The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.
-Albert Einstein
“Testing Season” is what I affectionately call the months of
March, April, and May. As “Testing
Season” is officially launched next week, the new PARCC Assessment will be administered
for the first time in the State of Illinois. And with other standardized tests
thrown into the mix, many class sessions this spring will exclusively be dedicated to
testing. At this time of year you can’t
help but wonder how you'll have time for test prep and administration plus
time to cover the operational curriculum. While
the end of the school year is coming into sight, you probably are becoming more and more
aware of the fact that there may not be enough time to teach all the topics listed in your curriculum guides.
Decisions have to be made to modify the prescribed content in order to make
the most of the precious instructional time still left to the school year.
Teachers are not powerless in this testing environment. Instead it’s time to be proactive and dig out
the curriculum documents to identify what still needs to be taught and what
topics you might drop, combine, or teach as part of another class or discipline.
Curriculum mapping, the procedure for
looking at curriculum in reference to the calendar and data results, is best
accomplished on an institute day when there is adequate collaboration time. However, with all the recent snow days, you
may not have the luxury of extended time.
As an alternative, a few focused grade level meetings may be the ideal
time to work on curriculum alignment. One thing to consider is the fact that
some members of your team may be more interested in getting every topic covered
superficially while others may choose to teach fewer topics, but teach them in
depth.
After you have completed the curriculum-mapping process, you’ll
have a new curriculum guide indicating what still needs to be covered the rest
of the year. There’s always the
temptation to pick up the pace and race through new content. Although it feels anti-intuitive to slow down
to make forward progress, it’s been shown that teachers achieve better outcomes
by slowing the pace to concentrate on critical content. When instruction moves too quickly there’s
the temptation to do more lecturing and have students do more in class reading. By using a direct instruction approach students actually
remember only 10%-15% of what’s taught. When
students are actively involved in purposeful experiences, learning increases and
retention rates are closer to 50%-90%. Consequently,
demonstrations, dramatized experiences, and hands-on learning, while they take
more time than lecturing, can generate powerful outcomes. Consider changing homework assignments from a worksheet
completed after instruction to the use of a video or online resource that
allows for the generation of background knowledge for future learning. Since more and more of your students have
access to home computers, smart phones, and tablets, this kind of homework is
now a realistic option.
In an age of accountability, curriculum-mapping allows for
mid-course correction to the curriculum and allows for targeted instruction to
meet learning outcomes. Using curriculum mapping coupled with data analysis can transform your classroom
into a powerful learning community.
Ultimately, you will be able to provide quality student-focused
instruction that provides curriculum coverage and standards-based instruction.
Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.
-Socrates
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