Category: curriculum

Unpacking 21st Century Skills

If you are one of the lucky folks who gets to help “work the curriculum” to embed 21st Century Skills, your job will be much better and much easier if you take the time to unpack those skills.  This visual gives you an idea about how you might do that.  This will also make it much easier to determine connections between 21st Century Skills and the good things you already have in your curriculum.  This also makes it MUCH easier to design rubrics for 21st Century Skills.  (Don’t forget to click the visual below to see it in full size.)

Unpacking 21st Century Skills

Students benefit when you unpack the skills because it makes the expectations clearer to them.  And we know what happens when the expectations are clear; students are more likely to meet them.  Imagine that!

Visual Source for 8th Grade Outcome Example:  Partnership for 21st Century Skills, Geography Skills Map

Why Teachers Don’t Have Enough Time to Teach State Standards

Why Teachers Don't Have Time to Teach the Curriculum

So what do you think?  Should state departments of education give school districts every single standard they should teach?  Should districts have more flexibility?  What if states determined the most important standards for students to learn?  What if states developed assessments for just those most important things?  Why is it that the same folks who tell districts how many days there must be in a school year are also the same folks who give too many standards to teach (at least well) within that 180 day period?  Am I missing something here?

The Virginia Department of Education Gives Nod to Draft Science Standards

It’s time to update curriculum in our state – and I’m glad to see the work that has gone into revising the science curriculum.  I also applaud a local resident, Dr. Jim Batterson, for his support and initiative in improving science standards.

Here’s an article about the standards:

http://hamptonroads.com/2009/10/state-education-board-oks-draft-science-standards

 

 This is good time for Virginian’s to take a look at the standards and give additional comments.  Don’t be shy about reviewing the document and sharing your good ideas.

Science Standards, Virginia – Proposed

MEAP Writing Rubrics

In September 2009, the Michigan Department sent out a listserve message to solicit feedback and comments about the new MEAP writing rubric for compare and contrast.  I could hardly wait to look at it.  I want you to know what I submitted.

Debs Comments for New MEAP Writing Rubrics

I think it’s great that the folks at the State are encouraging this kind of information, so don’t forget to send along your own good ideas and suggestions to them.

Unpacking the Compare and Contrast Standard for the New MEAP Writing Test

Comparing and contrasting are thinking skills.  It just so happens that in Fall 2010, the Michigan Department of Education will assess students in their ability to write a compare-and-contrast paragraph.  In my blog, I’ll be providing ideas that I hope will be useful to you.  I also hope that you’ll consider adding ideas.  If there is something you think we could post, just email it to me and I’ll take care of it.  Please visit my blog frequently – and tell your friends about it so they can visit it, too!

Here are THREE things for you to download today.

Unpacked MEAP Standards, Grade 3, ELA, HORIZONTAL FORMAT This is a twenty-two page document in which I’ve put a number of things.  I’ve unpacked the standard (ya-hoo); put together a list of core vocabulary words and descriptions for this standard; provided ideas for prompts; and created charts that show where the thinking skills of compare and contrast are already embedded in the Grade Level Content Expectations (GLCEs).

I designed these by content area (e.g, one for reading, writing, math, science, and social studies that show natural compare-and-contrast connections by grade level).  I also designed charts by grade levels, K-5.  If you want a 2nd grade teacher to quickly see how compare-and-contrast is addressed across the content areas in grade 2, these charts might be just perfect for your use.

I also designed a content card for compare and contrast.  Print this out; it’s ready to use!

Compare and Contrast, Apples to Oranges This is not a lesson, but I’ve included a number of ideas for your review, consideration, and use.  I’ve included some ideas for the prompt:  Compare and Contrast Apples and Oranges.

Compare and Contrast, Apples to Oranges in NOTES FORMAT Download this pdf file and you’ll see the powerpoint slides I created above in the Notes Format – with my notes on each slide.

Please tell me what you think!  All thoughts – the good, the bad, and the ugly – are welcome.

