Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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.