Cura Personalis and Curriculum Design

Jen LaMaster, Assistant PrincipalBrebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School

What do we mean by curriculum design?

The academic plan… including Academic Content Sequence Instructional Methods Instructional Resources Assessment practices Evaluation/Reflection

Consider

Intended Curriculum

Achieved Curriculum

Hidden Curriculum

What is our school’s Intended Curriculum, Achieved Curriculum, Hidden Curriculum?

Understanding by Design

Wiggins and McTighe’s classic fits in with IPP well.

Context – identify current practices Experience – backward design to

identify curricular goals and desired outcomes

Reflection – identify gaps, desired results and assess evidence

Action – Plan content, sequence and learning experiences

Assessment – review evidence to support goal achievement

Tensions

I hope our Symposium conversation will look at the tension between the academic practice of curriculum design and the very human reality of our students and faculty living out the design.

Amount and frequency of assessments Homework 24/7 access to communication tools Outside pressures such as college admission,

parental expectations and time management

What are the outside influences on curriculum design in my school?

Lights and shadows of formal curriculum design vs information curriculum design.

How do we ensure all voices (students, parents, faculty) are part of the design process?

Recognizing the tension of internal curricular expectations and external curricular demands, how do ensure stress is kept reasonable for all?

Sharing

What is your school doing to address curriculum design in light of cura personalis?

Resources

Curriculum Design from the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching from the University of Michigan

http://www.crlt.umich.edu/assessment/curriculumdesign Overview of the UbD & the Design Template, Gary Wiggins http://

www.grantwiggins.org/documents/UbDQuikvue1005.pdf