Curriculum Implementation: an Action Plan

Updated with Feedback

Peter SorrentinoInstructional Leadership

EDU 707December 20, 2009

Geometry unit on Triangles consists of 3projects, a review and assessment:

1. Triangle Discovery Project2. Triangle Design Project3. Triangle Develop Project4. Review5. Traditional Assessment

Timeline, Resources, Experts & Challenges

Updates Derived from Feedback

Geometry Unit On Triangles: an Overview…

Actions Responsible Party

Experts Utilized

Overview, discussion & rubric of triangles

teacher

Coordinate trip chaperones and FT forms

teacher school admin

Guided tour of city structures teacher guest engineer

Post tour discussion and assessment dev

students

Review of assessment rubric and develop

teacher

Submittal of assessment students

1. Triangle Discovery Project

2. Triangle Design Project

Actions Responsible Party

Experts Utilized

Overview, discussion & rubric of design teacher

Presentation of design exemplars teacher guest engineer

Internet exploration of design options students librarian

Development of design w/ pros & cons students

Review of assessment rubric teacher

Submittal of assessment (design) students

3. Triangle Develop Project

Actions Responsible Party

Experts Utilized

Overview, discussion & rubric of design teacher

Development of bridge students shop teacher

Requirements conformance check students guest engineer

Review of assessment rubric teacher

Submittal of assessment- finished bridge

students

Assess bridges on aesthetics students teacher

Load test the bridges students guest engineer

Certify bridges by efficacy teacher principal

The triangle review is all about bridging the gap between project-based learning and assessments and traditional assessments

The PBL students know the triangle content, but they are unlikely to be prepared to demonstrate that knowledge on a traditional assessment – which is required.

The teacher will present typical traditional questions and demonstrate to student how to apply their triangle knowledge to this style of question.

This section might require only a day activity, but the results of traditional, standardized tests are too critical not to ensure students can apply their knowledge.

4. Triangle Review

This part of the unit is another small, day long class period with the goal of assessing the PBLers using a traditional test.

The goal is to provide the students with an actual test that mimics the situation they will encounter taking a state-wide standardized test in math.

The results of this test will become part of their unit grade.

5. Triangle Assessment

Oct4

Oct5

Oct6

Oct7

Oct8

Oct11

Oct12

Oct13

Oct14

Oct15

Oct18

Oct19

Oct20

Oct21

Oct22

Oct25

Oct26

Oct27

Triangle Unit: TimelineUnit Sections

Discovery Projct

Design Project

Develop Project

Triangle Review

Tri. Assessment

•Each green block represents a day of effort. For example, the Design Project starts Oct 4, as the duration of four days, the last day being Oct 7.

•This presentation is a Gantt chart (light) intended to show unit progression.

Field trip: forms & lunch for students Access to Internet lab Data projector Graphing paper Adhesives &

Popsicle sticks

Triangle Unit: Resources

Parents to assist with chaperoning and possibly with development of bridges

Guest engineer form local architectural firm Engineer employee of town’s building

department to help guide out tour Curriculum coordinator Principal Project-based learning advisor Shop teacher Geometry teachers

Triangle Unit: Experts

Duration of unit: current estimates are based on a combination of geometry curriculum allowance for the triangles unit and experience with other PBL units

The Review and Traditional assessment is designed to prepare the students to apply new triangle knowledge to standardized math assessments, but this transition might be problematic. The solution is likely to be to extend the time spent.

Achieving buy-in among geometry teachers will be challenging, but should be achievable by involving them in the design and development of the unit.

Triangle Unit: Challenges & Potential Solutions

New Slides for Unit 8: Feedback and Derived Enhancements

Themes of Feedback

Plan Elements at Issue

Feedback Accommodations

Colleagues Observations

1.Project-Based Learning is often not time efficient

2.Resources might not be available for building

3.Designing and building is prone to losing sight of learning the geometry

4.Careful teaming students is critical to success

5.Ensuring the children test well will be difficult

6.Determining makeup work for absent students is very challenging

Updates Derived from Feedback: Themes of Feedback

Updates Derived from Feedback: Plan Elements Receiving Critical Feedback

1. Project-Based Learning is often not time efficient - Timeline

2. Resources might not be available for building – Resources, specifically materials and shop teacher

3. Designing and building is prone to losing sight of learning the geometry – General PBL and my chose of doing a bridge design and build

4. Careful teaming students is critical to success –

teaming was not explicitly addressed in the plan5. Ensuring the children test well will be difficult –

2-3 days of reviewing and preparing for tests6. Determining makeup work for absent students is very

challenging – not addressed in original plan

Updates Derived from Feedback: Feedback Accommodations1. Project-Based Learning is often not time efficient – The timeline must be

reduced by 4 days, and teachers must be trained to stick to schedule2. Resources might not be available for building – This corporate sponsors

might be found for this project, also the schools’ FRIST Robotics Team might contribute and participate

3. Designing and building is prone to losing sight of learning the geometry - Teachers must be trained and monitored to ensure a focus on the geometry content is maintained

4. Careful teaming students is critical to success – Teams might be required, but not initially anticipated. Due to lab experience, science teachers to be consulted on effective teaming for projects

5. Ensuring the children test well will be difficult – The three days currently slated for this will have to be carefully detailed out and refined to ensure success

6. Determining makeup work for absent students is very challenging – This is quite a challenge. Suggestions have been to walk the student through the learning to ensure their understanding, and prepare them to participate in the remaining projects

The general comments were very positive A retired teacher I interviewed, who had

experience with PBL, was very concerned about the details of implementation. He alerted me to the required high level of planning and the issues around makeup

The parent I talked with loved the idea, found little they were critical of, but also was concerned about how makeup would work.

The administrator I presented to was enthusiastic, but reserved. It seems they were concerned with ensuring successful learning and handling parental concerns and potential complaints.

Updates Derived from Feedback: Colleagues’ Observations