more on the concept-based curriculum

The concept-based curriculum is designed this way:

CONCEPT-BASED FRAMEWORK

OVERARCHING UNDERSTANDINGS
-deep, enduring understandings that represent
-the essence and complexity of a discipline(40-year learnings)

BIG IDEAS
-are the same, P-12
-single word or phrase
-represent core concepts of a discipline
-represent 40-year learnings

OVERARCHING ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
-written in grade bands
-not unit-specific
-are "broad and deep questionsthat remain alive in the disciplineperhaps forever" (from UBD)

ORGANIZING CONCEPTS
-a word or phrase that spans multiple grade levels, though it may not be used every year.
-are "clustered under Organizing Concepts in a planning template
-makes connections more clear and planning easier
-help make connections to previous and future units

thinking about genre study

Recently, my school district has taken a different direction with our curriculum. We're focusing on the concept-based approach, as opposed to the standards-based approach.
This switch has definitely affected the way we're doing business in the classroom. In Language Arts, we've chosen one genre to study each quarter. The hope and expectation is that, within the genre study, we will be able to hit on the valuable (and CSAP test-able!) skills students need in order to write that genre, and that those skills will be transferrable to other writing tasks. The other hope is that this approach will be embraced by students as being more practical and compelling. That's the hope.
As with any systemic change like this, there is a lot of confusion, trepidation, and sideways glances from the interested parties being asked to change their ways. Teachers are mostly positive and willing to make the shift, but it's not easy, emotionally or pedegogically. We're in our fifth month of implementation and it's a thumpy-bumpy success, so far. More later...

promises, promises

I promise this year to:
-not be as sarcastic (That should be a breeze!) Oops.
-talk less, take in more
-recognize that our kids do not learn in a personal vacuum, and be sensitive to that

I'm sure there's more I need to promise, but that's good for now.

What are some of your professional promises this year? Comment below.