As a technology specialist, I am a firm believer that instruction drives technology. In this course I investigated curriculum. I work at a school that has very high expectations for their students. We do not just want our children to pass tests but to truly succeed on assessments.
Curriculum should be driven by data. During week 1 assignment 1, I reviewed AIES data from 2010. I realized that our students do very well on the TAKS test. In almost all areas and populations, more than 99% of students passed with at least 75% of students being commended in all areas. The only part that showed an area of need was in writing. 77% were commended in 2010 whereas 92% were commended in 2009. The Campus Improvement Plan indicates that by 2011, 90% of students will score commended on the TAKS.
With that data in hand, I decided to work with fourth grade teachers in increasing writing fluency with the use of online forums. I ensured that the professional development session I created worked through the areas indicated in the APA learner centered psychological principals (1997). The teachers will use a “hands on” approach to learning forums. During their training they will utilize the forum themselves whiles brainstorming ideas to utilize forums with their students.
Using data to help drive instruction is important in the classroom as well as during professional development. We must use these data based decision making skills to successfully implement curriculum objectives.
Learner-centered psychological principles: a framework for school reform and redesign. (1997). American Psychological Association., Retrieved from http://www.alamo.edu/sac/murguia/docs/resources/14%20LCPsdoc.pdf
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