Curriculum Decisions Blog

I just returned a few days ago from attending the NSTA 2017 national conference in Los Angeles. I spent most of my time attending sessions in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) strand, given my on-going standards-based curriculum-design work with schools and districts. During one session a presenter mentioned the Periodic Table of Elements and its organization, which got me thinking…. In 1869, Russian chemist, Dmitri Mendeleev, developed what has become known as the first periodic table. He arranged the elements according

Same goal, different day? You can achieve the success you’re seeking. Here’s how you can use past mistakes to your advantage. Making mistakes is not inherently bad. In fact, if you are not making mistakes, then there is a good chance you are not growing. Calculated risk-taking demands comfort with both success and failure—and is a part of developing a Growth Mindset. Mistakes are a natural outcome of trying something new. Adults become more risk-averse with age. Proper facilitation

January 6 is National Technology Day!  Computing power continues to grow at an exponential rate while its relative cost decreases at an equal exponential rate. This phenomenon, known as Moore’s Law, once only applied to the technology function within an organization. As more organizational processes become technologically dependent, this is no longer the case. Big data, social media, mobility, technological device size, student analytics, and other technological evolutions are disrupting school districts’ processes in big

Special Education Day on December 2nd marks the 41st anniversary of the passage of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). I have had the pleasure of working with this special-to-my-heart population since I was 12 years old! I taught swimming lessons to mentally challenged children on the military base where I lived in Korea, as well as taught English to Korean blind children in an orphanage near Seoul on weekends. In honor of students with

National STEM / STEAM Day occurred on November 8th. In the midst of the U.S. presidential election, it seemed to get lost in the mix. STEM is a curriculum design focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. It’s close cousin – STEAM is a curriculum framework focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. Some view the inclusion of the arts, especially visual arts, inherent when involved in engineering (e.g., form, function, aesthetics). Others believe that fully