WIT 2003

Teaching Guide
Passion Curriculum Module
produced by 
Diana Joseph

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• Introduction
• Aim
• Rationale
• Audience
• Prerequisites
• Subject-Matter
• Goals and Objectives
• Instructional Plan
• Materials
• Assessment and Evaluation
• Appendices
• Glossary

Introduction

[Classroom map image]

Welcome to the Passion Curriculum WIT classroom!

Many teachers feel a profound connection to their students and want nothing more than to engage their interest in learning activities. Furthermore, we know from cognitive science research and from motivation research that when learners are interested, they retain more knowledge, they persist longer and put in more effort, and they connect what they are learning to their prior knowledge.

The traditional design of schools can make it challenging to create engaging learning activities. This course will introduce two important frameworks to support curriculum design. The interest-driven learning framework provides a way of understanding how learners are motivated, and the passion curriculum provides specific strategies for activity design to serve learner motivations as they really occur.

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Aim

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Rationale

The Passion Curriculum section is organized as a passion curriculum. This means that it is intended to meet four core principles:

• Honor learner goals in all elements of the learning environment (the interest principle)
• Locate all activities in meaningful work (the authenticity principle)
• Ensure a rich social context (the social context principle)
• Use many different motivational strategies to support interest (the rich motivation principle)

In order to meet these principles we have organized the passion curriculum section and web module in particular ways:

• The curriculum is organized around a theme that we trust is of great interest to learners.
• The central activity of the curriculum is a project that is connected with the specific interests of particular groups of participants.
• Participants earn meaningful certifications, with specific rights and responsibilities, by demonstrating the skills they have learned.
• The curriculum is organized so that when things happen that might reduce participant interest (for example, the work gets tough), other kinds of motives (such as social goals, challenges& rewards) kick in.

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Goals and Objectives

As a participant in the passion curriculum WIT section, you will:

• Create a passion curriculum web that targets the interests of your students
• Learn to integrate key learning objectives into highly engaging curriculum
• Learn to make use of the latest research in motivation and learning
• Learn to analyze learning activities in terms of how they are likely to motivate your students

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Audience 

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Prerequisites

Completion of the WIT section, Using the Web in the Classroom or equivalent computer skills. 

Interest in focusing on developing highly engaging curriculum activities.

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Subject-Matter

The passion curriculum WIT section includes seven design modules to support the development of a passion curriculum web.

• Choosing interest-based themes
• Aligning critical learning objectives with interest-based activities
• Creating interest-based projects
• Creating certifications
• Supporting student engagement [speed projects, contests]
• Organizing a "professional life" in the classroom [Astronomers/geologists/meteorologists. Meta example -- web-designing teachers (example would be Chicago Web Docent]
• Classroom infrastructure for passion curricula [Janet's tree example [Janet's image], Diana's classroom example]
• Instructional practice in passion curricula [link to classroom management module. Modeling: give them lots of examples. How we set it up. And we can make that explicit at some point [they can figure it out]. Include the social components]

In addition, we provide resources to support your learning as you work on your passion curriculum web. [Diana says .... manipulated photo]

• What we know about motivation, cognition and learning
• Exploring passion-based curriculum designs
• Advanced ideas in passion curriculum design
• How to develop your design in terms of "spaces"
• Finding local mentors or telementors [Margaret Riel's site]
• Links to like-minded organizations [Big Picture Company]
• [point to other resources that exist]

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Instructional Plan

The passion curriculum WIT section is organized like a classroom. Each module in the unit is represented by a learning station in the classroom map. Design stations are located around the edges of the classroom, and resource stations are located in the middle of the classroom [collaboratory]. The Northeast corner of the classroom is devoted to presentations and on-line discussions. You can always find logistical information, such as course roster, schedule, and expectations, in the filing cabinet in the Southwest corner [certification forms]. You can also contact someone [make a link] from the communications station in that same corner [comm station should have chat, email, & phone numbers.]

[Insert "classroom map" image -- visual that gives access to the modules as stations. Design stations in the outer ring, resource stations in the inner ring. Chat space, presentation space, logistical stuff]

[Janet fixing this to fit what will really happen] When you arrive in class each afternoon, you will begin by meeting with your classmates (in realspace) and mentors to check in on project status. The rest of each session will be devoted to design work. [group, buddy system, mentors]You will move from module to module as you and your mentors feel is appropriate. If you complete about one or two design modules each week, you should have no trouble completing a passion curriculum web by the end of the course. [key component -- what kind of classroom do you want?]

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Materials

Passion WIT notebook [Various handouts]containing basic design instructions for passion curriculum webs.

A computer for each participant.

Internet access

Dreamweaver or Netscape Communicator 

Curriculum Webs

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Assessment and Evaluation

Like all WIT participants, in order to receive your continuing education credit, you must

• Attend regularly (you may miss up to two days over the course of the summer)
• Complete substantial work toward a curriculum web
• Present curriculum webs and instructional plans at the close of the course
• Provide advice and support to another member of the course
• Collaborate with team members
• Participate in research on passion curriculum design [link this to the consent form] OR write a report on your experience for the summer

In passion curricula, evaluation takes place through certifications [make a definition]. The Passion Curriculum Design WIT section offers two certifications: Interest-Centered Curriculum Design, and Curriculum Web Design. These certifications are designed to be challenging. We recommend that you choose one certification as a target. You may have time to complete the second one as well. [now we're talking more]

To complete the Interest-Centered Curriculum design certification, you must complete the following requirements:

[fill in]

Completing these requirements earns you:

An invitation to participate in the Passion Curriculum Mentors group

Support for enactment of your curriculum during the school year

An invitation to co-author an upcoming paper for a professional or academic journal.

To complete the Curriculum Web Design certification, you must complete the following requirements:

[fill in]

Completing these requirements earns you:

An invitation to train as a WIT mentor next year.

[what else? For people who really want to show off].

To give us feedback on the passion curriculum WIT section, please send email to djoseph@csi.uchicago.edu [make an email contact].

[there should be separate certifications for a variety of things]

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If you would like to provide feedback on this module, please use the Feedback form.