Curriculum Redesign Application Assignment

click for performance of your work specifications

Due: June 23, 2003

From our syllabus: We will be examining a range of approaches to curriculum and educational environments based on multicultural and diversity education goals and opportunities. You are challenged to put these ideas into practice by considering a particular lesson, unit, or other educational plan, and redesigning it by applying our course concepts and skills. Briefly describe a recent lesson, unit or other educational encounter that you have taught yourself, experienced, or observed. Then create an "after" lesson, unit or other educational plan that illustrates ways that this existing example of curriculum and instruction can be changed to better implement the approaches described in our course. Write up an additional 1-2 page "why the changes" orientation to your new plan. See our tentative schedule for due dates for the Story of the Curriculum Idea and the  Curriculum Redesign Application. Make three copies of your assignments: one to share with me, and two to trade with others.

What to turn in:

• A brief description of the original lesson, unit, or other educational plan.
• A new description, or a list of modifications, changes, additions, and deletions.
• 1-2 pages explaining “why the changes.” (This is the most important part of the assignment.)

In class on Monday, June 16, 2003:

• Sharing our original lesson or other plan.
• Small group brainstorming of ideas for how to modify this original educational plan based on our course readings.
• Comparison of our ideas with those of Carl Grant and Christine Sleeter, two famous multiculturalists.
• Teams help each other outline their “why the changes” in preparation for next week.

Performance of Your Work Assignment

Due: June 18, 2003

From the Specifications Sheet: Performance means finding an audience that can speak meaningfully to your work. It may or may not mean to speak/dance/sing/perform as in a play or lecture. It could mean publishing a rewritten piece of scholarship. It could mean inviting an expert to give you guidance and feedback on what you have done so far. It could mean finding a way to combine what you have been doing with another person’s project so that a combined insight is communicated to a particular audience. … You want to find a way to demonstrate that your inquiry is forcing you to interact with the issues of our course in ways that are impacting on your professional development, and to bring your accomplishments to people beyond the course/project itself. Identify your “performance” and type up a “performance plan:” include a description of the performance; your reasons for the particular audience; how you are going to make the performance happen; and how you are going to interpret the value of your performance after it happens.

What to turn in: 1-2 pages explaining the following.

• The main idea or theme that you want to share with an audience beyond this class. The theme or idea should be a significant aspect of what you have discovered or developed through your inquiry. What is significant about this idea or theme, and why is it worth sharing with others?
• The audience. What person or group would benefit from this inquiry? Why this group/person? How do you hope that they themselves will grow from the experience?
• How will you communicate the ideas? Where, when, how, with what materials? Explain your reasoning beyond each aspect of your plan.
• Describe your strategy for making sure that this happens.

Note that this a component of your cultural inquiry, so you should support your ideas with references to our course readings and discussions, as well as ideas that were developed within your inquiry.