Planning Based on the New Curriculum

Roadmap Purpose of planning / Elements of planning The planning process The impact of the competence-based curriculum on planning of teaching and learning Planning a unit plan Planning a lesson based on a vision of a learning unit Discussing the difficulties teachers face in writing lesson plans and the suggested solutions

What’s the reason behind this video?

Quote by Benjamin Franklin “ If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.”

Planning a journey for our students

for the didactic journey Questions for planning Planning a journey for our students Answers for the didactic journey for the common journey Questions for planning a common journey What is the purpose of the journey? What can we do? With whom / with what, when? How should I behave to cope with others? How much I achieved from my initial goal?

for the didactic journey Questions for planning Answers for the didactic journey Questions for planning a common journey Goal: developing competences Undertake activities to gain knowledge, skills attitudes, values (dealing with subject-related content and procedures) Resources (students, materials, time, place) Appropriate didactic strategies, methods of teaching, learning, assessing Assessing whether standards are being met (How much the students acquired?) What is the purpose of the journey? (to relax, to visit relatives, to enrich my culture etc.) What can we do? (sleeping, trips, reading, visiting museums, what places should I visit etc.) With whom / with what, when? (who are my companions, what do I need to take with me, how much money and time do I have?) How should I behave to cope with others? (Be friendly, interact with others …) How much I achieved from my initial goal?

Purpose of Planning

Purpose of Planning Set the standards to facilitate control Provide direction Purpose of planning : Reduce the impact of change Minimize waste and redundancy

Elements Of Planning

Elements Of Planning Plan Goal Objectives A method for doing or making something, consisting of at least one goal and a predefined course of action for achieving that goal. Goal A specific result to be achieved; the end result of a plan. Objectives Specific results toward which effort is directed.

What Planning Accomplishes

What Planning Accomplishes Allows decisions to be made ahead. Permits anticipation of consequences. Provides direction and a sense of purpose. Provides a unifying framework; avoiding piecemeal decision making. Helps identify threats and opportunities and reduces risks. Source: “Improving Your Memory” (2005) by Janet Fogler and Lynn Stern pp11-18

Questions to be asked when designing and planning the learning process

The Planning Process The following questions may guide teachers when trying to plan and design the learning process: ■What aims do I wish to achieve? ■How can I organize teaching and learning to achieve these aims? ■How do I know if I have been successful in reaching these aims?

Task The planning process

The Planning Process Designing the learning units Annual Planning Self-appraisal Consulting the curriculum Designing the lesson structures

The Planning Process 1. Consulting the curriculum 2. Annual Planning 3.Designing the learning units 4.Designing the lesson structures 5. Self-appraisal

The impacts of the Competence-based Curriculum on Planning of Teaching and Learning

The impact of the Competence-based Curriculum on Planning of Teaching and Learning The new Kuwait National Curriculum is anticipated to be a challenge for teachers in terms of professional competences and practices. Teachers need to be aware that: The curriculum is much more than a textbook. Teachers need to be cognizant of the fact that the shift from a content and mostly input-based curriculum, to a competence-and-standardized-outcomes-based curriculum requires new approaches in the fields of teaching, learning, and assessment.

The Impact of the Competence-based Curriculum on Planning of Teaching and Learning ■The curriculum indicates what students are expected to learn, in the form of information, attitudes, values, etc., and also suggests some learning experiences that may support them to do so. ■The teachers decide which teaching/learning approaches are the most appropriate in a given situation in order to support students’ learning to meet the curriculum and performance standards.

The Impact of the Competence-based Curriculum on Planning of Teaching and Learning ■The on-going assessment (formative and summative) of learning is needed to inform teachers and students about what has already been learned, what has not been attained and what steps are needed in order to achieve the established standards. When all three components – the curriculum, the teaching/learning activities, and the assessment process – interrelate effectively, the impact on learning will be at its best.

Who Does the Planning?

Who Does the Planning? HODs do most of the planning. A group of teachers work with the HOD and each teacher solicits, challenges, and refines the department’s plan. Planning is decentralized and includes the department and ELT supervision plan. Source: “Improving Your Memory” (2005) by Janet Fogler and Lynn Stern pp19-21

What are the different types of plans related to the curriculum? Task What are the different types of plans related to the curriculum?

Annual Planning What are the purposes? Developing the competences specified in the curriculum What are the means ? Learning content (concepts, skills, experiences and values) For how long? Time for the whole year, for each semester and for a learning unit

Possible headings in an annual plan The title of the LUs (learning units) Specific Competences Learning content Number of periods Weeks

The learning unit An open and flexible learning structure, focusing on the management of the teaching and learning which: *Leads to developing specific learning outcomes *Has a common topic (and, in some cases, combines learning content from different domains of the subject or other subjects) *Progresses meaningfully and with continuity over a period of time *Includes formative assessment and ends with a summative assessment

Learning unit vs.(textbook) chapter Task Learning unit vs.(textbook) chapter

Learning unit vs.(textbook) chapter *Focuses on developing competences by dealing with learning content specific for a certain area of learning. *Offers methods to explore and understand the topic, beside information, skills, attitudes & values . *Is student-centered and emphasizes processes of learning. Learning unit *Focuses on one single topic/one single learning content. *Offers mainly information, and ignores the learning activities that can help students to explore and understand the topic. *Favours the textbook, the content and the teacher’s authority.

How to plan the learning units *Determine the specific competences to be acquired with a vision of / or in relation to the annual plan *Select learning activities that are adequate to the needs of the group and having in view the SC *Suggest formative/summative assessment strategies (select those that fit the group’s progress) having in view the CS (curriculum standards) as the intended target.

A possible format for planning the learning units Grade Title of the LU: ………………….. SC/ Curr. standards Learning content Learning activities Resources Classroom assessment Details Activities that can involve students in developing the competences and reaching the curriculum standards Materials Assessment activities and instruments

Task: Suggestion of a Unit Plan

Difficulties teachers face while preparing a lesson

Challenges in Lesson Planning Choosing suitable activities to match the specific competences Competences are very general and vague for the teachers Critical thinking activities are still a burden The wrong usage of assessment tools

Possible solutions Affording teachers with the right activity that fits the specific competence in the learning unit. Competences should be straight forward and to the point. Vagueness leads to misunderstanding. Clarifying to teachers the tasks related to critical thinking activities. Teachers have to know the right assessment tool related to each learning activity.

Sample Lesson Plan

Summing up, planning means: what is the purpose of the journey Vision: Personalization: adjusting to your schools’ mission and to your class profile from a global view to developing a strategic and then a tactical plan Following Steps: Documentation: reading the curriculum and other materials that help you in planning Reflection: how the planning worked

Conclusion Planning is a mental predisposition to do things in an orderly way, to think before acting and to act in the light of facts rather than guesses. Educational planning should be realistic and based on scientific principles. Planning leads to successful work and the achievement. It is also crucial for meeting your needs during each action step with your time or other resources.

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