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Aim
This module introduces WIT participants to the steps in
curriculum development and supports them as they examine preexisting
curriculum webs.
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Rationale
Planning is facilitated by a structure in which important issues
are dealt with as a plan is developed. WIT provides this structure,
through the elements of the teaching guide to the lesson or curriculum
web.
It is possible to treat the elements of the teaching guide as
just a worksheet to be "filled in" so the instructor is happy.
But we hope WIT participants will take the planning process seriously,
treating it as a professional, rather than perfunctory, task.
We hope that participants will be interested in why the elements
are helpful, and that they will explore the optional resources
provided, but we're "okay with it" if participants just follow
the steps.
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Goals and Objectives
This module teaches teachers how to write teaching guides
for their web-based lessons and curriculums.
At the conclusion of this module, participants will:
- be able to list five characteristics of behavioral objectives
- be able to locate examples of effective goals and objectives
using existing WIT curriculum webs
- be able to locate examples of effective plans of assessment
and evaluation using existing WIT curriculum webs
These objectives correlate with recently-released International
Society for Technology in Education's National
Educational Technology Standards, which call for teachers
who can:
"engage in planning of lesson sequences that effectively integrate
technology resources and are consistent with current best practices,"
and
"plan and implement technology learning activities that promote
student engagement in analysis, synthesis, interpretation, and
creation of original products."
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Audience
Teachers who are interested in learning how to write effective
web-based lessons and curriculum.
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Prerequisites
Teachers must express an interest in participating in the process
of curriculum development on the web with their colleagues.
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Subject-Matter
The importance of well planned curriculums
Writing effective goals, objectives and plans for assessment
and evaluation
The process of curriculum planning--development leading to design
Issues in curriculum development: subject-centered vs. learner
centered, grouping, the relation between experience and learning
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Instructional Plan
Begin with the Introduction. Participants read definitions. Mentors
ask participants to discuss the curriculum-based questions with
a neighbor for 10 minutes. Neighbors can then share their answers
to the whole group with mentors acting as facilitators. Mentors
should lead the participants through the definition and components
of a curriculum web. The activity asks participants to search
for the components discussed in existing WIT curriculum webs.
Mentors may wish to form groups of four to five participants.
Each participant then would look a single curriculum web and share
the findings with the group.
The Importance of Planning page asks participants to read a short
essay. This is designed to be self-paced, but mentors may want
to have discussions of the contents after participants have had
a chance to read through the page.
The Curriculum Development page is also designed to be self-paced,
but mentors may once again want to discuss the contents after
have had a chance to read through the page. Whole group discussions
can be centered around how using the web will affect the writing
of curriculums, how one should assess students, and/or how to
evaluate the curriculum webs. The activities can be done individually
or in small groups with each participant looking at a different
curriculum web and reporting to the small group.
The Digging Deeper page is additional information about curriculum
development and curriculum design. It is optional, but mentors
may wish to point it out to participants.
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Materials
- Computer for each participant.
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Assessment and Evaluation
Participants are able to distinguish between curriculums, lessons,
and instruction. Participants identify the components of a curriculum
web in existing webs. Participants locate examples of goals, objectives,
and plans for assessment and evaluation. Participants discuss
(via small group discussion, whole group discussion, or email
to mentor) objectives and assessment they may adapt to use in
their own curriculum webs.
Participants can evaluate this module by emailing feedback to
its developers.
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