" I made a difference to that one." Eisley (1979)
Curriculum Planning & Development
a. Demonstrate the ability to enhance teaching and learning through curriculum and assessment and strategic planning for all learners - early childhood, elementary, middle level, and high school, special education and adult levels
b. Demonstrating the ability to provide planning and methods to anticipate trends and implications
c. Develop, implement and monitor procedures to align sequence and articulate curriculum
d. Identify instructional objectives and evaluate procedures to measure performance outcomes
e. Appropriately using learning technologies
f. Demonstrating the understanding of alternative instructional designs, curriculum, behavior management and assessment accommodations and modification
g. Demonstrating an understanding of urgency of global competitiveness
Reflection: 8-Curriculum Planning and Development
The school leader needs to understand the link between curriculum and the promotion of intercultural understanding and a global worldview. It is also essential that the school leader understands universally designed curriculum, state standards and research based instructional practices in relationship to the adopted district core curriculum. A knowledge of assessment is also required if the school leader is to become the driving force that fosters a belief that increased student achievement will occur.
My experience in the area of curriculum modification and adaptation for student participation and success is vast. As an educator I typically worked with a general education curriculum and overall district plan for instruction that failed to address the need for alternative means of access, engagement and student assessment. As an assistive technology specialist, I led a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) cadre in my district promoting the identification of curriculum designed for universal access. Working with a grant the district received from the MDE in collaboration with the Center for Applied Special Technology, I collaborated with the Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Special Education Director and two building principals to align and choose future curriculum that ensured alternative means of access via electronic text including text to speech options. As evident by the UDL power point artifact, this work included presenting information on Universal Design for Learning to all district certified staff to increase the awareness and impact alternative models of curriculum design has on overall student achievement.
As an assistive technology specialist I have experience working with a variety of learning technologies that support the core curriculum by offering alternative access and engagement for students. I trained special education staff on the use of Read and Write Gold software which provides reading and writing support features to users with literacy or learning difficulties through options such as word prediction. I have used Smart Boards and Inspiration software to represent curriculum as alternatives to print based media.
Being able to align curriculum to instructional objectives and measuring performance outcomes is required in my field of special education. Due process requires that IEP student goals and objectives are measurable. Best practice demands IEP goals and objectives that align to state academic standards. I have extensive training in standards based IEP’s.
During fieldwork hours I was part of the elementary special education curriculum committee. As shown in the curriculum and instruction reading interventions artifacts, we accessed guidance from the Director of Curriculum and Instruction to choose 3 curriculum options for use on a trial basis ensuring that all aligned with district research based intervention plans. Bridges to Reading curriculum was eventually approved by the committee and adopted by the district as a comprehensive program to meet the needs of special education students and not as just another supplement to the general education core curriculum.
The Read 180 artifact demonstrates my experience as part of the Intermediate School District #917 curriculum committee. Scholastic’s Read 180 curriculum was adopted by the district in response to low student achievement in reading. During fieldwork hours I was able to participate in the analysis of need, planning and the implementation stages of this process.
As an aspiring special education director, I understand the urgency of global competiveness and the need for curriculum that ensures students are exposed to multiple means of access and engagement. Special education students need to be given rigorous learning opportunities that will challenge them as individuals and offer the support to become active, contributing members of today’s global society. South St Paul is a K-12 International Baccalaureate District meaning all students are provided an education that is relevant to a global worldview. I attended IB training specific to the inclusion of special education students in the IB curriculum in Keystone, Colorado as shown in my IB artifact.
As special education director, I will be charged with preparing students for the future. A large part of this responsibility lies in planning for and providing the relevant curriculum required by teachers to deliver learning opportunities using multiple means of access. My experience in this competency area will help me effectively lead with confidence in the identification of curriculum for special education students that aligns with the district core curriculum instead of simply maintaining supplemental curriculum.
Artifacts
Read 180 page 13.jpg (110,7 kB)
Reading Interventions.jpg (128 kB) Reading Interventions page 2.jpg (281,6 kB)
