I would be very interested.  I will get the book and
maybe you can let us know when to be ready for the
discussion.  It is an opportunity to reflect on
approaches that differ. In the end, though, we all
want the best for our students.  I would be interested
in discussing the concept of normativity as we look at
different approaches in curriculum development.  What
philosophies of education are producing different
approaches to Curr. Dev, would be one of my main
interests.  Another question would be how to tie the
philosophy and a really well informed methodology that
helps our students reach program and personal goals.


Thanks, David.
Nadia
--- "David J. Rosen" <djrosen at comcast.net> wrote:


> Hello Katrina, and others who may be interested in

> purchasing UbD,

> 

> Understanding by Design (UbD), 2nd ed.  is published

> by ASCD.

>

http://shop.ascd.org/ProductDisplay.cfm?ProductID=103055

> New, it costs $32.95 for nonmembers, plus shipping.

> You can get it  

> from Barnes and Noble online for about $26.00. You

> can get it used,  

> for example on Amazon, for much less.

> It  might also be available in the education or

> textbooks section of  

> a university bookstore.

> 

> Are others interested in having a focused discussion

> here on How to  

> Do Curriculum Development ?

> 

> David J. Rosen

> djrosen at comcast.net

> 

> 

> On Jul 17, 2007, at 7:15 AM, Katrina Hinson wrote:

> 

> > I've never read the book, but I like the idea you

> posted below.  

> > That is

> > something I could see myself doing in my room. I'd

> be interested in a

> > discussion as you mentioned below "How to Do

> Curriculum  

> > Development". Is

> > this book available at a retailer like Barnes and

> Nobles or Borders?

> >

> > Regards,

> > Katrina Hinson

> >

> >>>> "David J. Rosen" <djrosen at comcast.net> 07/16/07

> 1:26 PM >>>

> > PD Colleagues,

> >

> > I have recently been re-reading _Understanding by

> Design_, 2nd ed. ,a

> > fine book by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe on

> curriculum

> > development.  So, through that lens, I think that

> classroom

> > "decorating" misses the point of adult education. 

> I would ask,

> > instead, as Wiggins and McTighe do, "What are the

> Big Ideas and Core

> > Tasks?" of the curriculum, and how can the

> classroom (walls) help

> > students understand those?

> >

> > There are lots of ways to use the physical

> environment of the

> > classroom for learning and assessment, once the

> Big Ideas/Core tasks

> > are clear.  Each week the classroom walls could

> have questions,

> > pictures, drawings, key words, hanging objects and

> two-dimensional

> > sculptures that reflected just one Big idea or

> Core Task.  Or, if

> > there were 20 weeks and 20 Big Ideas/Core Tasks,

> each week a wall

> > area could be developed with the new Big Idea/Core

> Tasks so that by

> > the end of the 20 weeks the walls had them all. 

> For classes where it

> > isn't possible to put something on the wall, each

> week there could be

> > a digital slide show of images that the teacher

> and students have

> > found that exemplify the Big Idea/Core Tasks for

> that week. The best

> > images could be saved for future classes. 

> Students' selections of

> > images could also be a good formative assessment

> to help the teacher

> > and the students determine how well students are

> understanding the

> > Big Idea/Core Task.

> >

> > Of course, there are other approaches to

> curriculum development, a

> > Freirean approach for example, or a theme-based

> approach.

> >

> > Since I have mentioned the UbD book, I wonder if

> other adult

> > educators on the PD list have read and use this

> book, and/or what

> > other books and approaches adult educators have

> found useful in

> > curriculum development.  Jackie, perhaps if others

> are interested,

> > "How to Do Curriculum Development Well" could be a

> discussion topic

> > on the PD discussion list.  Some might argue that

> the topic is more

> > program development than professional development,

> but from my

> > experience some of the most profound and lasting

> professional

> > development takes place as teachers are trying to

> solve the problems

> > of creating or improving their curriculum.  If

> others are intersted,

> > perhaps this discussion could be an in-depth

> curriculum development

> > "shop talk" week, where those whose passion is

> curriculum development

> > are encouraged to talk about their approaches,

> books that help

> > teachers understand curriculum development

> processes, satisfying

> > experiences and frustrations helping teachers

> developing curriculum,

> > and more. The goal would be to help adult

> education curriculum

> > developers share and improve their approach/es to

> curriculum

> > development. Anyone interested in participating in

> such a discussion?

> >

> > David J. Rosen

> > djrosen at comcast.net

> >

> >

> > On Jul 16, 2007, at 2:57 AM, Bonnita Solberg

> wrote:

> >

> >> Speaking of decor---one thing I learned from

> veteran teachers when

> >> teaching High School subjects to adults, many of

> whom come to us

> >> with learning challenges, is that having a

> rocking chair in the

> >> room is a huge asset.  Encourage students to use

> the rocker when

> >> they designate their own time out, feel stressed

> and want to relax

> >> or just to think and get the gears going again. 

> The calming effect

> >> is extraordinary.  By modeling use of the rocker,

> students know

> >> that teachers also have time out needs.  Adult

> classes in our

> >> district also have pets---animals and fish. 

> Students take turns

> >> being responsible for care and cleaning of

> pens/tanks.  Rabbits are

> >> especially warm and relaxing, as are fish.  We

> have also had

> >> hamsters and r> Teacher On Special Assignment

> >> Oakland  Adult and Career Education

> >>

> >>

> >>

> >> Barbara Garner <b.garner4 at verizon.net> wrote:

> Reading this question

> >> reminded me of a "Focus on Basics" article from

> the Literacy and

> >> Health issue. The article was about the Women,

> Violence, and Adult

> >> Education project, led by the late Elizabeth

> Morrish. Project Hope,

> >> in Massachusetts, runs a homeless shelter as well

> as running ABE

> >> classes. (For the full article, go to

> http://www.ncsall.net/

> >> index.php?id=244) They did far more than put

> posters on the walls,

> >> and the impact was profound:

> >> ...we were thinking, "How

> >> do we create positive conditions for learning?"

> My partner teacher

> >> looked around and said, "Why don't we change the

> room?" So she held

> >> a "visioning day" in her class. She asked her

> students to draw

> >> pictures of what they would like the room to look

> like. She asked,

> >> "If you could have anything you wanted in this

> room, what would it

> >> be? No restrictions!" So the students drew these

> incredible

> >> pictures, and we worked on the room all summer

> based on what they

> >> told us they wanted. We painted the walls, added

> plants, put a

> >> little fountain in, got halogen lights instead of

> the fluorescent

> >> ones, bought new, more comfortable chairs. We

> hung a stained glass

> >> panel in the windowÖ . By the end of the summer,

> the room looked

> 

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