CurriculumCurriculum Department of Curriculum & Testing March, 2011 A Look at the New Curriculum Guides & the Instructional Process

What do we know about Learning? Students learn best when:Students learn best when: –The goal is explained clearly –New content is connected to prior knowledge or familiar concepts –Content is organized around Big Ideas or Enduring Understandings instead of a string of facts or isolated skills –Content is presented in a variety of ways to address different learning needs

3 Begin with the end in mind – What Big Ideas/Enduring Understandings do we want students to gain? What are the Learning Outcomes? –We need to understand clearly the content and the reasons you are teaching it –Look for the skills that will demonstrate learning –Develop a content blueprint (within the curriculum guide) –Develop a Handbook of resources for each course Where do we begin?

Guides to the Instructional Process Curriculum Guide– a plan, not a scriptCurriculum Guide– a plan, not a script –Standards –Student Outcomes Handbook– the deliveryHandbook– the delivery –Activities –Resources –Instructional practices –Assessments

Components of a Curriculum Framework Curriculum Guide - Curriculum Guide - Philosophy or rationale Description of Course Standards – NJ & Common Core Instructional Framework and/or Blueprint Teacher Handbook - Teacher Handbook - Bibliography Detailed resources Sample unit and lesson plans Examples of cross discipline integration Unit Plans Formative and Summative Assessments Living document constantly revised

Change in Format Curriculum Guide The curriculum guide is mapped according to the standards Its focus is Learning not Teaching therefore the guide’s focus is the learning outcomes, not the activities

HandbookHandbook The handbook is written to address the instructional process from the teaching perspective. The handbook is written to address the instructional process from the teaching perspective.

Curriculum Management within the Curriculum Guide Key Elements/Big Ideas Content (What students should know) Performance Targets (Skills: What students should be able to do)

The Blueprint: NJ CCCS & Common Core Standards 9

Three Columns: Key Elements, Content, Performance Targets 10

We include important features 11

New Initiatives 12

An Outline or Focal Points 13

Handbook to be written Representatives of all stakeholders Living Document Renewable and sustainable because it is not dependent upon any particular textbook series All references are amendable and, hopefully, constantly added to 14