sources do I have to use?**

A: I’m always hesitant about answering questions like this. It’s a 5-6 page paper, so I’m not expecting pages of references. However, I do expect you to triangulate your information by learning from a variety of sources. Internet sources are OK, but please don’t cite Wikipedia – find some legitimate academic references. Also, if you’re writing about a scholar, you need at least 3 primary sources – the person’s own work, not the work of others discussing his/her work. These could be books, chapters, or articles. If you’re doing a current issue, then you’ll probably be relying mostly on web-based texts. Again, just be sure to use a variety and to use reputable sources.


 * Q: What do you mean by the question, “From what theoretical perspective do you believe this scholar is coming?”**

There are many different ways to categorize theoretical perspectives of curriculum scholars, but for the purposes of this paper feel free to use Schubert’s four curriculum orientations that we read about in week 2 (social behaviorist, experientialist, etc.)


 * Q: What are you grading us on?**

I hate grades. Have I said that yet? And if you don’t really care that much about grades, either, I’ll be happy to just give you comments and feedback without a grade. However, if you want a number attached, I will base it on: Solid research and understanding of the “big ideas; clear, well organized writing (and if it’s snappy and interesting, even better); Synthesis and analysis of ideas rather than simple regurgitation – in other words, I want to hear you in the piece, not just Sonia Nieto (or whoever); and freedom of errors in grammar, spelling, etc. If you’re doing the creative option then obviously it’s a whole different ball game, and the assessment will be even more holistic and interpretive as a result.

If you have other questions, post them in the discussion area of the “Questions about the class” page.

= 5/30 Week #3 assignment page is up. Click here to get started. = = = =Welcome to C&I 411: Curriculum -- Summer 2010 =

====As John Dewey famously remarked, "It's a curriculum thing!" Well, OK, maybe Dewey didn't really say that. But he would acknowledge, as would all of the scholars and theorists whose words we'll be reading and analyzing over the next several weeks, that curriculum is one of the fundamental elements of the educational process. In this course we will focus on theoretical, historical, political, social, and cultural influences on curriculum models -- both past and present. Our aim will be to examine recurring themes in the curriculum field, various approaches to perennial curricular questions, and the ideas of some of the field's most important thinkers. In addition, we will explore the process of planning, developing, and evaluating curriculum using a model known as "backward design." In short, the course will explore curriculum from both a theoretical and a practical perspective.====

====The course is 100% online, and this wiki will be our home base. Here you will find the schedule of readings and assignments, assignment descriptions, due dates, discussion boards with questions/prompts, relevant links -- basically all the information you will need to participate in the course. The overview of the course (otherwise known as the syllabus) and schedule of readings/due dates are linked to this page (click on the "Course Overview" and "Schedule of readings and due dates" links in the left column, which is the wiki's navigation pane -- if you're looking for something, always check the left column). Please read the entire course overview //thoroughly//. This is especially important since we are not meeting face-to-face and I can't go into further detail in person. Assignments for the course are outlined on the "Assignments" page (also linked in the left column). Please read through these thoroughly as well. Weekly discussion questions and other assignments will be added each week on Sunday evening (These will also be linked on the left -- click on "Week 1 stuff" for your initial assignments).====

====If you have a general question about the class at any point (a question that might be relevant to others as well), please post it on the "Questions about the class" page. (Instructions for how to post a question are there.) If you have a specific question or issue that pertains only to you, get in touch with me via email at gmichie@ilstu.edu. I will get back to you within 24 hours -- usually sooner. And again, welcome to the class.====