Teaching and Learning - Planning

In our planning in PRSD, we strive to ensure that:
Ongoing balanced assessment is used to support student progress. Learners are actively engaged in solving authentic, meaningful problems with real world data, experts, and tools learners will encounter in life. Deep understanding is emphasized rather than only discrete knowledge. Learning focuses on skills, content knowledge, and expertise needed by the learner. Flexibility in planning ensures multiple methods of presentation, expression, and options for engagement, and Basic understanding across subjects makes connections to the larger world.
PRSD Planning Policies This is a quick link to Policy 3.22 Planning Requirements for Teachers - what is expected for long, medium, and short range plans.
*Reference Material:* Alberta Education Programs of Study (Curricula) Learn Alberta - resources related to the Alberta Learning Outcomes Telus2Learn - resources for Alberta teachers Best Practices in Elementary Presentation Slides Best Practices in Secondary Presentation Slides
Some Planning Methods: PRSD Backwards Design Unit Plans and Resources - PRSD username and password required Includes lesson and unit planning templates, essential questions stems using 6 facets of understanding, GRASPS template, PRSD Schooling by Design Templates, Big Ideas, and cover page templates. Collection of Unit Plans by Grade and Subject shared by PRSD teachers Question Stems for Essential Questions using Curricular Verbs (Stage 1 Planning support document) Understanding by Design (for teachers) and Schooling by Design (for schools) (Books) Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe Educators from kindergarten through college can get everything they need—guidelines, stages, templates, and tips—to start designing lessons, units, and courses that lead to improved student performance. This concept can be applied to the whole school system using this resource from the same authors Schooling by Design: Mission, Action, and Achievement ASCD 2007. Authentic Education and Big Ideas (Website) This website provides further study with the experts on developing Understanding by Design, a Curriculum Framer tool, and an area of the site called "Big Ideas" in which you will find blogs, answers to your questions, resources, and events. In tegrating Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design (Book) Carol Ann Tomlinson and Jay McTighe 2013 Connecting content and kids in meaningful ways is what teachers strive to do every day. Together, Understanding by Design (UbD) and Differentiating Instruction (DI) help educators meet that goal by providing structures, tools, and guidance for developing curriculum and instruction that bring to students the best of what we know about effective teaching and learning. Understanding by Design - PRSD collection of presentations, units, and resources. Universal Design for Learning - PRSD collection of resources, tools, and supports.
Recommended Resources: Alberta Assessment Consortia www.aac.ab.ca Many assessment resources here correlated to the Alberta Education Programs of Study. Look for Performance Tasks created by teams of Alberta Teachers and curriculum experts. Center on Instruction www.centeroninstruction.org (Website) This site provides the best research and meta-analyses in the areas of reading, mathematics, science, English Language learning and more. A particularly good site for high school instruction along with many resources for early learning and struggling learners as well. Video Resources for Classrooms - Kahn Academy (Website) Well worth setting up a free sign in! Search by subject area under Learn for videos and more. Sophia.org Videos for Teachers by Teachers (Website) Over 37,000 free tutorials designed to appeal to all kinds of learning styles, free teacher tools and technology to transform your classroom into an amazing educational space. You can get Flipped Classroom certification and IPad Prepared Classroom certification here under Professional Development links. Online Encyclopedias and Atlases: Learn Alberta (Website) Your direct link to the online reference centre on the LearnAlberta website. Skill Spirals, Do-Your-Own Tasks, and More (Free Resources) One of Edutopia's many offerings, this article links you to New York's School of the Future assessment plans, tools and other resources to help you implement "authentic" assessment today. Timeline Creator (Web-based Tool) Offers examples of timelines and an opportunity to create a timeline online. The timelines are part of the community of timelines. If you are a user of iPad or other tablets, these products have numerous Apps (Applications) for this for free as well. Stopclockers - Timesavers for Teachers (Wikispaces Community of Learners) How many times have you heard it said that you wished there was another hour in the day or that you could just slow things down for a moment to get things done? We all want to work smarter, not harder - right?This wiki is dedicated to just that - you are asked to share the things that make life go more smoothly for you - things that speed up your planning, links to great sites that make teaching easier for you, and anything that helps us all work smarter together...
Online Courses: UbD 101 - Understanding by Design: A Comprehensive Course in Curriculum Design This course uncovers What is UbD? Why UbD? an indepth look at Stages 1, 2, and 3, self-assessing your unit and resources for reading, writing, and math. 1 year of access includes audio overviews of the topics, video commentary by Grant Wiggins, articles, text resources, MS Power Point presentations, downloadable exercises, self tests of key concepts with immediate feedback, and access to a journal, blogging space, and a group discussion board. Rubrics and Criteria: Where and How to Use Rubrics What is a rubric? What makes a good rubric? By what criteria are complex performances best assessed? What are the trade-offs of holistic vs. analytic-trait rubrics and criteria? One year of access includes audio overviews of the topics, video commentary by Grant Wiggins, articles, text resources, power point presentations, downloadable exercises, self tests of key concepts with immediate feedback, and access to a journal, blogging space, and a group discussion board.
Recommended Reading: Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement Robert J. Marzano, Debra J. Pickering, and Jane E. Pollock - Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) 2001 Marzano and colleagues consistently deliver the very best research-based practices to inform our practice. Select the title link for Canadian offerings of the book. Select the ASCD link for a preview of the book from the ASCD site along with a very helpful study guide. Making Standards Work: How to Implement Standards-based Assessments in the Classroom, School, and District (3rd Edition) (Book) Douglas B. Reeves Advanced Learning Press 2001 Reeves' work will help schools "concentrate" their instruction by analyzing the priority to be placed on standards. Power Standards: Identifying the Standards that Matter the Most Larry Ainsworth Advanced Learning Press 2003 As the title implies, and like Reeves' book, this tome will help schools "concentrate" their instruction by analyzing the priority to be placed on standards.

