Curriculum and Assessment Monica Natzke & Zach Yindra

Ponder  Brainstorm about Curriculum  What are different types of curriculum?  What type of curriculum did your middle school follow?  What is Common Core Curriculum?  What some teaching styles that you’ve seen in schools?

Mr. Grabski and Mr. Mlsna  PJ Jacobs Junior High  Science Teacher

What is Curriculum?  Definition  “..The planned subject-matter content and skills to be presented to students.”  “All experiences student encounter, whether planned or unplanned, learned or unlearned.”

Common Core Curriculum  No Child Left Behind Act of 2001  English, reading or language arts, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics and government, economics, arts, history, and geography o Goal  The standards must be essential, rigorous, clear, specific, coherent, and internationally benchmarked

Common Core Continued…  Adopted by Wisconsin in  Standards in Math and Language Arts  Literacy in all other subjects  DPI includes other standards for remaining subjects

Common Core Standards

Subject Curriculum vs. Integrated Curriculum Subject centered Curriculum  Disciplines are taught separately from each other.  Subject based  Traditional Integrated Curriculum o Disciplines are combined to educate about a common topic or theme. o Student based o Constructivist o Developed in 60’s

Integrated Curriculum  “Taking standard subject areas and combining them.” (Dennis Littky) 3 types:  Multidisciplinary  Transdisciplinary  Interdisciplinary Combines subject matter that is traditionally taught separately  Focus is on students  Connects learning to past, present experiences and establishes bridges between school and life

 Focus on separate discipline with same theme  Some team planning  Individual teachers with separate classrooms  No overlap on subject areas Multidisciplinary Curriculum

 Literally means…”Meaning beyond all the disciplines but connected to all the disciplines by a unifying issue or topic”  Teachers choose a theme that is important or relevant to students  Framing topic/big idea = overarching theme  Project-based learning Transdisciplinary Curriculum

 An interdisciplinary curriculum combines several school subjects into one active project  It focuses on broad areas of study Interdisciplary Curriculum

What’s Your Style?  Curriculum Theory and Practice that’s Your Style? By Donna L. Miller  Four Curriculum Styles  Linear Thinkers  Holists  Laissez-Faire Advocates  Critical Theorists

Linear Thinkers  Want education to be as efficient as possible, both fiscally and empirically

Holists  A person who believes that as long as an object of study captures students’ interest, moving on to another subject makes no sense  Interest drives the learning experience

Laissez-Faire Advocates  Freedom  “All people possess natural traits, like curiosity, that predispose learning; the most enduring and profound learning occurs when initiated and pursued by the learners; all people are creative if allowed to develop unique talents; and freedom is essential to developing personal responsibility.”

Critical Theorists  The teacher’s job is to guide students to see social injustices, to make the chains visible, and to uncover subliminal messages

Now it’s your turn!  What is your teaching style?

Assessment: what is it?  “the evaluation or estimation of the nature, quality, or ability of someone or something” –Merriam-Webster What comes to mind when hearing the word “assessment”?

Summative Assessment  Goal is to evaluate student learning  Measure growth after instruction  Determine if long-term goals are met  Examples:  Unit/Chapter Tests  State Testing  ACT/SAT

Formative Assessment  Goal is to monitor student learning during the learning process  Includes Formal and Informal assessment  Formal- Data driven  Informal- Content and performance driven  Provides instant feedback  Allows you to modify content as needed

Examples of Formative Assessment  Observations  Questioning  Discussions  Graphic Organizers  Learning Response Logs  Think Pair Share  Practice Presentations  Peer/Self Assessments  Individual Whiteboards  Exit/Admission Slips

Discussion  Think Pair Share What types of formative assessments do you remember from middle school? Looking back, do you think your teachers used formative assessments correctly? Why/Why not?

Geography Activity  Each group is a family moving out west  Each family is looking for a place for the community to settle  Pick a place to form a settlement based on the land shown on the following slide  Each family needs one spokesperson to defend the settlement placement  List your reasons for settling there  Ex. Water, Lumber, Protection  We will then vote on where to start the settlement

Standard Assessment  True/False Statements  Multiple Choice Questions  Fill in the Blank Questions  Short Answer  Essay Questions

Alternative Assessments  Journals  Plays  Presentations  Posters  Discussions/Debates  Projects

Bloom’s Taxonomy ’s

Bloom’s Taxonomy Changes  Student of Bloom, Lorin Anderson, revised the domain in the mid 90’s

Modern Bloom’s Taxonomy

Effective Teaching  The Danielson Group  Promotes teacher effectiveness and professional learning  Framework is research-based set of components of instruction  Aligned to INTASC standards  Teaching is divided into 22 components built into four domains of responsibility

Domain 1: Planning and Preparation  Demonstrating knowledge of content  Demonstrating knowledge of students  Setting instructional outcomes  Demonstrating knowledge of resources  Designing coherent instruction  Designing student assessments

Domain 2: Classroom Environment  Creating an environment of respect  Establishing a culture for learning  Managing classroom procedures  Managing student behavior  Organizing physical space

Domain 3: Instruction  Communicating with students  Using questioning and discussion techniques  Engaging students in learning  Using assessment in instruction  Demonstrating flexibility and responsiveness

Domain 4: Professional Responsibilities  Reflecting on teaching  Maintaining accurate records  Communicating with families  Participating in a professional community  Growing and developing professionally  Showing professionalism

Works Cited  "Curriculum and Assessment at the Middle Level." UWSPEDUC N.p., n.d. Web. 3 June  "Geometric People - an Art Lesson Integrating Art and Geometry." Teachers Pay Teachers. N.p., 2 June Web. 3 June  Kellough, Richard D., and Noreen G. Kellough. Teaching young adolescents: methods and resources for middle grades teaching. 5th ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Merrill/Prentice Hall, Print.  Winter 2014, Section 4  content/uploads/assessingeffectiveteacherpractices1.pdf    m  html