Concept Based Curriculum and Instruction

3. Concept Based Curriculum and Instruction What You Need to Know

4. Session Objectives and Learning Targets Objective • Understand how concept-based curriculum and instruction can be used to improve student learning across content areas. • Discuss how to implement and provide feedback relating to concept based curriculum and instruction. Learning Targets • Demonstrate an understanding of concept based curriculum and instruction. • share all information and resources from this session with the leaders and teachers within LEAs and schools.

5. NCDPI K-12 Social Studies Team Section Chief Fay Gore fay.gore@dpi.nc.gov K-12 Consultants: Ann Carlock Ann.Carlock@dpi.nc.gov Justyn Knox Justyn.Knox@dpi.nc.gov Dr. Steve Masyada Stephen.Masyada@dpi.nc.gov Michelle McLaughlin Michelle.Mclaughlin@dpi.nc.gov Program Assistant Bernadette Cole bernadette.cole@dpi.nc.gov

6. Ground Rules • A few agreements for our time together: • Place electronic devices on vibrate or off • Participate fully • Limit side-bar conversations • Respectfully disagree • Any additional suggestions from participants? • Questions and Comments: https://todaysmeet.com/SI14CBCI

7. Questions to Drive the Brain! • What is concept based curriculum and instruction? • What is the difference between teaching concepts and teaching conceptually? • What should you see and hear in a concept based classroom? • What is the most important type of knowledge within concept based curriculum and instruction? • What kind of assessments should we see in a concept-based classroom?

8. What Is Concept-based Curriculum And Instruction? • The Concept-Based Curriculum & Instructional Framework is … • A three-dimensional design model that allows teachers to identify what is important for students to know, understand, and be able to do in an organized, planned unit of instruction that promotes student engagement and thinking. • During the instruction, teachers use concepts as a tool to help students see patterns and connections between facts and related ideas in order to reach a deeper understanding of the content.

9. You must have a plan!

10. Trying to teach in the 21st century without conceptual schema for knowledge is like trying to build a house without a blueprint. (Erickson, 2002, p. 8)

11. Let’s Observe Two Classrooms

12. Guiding Questions • What behaviors did you see the teacher exhibiting during this lesson? • What behaviors did you see the students exhibiting during this lesson? • How did the students respond to the teaching and learning experience? • What feedback would you offer to the teacher following an observation?

13. Classroom #1

14. Guiding Questions • What behaviors did you see the teacher exhibiting during this lesson? • What behaviors did you see the students exhibiting during this lesson? • How did the students respond to the teaching and learning experience? • What feedback would you offer the teacher following an observation? • What are the differences between the traditional classroom and this lesson experience?

15. Classroom #2

16. What Did You See? • Based on the videos, what should you see in a concept based classroom? • Think of how these might be turned into an observation protocol!

17. Unit Design

18. What is a principle/generalization in concept-based curriculum and instruction? Two or more concepts in a relationship... Concept Concept • CONCEPTUAL IDEAS THAT TRANSFER • DEVELOP “DEEP UNDERSTANDING’’ • What do I understand as a result of my study that I can transfer?

19. What is the difference between a concept and a topic? “[A concept is] a mental construct that frames a set of examples sharing common attributes.” - H. Lynn Erickson

20. Concepts are… • Timeless • Universal • Transferable • Abstract and broad (to various degrees) • Examples share common attributes • Represented by 1-2 words

21. Generalizations or Principlesmay also be called… • Essential Understandings • Enduring Understandings • “Big Ideas”

22. Students will understand that: • Warmay alter the physicalandhuman geographyof aplace. • The population of a species will grow to fill any available habitat to which it can adapt. • Repetition of lines can imply texture or pattern.

23. Common Errors • Use of past tense verbs or proper nouns which makes them facts instead of generalizations or principles • Use of proper nouns or pronouns • Only one concept represented • Use of value statements • Lack of clarity (poor word choice or sentence construction) • Use of level 1 verbs: impact, affect, influence, is, are, have (need to scaffold)

24. Evaluating Generalizations and Principles • Do the ideas should grow in sophistication? • Do the ideas become clearer from level to level because they are more specific (use more specific micro concepts)? • Did the writers answer their question at each level? • Did the writer avoid using impacts, influences, affects? • Are the verbs active and present tense? • Are the ideas based in fact? (Use “often,” “can,” and “may” if not true all the time, but still important)? • Are the ideas developmentally appropriate?

25. Two or more concepts in a relationship... Resources War War may decrease the availability of resources.

26. Two or more concepts in a relationship... habitat niches Organisms Organisms may occupy specific niches in a habitat.

27. Two or more concepts in a relationship... submit revolt Social injustice People People faced with social injustice may choose to submit or revolt.

28. So… • How does a typical generalization or principle differ from factual knowledge and skills? • Do you still NEED factual knowledge and skills to get to the Big Ideas?

29. What Do You Need to Do • Impediments to change? • Site based learning teams • SHARED VISION AND COMMON FOCUS • Staff development and support • Performance Tasks and other assessments District curriculum provides: • Clear expectations • Common focus for professional conversations • A criteria for selecting resources • A basis for decision making • Ongoing engagement with community members (p. 119)

30. Let’s Wrap It Up… Respond in Today’s Meet (https://todaysmeet.com/SI14CBCI): • Based on our conversation today, is concept-based curriculum and instruction ‘doable’ in your district or school? • Do you already do this in your district or school? • What strategies do you/can you use to implement concept based curriculum and instruction in your district or school? • What would you add or change about the observation protocol we began to develop? • What other questions, comments, or concerns do you have?

31. Resources • Social Studies CBCI Wiki: http://cbci.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/ • Social Studies CBCI-Related Webinars: http://ssnces.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/SS+Webinar+Series • Concept Based Curriculum and Instruction for the Thinking Classroom (H. Lynn Erikson) • Transitioning to Concept-Based Curriculum and Instruction (H. Lynn Erikson, Lois A. Lanning)