Curriculum + Pedagogy
Curriculum Design, Adoption + Mapping, Student-Centered Instructional Practice
As seasoned teachers, school leaders, instructional coaches, and designers of professional learning, we support all aspects of good teaching and learning, including designing, adopting, adapting, and mapping high-quality curriculum, incorporating inquiry and rigorous skill development, and experimenting with instructional strategies for increasing student motivation, engagement, growth, and success.
Curriculum Design Curriculum design is one of the most challenging and important aspects of teaching. In this program, educators build their skill and confidence as designers for engagement. Participants engage in the principles of Backward Design and the revised guidelines for Universal Design for Learning in order to design learning experiences that are aligned with high standards and responsive to their students’ needs. They identify desired results for their learners, determine acceptable evidence to measure student progress, and create opportunities for students to practice target skills. By the end, educators walk away with renewed energy and a unit or lesson plan that they can implement right away.
Inquiry-Based Teaching Student-led classrooms are anchored in the routines of inquiry. Teachers unpack practical examples of how to support students of all ages to improve their skills in questioning, examine sources to answer their questions and generate more questions, and ultimately arrive at a well-reasoned meaning. Example techniques explored include the Question Formulation Technique, Source Analysis tools, Discussion Diamond, and Spiderweb.
Assessment for Learning In this session, educators reflect on the assessment cycle to identify ways that they can utilize the act of assessment to drive students’ learning forward. They examine examples of formative and summative assessments and reflect on the variety of opportunities to respond to gaps in students’ knowledge, skills, and understandings. Finally, educators apply their thinking to a current unit, identifying opportunities to assess students for learning.
