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1.

SignificanceoftheCurriculumDesignProject

Itseemstomethattheprimarysignificanceofmycurriculumdesignprojectisthis:the
curriculumpackageproducedbytheprojectshouldhelpincrease

both(1)theamountofwriting
thatmyfallstudentswillproduceand(2)theamountofcomputerbasedwritingthatmyfall
classwillengagein.Withoutthiscurriculum,myfallstudentswouldalmostcertainlyreceive
lesswritinginstructioningeneralandlesscomputerbasedwritingexperienceinparticular.This
factissignificantbecausestudentsneedmorepracticewriting,especiallypracticewritingusinga
computer.

2.ImplicationsforMyPractice

Theprimaryimplicationsofthiscurriculumdesignprojectformypracticearetwofold.First,as
aresultofmyinvolvementintheproject,Ihaveagainbecomeacquaintedwiththelessonplan
writingprocess.Theprojectrequiredmetowritelessonplans,soIwrotelessonplans.Before
theproject,Ihadnotwrittenlessonplansinalongwhile,becauseIhavebeenateacherfora
verylongtimeandknowwellhowtoteachfourthgraders.Writinglessonplansouthascaused
metobecomeabetterwrite,Ibelieve.

Second,asaresultofmyinvolvementintheproject,Iammorelikelytowritelessonplansinthe
future,becauseIhavebeenremindedthatwritinglessonplanshelpsclarifytheconceptsand
skillstobetaught,firstfortheteacher,thenforthestudents.Althoughwritingplanstakea
significantamountoftimetodowell,Ibelievethebenefitsforteacherandstudentsoutweighthe
extracost.Ibelievethisbecausetheamountoftimesavedinclassbyhavingaplantofollow
willlikelybegreaterthantheamountoftimespentoutsideofclasswritingthelessonplans.

3.ConnectionstotheLiteratureandResearchQuestions

Myresearchquestionsfocusedmyliteraturereviewonfindingthebestlearningmanage
systemforincreasingcomputerbasedwritinginstructionforELLstudents.Buttheliteratureon
thesubjectoflearningmanagementsystemsisincompleteandincapableofansweringmy
researchquestionsbecause(1)technologyisalwaysadvancingatanincreasingquickpace,
whichconstantlychangesthelearningmanagementsystemselectionlandscape,andbecause(2)
therearemanylearningmanagementsystemsavailable,eachofwhichservescertain
instructionalsituationsbetterthanothers,noneofwhichservesallinstructionalsituationsbetter
thanother.

Asaresultofmyreviewoftheliterature,andmyinquiryintothevariouslearningmanagement
systemsavailable,IdeterminedthatthequestionIsoughttoanswercannotbeansweredinthe

abstract.Instead,Ideterminedthatlearningmanagementsystems,whethertrulycompleteornot,
mustbetriedbyindividualteachersonacasebycasebasis.Onlyexperiencewouldsettlethe
question,Idecided.Evenso,Ihadtodecidewhichlearningmanagementsystemtotryfirst.
Becauseoftheparticularitiesofmyinstructionalsituation,itmadethemostsensetotryGoogle
Classroomfirst.MyexperiencewithGoogleClassroom,andwithGoogleAppsforEducationin
general,includingGoogleDocsandGoogleForms,revealedtomethatImadetherightchoice
tostartwithGoogle,becauseIfoundGooglessystemeasytousewithinmyDistrictsIT
environment.

4.LimitationsoftheCurriculumDesignProject

Asignificantlimitationofmycurriculumdesignprojectisfoundontheothersideofmy
decisiontouseGooglessystem:Ididnottryanyoftheothersystems,suchasEdmodoor
Schoology,justGoogle.Asaresult,IcannotsaythatGoogleisbetterthananyothersystem,
onlythatitworkedwellformeinmysituationandformypurposes.WhetherGooglewillwork
forothereducatorsthesamewaywillbenecessarilylefttoothereducatorstodecidefor
themselves.Althoughothereducatorsmayreadthiscurriculumprojectdescriptionandusethe
lessonplansIvewritten,thereisnosubstitutefordirectexperience.Thus,othereducatorswho
decidetotryGooglefirstmaybehelpedbymyproject,buttheywillnotbeabletousemy
projecttodecidewhetheritisbetterforthemthananyothersystem.

Asmentionedabove,thislimitationisaconsequenceoftheITrelatedlimitationsofmyschool
anddistrict.BythetimeIstartedthisproject,mydistricthaddecidedtoabandontheMyBig
CampuslearningmanagementsysteminfavorofGoogleAppsforEducation,includingGoogle
Classroom.ThisfactmadeitafairlyeasydecisionformetonottryMyBigCampusfirst,orat
all,andtoinsteadtryGooglefirst.Othereducatorsmayhaveamoredifficultdecisiontomake
becausetheITstaffofotherdistrictsmayhavegoneinadirectionincompatiblewithoreven
antagonistictoGoogle.Inthatcase,educatorswillhavesomedifficultytryingGooglefirst,ifit
isatallavailable.

Aspreviouslydiscussed,aloneeducatorcannotdecidetotryoutoruseGoogleClassroom.
GoogleClassroomrequiresadministratorcooperationandpermissiontoconnecttodistrict
computerresources.TheeducatorsdistrictmustfirstenableGoogleAppsforEducationforthe
districtsentireemailandwebdomain,forexample.Adistrictmaynotbewillingtodothisfora
singleeducatortobeabletotryoutGoogleClassroom,sothefactthatmydistrictwasGoogle
readywillbeoflittlehelptoeducatorsfromdistrictscommittedtootherlearningplatforms.

5.ReflectionontheCurriculumDesignProcess

Asmentionedabove,thecurriculumdesignprocessrequiredwritingskillsIhadnotusedina
longtime.Thisisbothironicandappropriatesincethepointofthecurriculumdesignprojectis
tohelpstudentsusecomputerstobecomebetterwriters.IcouldnotteachwellwhatIdont
alreadyknowwellmyself,sothefactthatIhadtobecomeabetterwriter(e.g.,byhavingto
writelotsoflessonplansandeventhisconclusion)inordertobeabetterwritingteachermakes
senseandisonlyright.

AsIreflectontheprocess,frombeginningtoend,IammadeawareofhowfortunateIam.The
curriculumdesignprocessrequiredplanningskillsthatIhadnotexercisedinawhile,asteaching
fourthgraderscomessonaturallytomethatIoftendontfeeltheneedtoplan.Iamfortunateto
havebeenprovidedtheopportunitytothinkoftheproblemsfacingmystudentsandtocomeup
withasolution.Iamfortunatetohavebeenprovidedtheopportunitytoconceiveofcurriculum
designedtosolvetheproblemsfacingmystudents.

6.TransformationasaTeacherandLearner

IhavelearnedthatImustkeeplearning,yearafteryear,andthatImustlearnfirstverywellwhat
itisIwouldteachtootherpeople.Iknewthistobetrue,atleastinmyhead,butIfeelitnow
too.Thatisonewaytheexperiencehaschangedme.ButIamalsochangedinanotherway.For
thefirsttimeinmanyyears,IhaveaveryconcreteplanofwritinginstructionthatIamexcitedto
putintoactionthisfall.Iamexcitedformyself.Iamevenmoreexcitedformystudents.They
gettobethefirstofmyclassestostartashandwritersandquicklybecomewritersreadyforthe
modernworld,andIknowtheywillbegreat.

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