In our planning in PRSD, we strive to ensure that:

Ongoing balanced assessment is used to support student progress.
Learners are actively engaged in solving authentic, meaningful problems with real world data, experts, and tools learners will encounter in life.
Deep understanding is emphasized rather than only discrete knowledge.
Learning focuses on skills, content knowledge, and expertise needed by the learner.
Flexibility in planning ensures multiple methods of presentation, expression, and options for engagement, and
Basic understanding across subjects makes connections to the larger world.

PRSD Planning Policies

This is a quick link to Policy 3.22 Planning Requirements for Teachers - what is expected for long, medium, and short range plans.

Reference Material:

Alberta Education Programs of Study (Curricula)

Learn Alberta - resources related to the Alberta Learning Outcomes

Telus2Learn - resources for Alberta teachers

Best Practices in Elementary Presentation Slides

Best Practices in Secondary Presentation Slides

Some Planning Methods:

PRSD Backwards Design Unit Plans and Resources - PRSD username and password required

Includes lesson and unit planning templates, essential questions stems using 6 facets of understanding, GRASPS template, PRSD Schooling by Design Templates, Big Ideas, and cover page templates.

Collection of Unit Plans by Grade and Subject shared by PRSD teachers

Question Stems for Essential Questions using Curricular Verbs (Stage 1 Planning support document)

Understanding by Design (for teachers) and Schooling by Design (for schools) (Books)

Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe

Educators from kindergarten through college can get everything they need—guidelines, stages, templates, and tips—to start designing lessons, units, and courses that lead to improved student performance. This concept can be applied to the whole school system using this resource from the same authors Schooling by Design: Mission, Action, and Achievement ASCD 2007.

Authentic Education and Big Ideas (Website)

This website provides further study with the experts on developing Understanding by Design, a Curriculum Framer tool, and an area of the site called "Big Ideas" in which you will find blogs, answers to your questions, resources, and events.

In tegrating Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design (Book)

Carol Ann Tomlinson and Jay McTighe 2013

Connecting content and kids in meaningful ways is what teachers strive to do every day. Together, Understanding by Design (UbD) and Differentiating Instruction (DI) help educators meet that goal by providing structures, tools, and guidance for developing curriculum and instruction that bring to students the best of what we know about effective teaching and learning.

Understanding by Design - PRSD collection of presentations, units, and resources.

Universal Design for Learning - PRSD collection of resources, tools, and supports.

Recommended Resources:

Alberta Assessment Consortia www.aac.ab.ca Many assessment resources here correlated to the Alberta Education Programs of Study. Look for Performance Tasks created by teams of Alberta Teachers and curriculum experts.

Center on Instruction www.centeroninstruction.org (Website)

This site provides the best research and meta-analyses in the areas of reading, mathematics, science, English Language learning and more. A particularly good site for high school instruction along with many resources for early learning and struggling learners as well.

Video Resources for Classrooms - Kahn Academy (Website)

Well worth setting up a free sign in! Search by subject area under Learn for videos and more.

Sophia.org Videos for Teachers by Teachers (Website)

Over 37,000 free tutorials designed to appeal to all kinds of learning styles, free teacher tools and technology to transform your classroom into an amazing educational space. You can get Flipped Classroom certification and IPad Prepared Classroom certification here under Professional Development links.

Online Encyclopedias and Atlases: Learn Alberta (Website)

Your direct link to the online reference centre on the LearnAlberta website.

Skill Spirals, Do-Your-Own Tasks, and More (Free Resources)

One of Edutopia's many offerings, this article links you to New York's School of the Future assessment plans, tools and other resources to help you implement "authentic" assessment today.

Timeline Creator (Web-based Tool)

Offers examples of timelines and an opportunity to create a timeline online. The timelines are part of the community of timelines. If you are a user of iPad or other tablets, these products have numerous Apps (Applications) for this for free as well.

Stopclockers - Timesavers for Teachers (Wikispaces Community of Learners)

How many times have you heard it said that you wished there was another hour in the day or that you could just slow things down for a moment to get things done? We all want to work smarter, not harder - right?This wiki is dedicated to just that - you are asked to share the things that make life go more smoothly for you - things that speed up your planning, links to great sites that make teaching easier for you, and anything that helps us all work smarter together...

Online Courses:

UbD 101 - Understanding by Design: A Comprehensive Course in Curriculum Design

This course uncovers What is UbD? Why UbD? an indepth look at Stages 1, 2, and 3, self-assessing your unit and resources for reading, writing, and math. 1 year of access includes audio overviews of the topics, video commentary by Grant Wiggins, articles, text resources, MS Power Point presentations, downloadable exercises, self tests of key concepts with immediate feedback, and access to a journal, blogging space, and a group discussion board.

Rubrics and Criteria: Where and How to Use Rubrics

What is a rubric? What makes a good rubric?
By what criteria are complex performances best assessed?
What are the trade-offs of holistic vs. analytic-trait rubrics and criteria?

One year of access includes audio overviews of the topics, video commentary by Grant Wiggins, articles, text resources, power point presentations, downloadable exercises, self tests of key concepts with immediate feedback, and access to a journal, blogging space, and a group discussion board.