Quick Review – Virginia’s SCIENCE SOL

Quick Review – Clarity, Specificity, Alignment

Proposed Revised Science Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools

October 2009

By Dr. Deborah Wahlstrom

Citizen reviewer

download a pdf copy of this review.

The purpose of this quick review is to take a look at the clarity, specificity, and alignment of Virginia’s science standards as they are presented in the Proposed Revised Science Standards of Learning. I always appreciate the opportunity to provide input related to curriculum. We are fortunate to live and work in a state with a comprehensive review process that encourages public input. So here goes.

I used the document noted below for this review. This document was presented to the Virginia Board of Education on October 22, 2009.


Source Document: Virginia Department of Education, Proposed Revised Science Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools – First Review, October 22, 2009.

 

These standards have already been through a content analysis, so for my quick review I’ll focus on the clarity of the standards. There are four major elements in the science standards document as shown in Figure 1 below.

Figure 1

Major Elements of Proposed Science Standards of Learning

I’ll be looking at several of the items in the first bullet of Figure 1 for the major elements of the proposed revised standards. More specifically, I’ll focus on the clarity, specificity, and alignment of the skills and content.


 In addition, as part of looking at the science standards, I’ll refer to the range of rigorous science skills and knowledge levels – that as written – are embedded in the science standards as shown in Figure 2 below.

Figure 2

Explanation of the Use of Investigate and Understand in Virginia’s Science Standards


We always want to encourage district staff to develop curricula that meets and exceeds that of the state standards, but in an era of accountability, we also want to be very specific about minimum level expectations to which students will be held accountable. I want to encourage state-level staff to better communicate the specific levels of thinking expected around the content standards. Doing so is key to tight alignment at the classroom level. Following are several examples of how to do this.

Example 1

 Since I’ve got to start somewhere, I started with the first standard in the entire standards document which follows.


 

A key issue I see with the standards document is that it is written in the passive voice. I highly recommend writing the components of the standard in the active voice. So this component:

Becomes this:

  • Identify characteristics of objects by direct observation.

Now why do I recommend this? A key to alignment at the classroom level is to match instructional activities and assessments to the cognitive level of the standard. In order to do this, the cognitive level must be very clear to teachers. By writing the standards in the active voice, you move the cognitive level of the standard so it is front and center – supporting a greater likelihood of alignment.

As I’ve written about in three of my books, we help ensure higher student achievement when we ensure alignment. Alignment happens at the classroom level and everything we do at the state level should support tight alignment at the classroom level. When you’re working on alignment, you’re always working on the cognitive level of the standard. When you write the standard as I have done above, you put the cognitive level at the very beginning of the statement and this quickly clarifies the learning expectation for students.

Now why is that important? Think of a teacher in the classroom who needs to design and/or choose lessons for this part of the standard. This standard clearly relays – in the first word – that students will identify the characteristics. Think of someone who is writing test items. I’ve just made the likelihood of having aligned test items higher since test items should be at the same level of cognitive thinking as the standard.

Now let’s apply this thinking to examples with other science standards.

Example 2


There are three interactions here that students must know. Here’s how I would rework the three interactions.

  • Differentiate/Distinguish between liquids that will separate when mixed with water and those that will not.
  • Explain that some solids will dissolve in water and some will not.
  • Explain that some substances dissolve more readily/quickly in hot water than in cold water.

Example 3


6.5.a water as the universal solvent

BECOMES

6.5.a Recognize water as the universal solvent.

Example 4


LS.1.a        Organize data into tables showing repeated trials and means.

LS.1.d        Construct models and simulations to illustrate and explain phenomena.

Example 5

Now, let’s take one from physics. I can see that in PH.1, there is an addition of experimental and product design processes. I recommend being more clear about the reiterative part of the design process – which may be new for many teachers.


PH.1.a        Define the components of a system.

PH.1.b        Select and use instruments to extend observations and measurements.

PH.1.c        Record and present information in an organized format.

Again, I encourage staff to tweak the standards so they (1) indicate the expected cognitive level of thinking and (2) are presented in the active voice. These are two critical actions that will lead to tighter alignment – and higher student achievement – at the classroom, school, district, and state levels.