Entry  5

Q. 1. Think about the standard of "goal-based design" and the "Design-Down, Deliver-Up" Model. How does such philosophy resonate with curriculum alignment?

Q. 2. Imagine now you have total control over curriculum development and are creating a yearly planning guide - how do you plan to align assessments with learning objectives? How often and in what forms do you plan to assess the students?

    The goal for every educator should be to develop well-rounded, critical-thinking citizens who are ready to compete in today's world. One way to achieve this goal is to create a curriculum design that showcases the student's learning. I believe that a goal-based design is a great way to implement the curriculum. It is important for students to know exactly what is expected of them; what are their learning outcomes. When the students know what they are expected to learn, that is the first step of taking ownership. Planning activities to facilitate the learning objectives is a fun way to engage students. These activities are also great assessment tools. This design is a good way to make sure that differentiated instruction takes place and it makes it easier for individualized student learning.

    I would create a syllabus for my students and parents. The syllabus would clearly define state and define the objectives (learning outcomes) for each nine weeks, the projects, the books students will be reading, the quizzes, and final assessment. I would also include any technology we will be using, materials needed, and grading criteria. 

    As far as assessing students, I would assess students periodically using the activity projects and one at the close of each nine-week period. Their assessments could range from visual demonstrations to essays to speeches. I would also include a project-based learning activity.