Purpose:
Throughout this course, you have been learning about best practices in curriculum design. Simultaneously, you have been examining your own practice with the goal of improving your instructional strategies and your learners’ academic achievements.
For your unit of study review project, you will do a self-critique of your progress as a curriculum developer. This critical analysis should be based upon your previously designed curriculum map, your course readings, and research-based practices. Use 3–4 research-based articles as references.
Directions:
Review the attached Curriculum Map from Unit 4. Use the attached Unit of Study template to design a sequence of activities that introduce a skill or concept, allow for practice and reinforcement, and finally mastery. You may use the attached Curriculum Map for one portion of your Unit of Study. Add a standard that will either occur before the standard in the attached initial curriculum map, or after it. Scaffold an instructional sequence for your diverse learners in this order:
- Introduce the concept/skill
- Reinforce and practice the concept/skill
- Master the concept/skill
- Consider these questions:
- What skills or concepts need to be taught prior to the first standard you selected?
- What needs to be initially introduced to students?
- What skills or concepts need to be taught after the first standard you selected?
- What needs to be practiced and reinforced?
- What opportunity can you provide for mastery?
Develop a unit of study review using the following outline:
APA Cover Page
LINKING THEORY
- Identify the current educational or curriculum theory used in each portion of the unit of study for the whole group, small group, and individual students. You may also reinforce the theories presented in this course by doing an Internet search for “educational theories” and “curriculum theories.” Analyze the current educational theories and the relationship they have to the learning activities in your unit of study.
FLEXIBLE GROUPING RATIONALE
- Explain why you planned each activity the way you did for individual, small group, and whole group learning scenarios. Review your selected plans for research-based practices implementation.
CONNECTING STANDARDS
- Explain how each selected lesson/activity or unit of study meets local, state, or national standards.
- With a reflective perspective, critically assess your planning. How well did each activity reflect a solid learning theory while aligning with either the local, state, or national standards?
REINFORCING STUDENT NEEDS
- Explain how each activity takes into account your students’ intellectual, academic, social, and emotional development.
- Explain how components of the unit of study influence student motivation.
- How well did you take into account your students’ different learning profiles, interests, and readiness levels?
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT AND REFLECTION
- Evaluate the effects of research-based curricular approaches on the process of curriculum design and development. How does using research-based practice impact your instructional decision making?
- Reflect on and evaluate the quality and appropriateness of various curriculum designs in your unit of study. Which elements of curriculum design do you value and will you continue to incorporate into your practice?
- Comment on how the reflective process has influenced (or will influence) your professional practice.
APA Reference Page
This paper should be 5–6 pages, not including your title page or references page.
