221+Agenda+8.30.12

8:00 - 8:10 - Welcome and Agenda

 * Fingerprint info & West B info - on the carousels outside 202
 * Tech questions?
 * Who will take notes today?
 * My email address

8:10 - 8:30 - Discuss Fried, chapters 1-2
We have a passion for learning and wanting to help others have that connection with learning as well. We have a passion for the subject matter and helping students have that lightbulb moment. Passion is being aware, being dedicated, committing yourself whole-heartedly to teaching, and being willing to try completely new things. An initial passionate spark has to be there, but Fried has reminders and ideas of how to push ourselves to that deeper level of teaching. Some students criticized Fried's decision to use the word "passion". Is passion a momentary thing or permanent? The class had different ideas about the word passionate. Sometimes it is important for the teacher or professor to drive the discussion, ask questions, validate comments, and be in the driver's seat. Today's Fried discussion wasn't one of those cases. The aim of this discussion was for us to validate or invalidate our own responses. Anny wants us to criticize the book and have vibrant conversations about it.
 * Why we're passionate about teaching
 * How does Fried define passion?
 * This is a book about passion, but how do you teach people about something so intangible?
 * Class discussions

8:30 - 9:00 - Introduction to Curriculum


What does this have to do with curriculum?
 * Curriculum - Latin roots - "race course" "flow" (as in a river) "run"

media type="youtube" key="jpoKdPNM10M" height="345" width="420"

Initially, we defined curriculum as: what you have to teach, what you think your students should know, an instructional map Comprised of **Products, Perspectives, and Practices. Products**: is the standardization of education a step forward of a step backward? **Practices:** this includes collaborative teaching, in which teachers work together to plan how to meet standards in their lessons. Creating targets using "I Can" statements is a very important practice. **Perspectives:** Who's represented? It is important to ask "Can and should this be assessed?" With Race to the Top, can everything that matters really be assessed? Then, what counts? ---I Can...
 * What is curriculum?
 * The Cultural Triangle
 * Learning Targets for Today
 * Define several types and definitions of curriculum:
 * Formal:** What you're supposed to be teaching; the prescribed curriculum
 * Hidden:** Things kids are learning that aren't explicitly stated or even consciously taught; social cues
 * Null:** What we don't teach; what we leave out
 * Curriculum in Use:** What actually gets taught
 * Received Curriculum:** What students actually learn
 * Access appropriate curriculum standards for my subject area

9:10 - 10:10 - Curriculum Standards

 * Common Core Video
 * Standards Activity - (You may do this alone or with a partner.)

1. Find the standards documents for your subject area. Open the appropriate PDF. Find and read the EALRs. 2. Copy the EALRs for your subject area. 3. Select two grade levels to review. Copy three example GLE's for each grade. How do they connect with the EALRs? 4. Go the website of the professional organization representing your subject area. Find any standards/curriculum documentation. Read enough to get a good feel for the curriculum advocated by this group. How do these standards compare with the EALRs and GLEs for Washington? 5. How do the state and national standards compare with the Common Core ([])? What relationship do you see between these three sources of curriculum?


 * **EALR:** Basic skills students are supposed to know. Essential Academic Learning Requirements
 * **GLE:** Grade Level Expectation
 * This activity was our first dive into curriculum for many students. We thought state standards seemed pretty broad, which might give teachers more freedom to decide what/how they teach. Math had more structured and broken down standards. The Spokane District is more specific with power standards, so teachers don't have quite as much freedom in their lesson planning.
 * National organizations like ACTFL are independent from the government and in many cases their standards are independent from each other.

10:10 - 10:30 - Discussion of Thought Question/Closure
As a class, we agreed there are pros and cons to the standardization of curriculum. Kids who move schools should have an easier time staying on track and not falling behind because they were learning something completely different at their old school. An issue, however, is that students vary greatly in their abilities and where they're at. It would be very challenging to keep one class all at the same pace, and teachers may not have enough time to slow down and make sure everyone completely understands. It also gives teachers less freedom and puts more of a focus on teaching to make sure students pass standardized tests.
 * Curriculum as mirrors or windows
 * Is the standardization of curriculum a step forward or a step backward?


 * Housekeeping**
 * Prepare for next class -
 * http://gonzagateach.wikispaces.com/Bloom%27s+Taxonomy
 * Post questions/issues you'd like to discuss on the 9/4 agenda.
 * Be sure to take care of your fingerprinting.