synopsis

SYNOPSIS

Mary Giacomarro & Joel V. Thornton

Council of Curriculum Development

Proposed Curriculum Change

The council of curriculum development is a group of administrators and teachers working together to promote success. The council’s responsibility is to review current curriculums and locate areas of improvement that should be made to promote student achievement. This year the council focused on the improvement plan to “UNLEARN” the passive learner in the mathematics classroom. It will also focus on one of the Five Theories of Learning, which is the experimentalist theory. Here students learn “by” doing or hands-on.

The first step of the council was to develop a three-stage learning curve that included the following: CONCRETE à ICONIC à SYMBOLIC. We identified these three characteristics based on the current curriculum. The current curriculum in place, teaches our students from the CONCRETE to SYMBOLIC stage. This means that our students are only memorizing the material. They truly never learn or understand the material to apply that knowledge to higher-order-thinking problems. The proposed curriculum will teach from the CONCRETE to ICONIC then SYMBOLIC. Through this sequence, students learn to make the connection and understand why they are solving the problem. With the connection, students are able to apply their knowledge and solve higher-order-thinking problems or real-life problems.

The proposed curriculum will also focus on three aspects: “UNLEARN” traditional assessment methods, improve technology and promote success for the 21^st Century learner. The proposed curriculum will have teachers grading their students through projects, presentations, tests, quizzes, homework, research papers and bi-weekly blogs where students solve real-life problems and respond to team members. Teachers will also have a classroom set of graphing calculators that are connected to a computer that projectors their answers and individual screen. Here the teacher has a virtual classroom where everyone is interactive. Smart boards will be provided in each classroom with projectors and a mobile cart of laptops provided with mathematics features. The 21^st Century learner must be able to adapt and reason. The world is forever changing and the successful student will be prepared for the rigorous road ahead. I would like to end with a quote by Nelson Mandela “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

Memo to Superintendent

Life Long Learners Institute

3.14 Aim High Lane

Motion, New Jersey 02468

Mary Giacomarro & Joel V. Thornton Telephone: (201) 527-4961

Council of Curriculum Development Fax: (201) 301-2546

MEMO

Date: December 4, 2008

To: Barry A. Bachenheimer, Superintendent

From: Mary Giacomarro, Principal

Joel V. Thornton, Vice-Principal

Re: Proposed Curriculum Change

Education is the key element for success in our student’s lives. The future of our society rests in the hands of our students. To prepare our students for their roles in the current society and future we have proposed the following. We need to “UNLEARN” the passive learner in the mathematics classroom. We will apply a three-stage learning curve: CONCRETE à ICONCI à SYMBOLIC. Here our students will make the connection and understanding to the material being taught and apply that knowledge in the 21^st Century.

The reason for the proposed curriculum change came from the following data. The Passing Rate for students in our school taking the HSPA Mathematics is 63.3% proficient and 16.6% advanced proficient. The state average for advanced proficient is 23.2%. The Passing Rate for students in our school taking the GEPA Mathematics is 61.5% proficient and 13.5% advanced proficient. The state average for advanced proficient is 22.5%. Our scores in the advanced proficient are below average. Our student’s performance is based on the CONCRETE and SYMBOLIC stages. Students never learn to make the connection of material learned and apply that knowledge to higher-order-thinking problems and real-life problems. Our current curriculum does not apply the ICONIC stage where the connection is made. Schools that applied the three-stage learning curve have improved advanced proficient on the GEPA Mathematics from 12.4% to 32.1%. The data clearly shows students who learn from CONCRETE TO ICONIC THEN SYMOBLIC have a meaningful understanding of knowledge that promotes success. When students make the connection, they are able to see the larger picture “The key to success is to risk thinking unconventional thoughts. Convention is the enemy of progress. As long as you’ve got slightly more perception than the average loaf, you could invent something” (Pink, 2005).

The three-stage learning curve: CONCRETE à ICONIC à SYMBOLIC will offer the teachers involved with an abundance of Professional Development. Each Professional Development session will focus on a different aspect. Such as team teaching, use of technology, alternate assessment methods and teaching to the 21^st century classroom. Team teaching is one factor that assists the three-stage learning curve through teacher consistency. It is stated in a quote by James Surowiecki “A successful face-to-face team is more than just collectively intelligent. It makes everyone work harder, think smarter and reach better conclusions than they would have on their own.” We have received a grant through the Mathematics Association of Growth, to purchase textbooks, supplies, materials, professional development, laptops, smart boards and projectors. Also through the Mathematics Association of Growth grant, we will have a math tutor to help students with their homework and answer any questions for an hour after school each day of the week for the school year. Our student’s achievement will come from the connection made in the ICONIC stage. When our students make the connection, their success in life has endless possibilities.

Curriculum Change