Reflection on the Day of Learning - Focus Goals

The goals created for social studies provide fair direction. However, they are missing some important components if we believe in the ideas promoted in Strong, Silver and Perini's book Teaching What Matters Most. The goals need to be re-written to include evaluating the On Line Curriculum Guide for specific information including rigor and thought. The rubrics provided from the text are an outstanding measuring tool that my curriculum council will be able to utilize to evaluate the curriculum guide. In order for our social studies program to be the best in the country we need to adjust the goals for social studies and evaluate the curriculum with the new goal. The change is really a matter of wording and practice - by wording I mean the wording of the goal needs to change. By practice I mean that the new words are actually practiced in curriculum evaluation. Overall this was a great day for learning - I feel better able to do my job as the coordinator of social studies AND it gave me ideas to utilize with my curriculum committee.