In
Los Altos School District we are on a journey to revolutionize learning
for all students; not an easy task by any account but one that we are
committed to. This school year we are focusing on upgrading our
instruction as we work to better understand the needs of all our
students, embrace the Common Core Standards and better leverage
technology as an instructional tool. As is typical in education, we
have multiple initiatives going on that to a casual observer may seem
chaotic, but all of our initiatives are geared to improving the student
learning experience. Upgrading instruction is a first step that every
teacher in our district is actively engaged in. We are fortunate to
have great support for our teachers through instructional coaches and
other classroom teachers that spent a week last summer engaged in
learning about this concept of upgrading curriculum and instruction with
Heidi Hayes Jacobs, author of Curriculum 21: Essential Education for a Changing World.
There is an entertaining Dodge commercial on T.V. right now called - How to Change Cars Forever.
I’m not sure the commercial does a great job of selling the Dodge
Dart, but it does a fabulous job of illustrating an iterative process
with concepts related to our conversation on curriculum upgrades.
Upgrading
a unit of instruction isn’t just another task to complete. It isn’t
just another box to check off the to-do list. Upgrading instruction is
really about rethinking instruction to make meaningful changes for
students. It is an iterative process that needs to be ongoing because
of the changing world we live in. It means asking tough questions of
ourselves and of our colleagues. It isn’t easy work but definitely
worthwhile to improve the learning experiences we provide for our
students. If we are successful, we just might change instruction
forever.
Alyssa Gallagher, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction
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