Schooling by Design - "How Should the Curriculum be Re-Fromed"

The "Ten Curriculum Components" identified in Schooling by Design are really a good guideline for curriculum writing. In the next curriculum cycle it would be great if we considered the components during the design and writing. It stresses me out a little to read the components because we don't really have them...we have 2 (Understandings and Essential Questions) BUT it is hard to have strong and relevant EUs and EQs when they were not really mission based as our current district mission was more of a motto than a mission.

For example, the mission related critical thinking goal and related information is fabulous. But we did not link our essential questions to anything like that - I'm not going to be overly critical of the work because we did a great job based on knowing what we knew. Though every page I read causes me to question the work we accomplished YET I know it is better than what we have. The text has incredible history standards that could be incorporated into our curriculum during the next writing. The challenge will be getting the right people at the table to write the curriculum.

I think the advice by the authors at the end of the chapter is very important, "SO take heart: think big; act small; work smarter, not harder." Because the task ahead does seem daunting - the ideas for action also are helpful and heartening...
1) Major curriculum reforms will take 5 - 10 years to fully implement
2) Start small - follow the curriculum cycle (though I think we can begin to include common rubrics)
3) Need for a team
Monitoring Curriculum Progress (Figure 3.25) is a good source to use with the curriculum committee to look at current reality in the social studies curriculum.