Teach Meaningful is a practical guide to designing curriculum that meets standards, serves personal and institutional values, and intentionally leads to successful student learning. Identifying which understandings, knowledge, and skills are "most important" for students to learn is always a question of values, so getting clear on values gives teachers a starting place to design cohesive units, courses, and programs. Written by a teacher for teachers, Teach Meaningful includes: stories of failures and successes in designing curriculum from across subjects and grade levels metaphors from everyday life to help teachers understand curriculum design as a process rooted in values and culminating in meaningful learning examples of essential questions, assessment guidelines, lesson calendars, unit plans, and curriculum maps exercises and templates teachers can use to create and assess curriculum protocols designed to encourage inclusive participation and critical reflection when colleagues look at curriculum together
Table of Contents Preface: The Values That Guided the Second Edition Acknowledgements Introduction: A Case for Values-Guided Curriculum Design What Values Are-and Aren't Values as Qualities of Action Values as What the Educator Thinks Are Important Making Values Manifest in a Classroom How Values Differ from Goals and Preferences Curriculum as Coherence Essential Coherence Social Coherence Functional Coherence How to Use This Book Chapter 1: Discover the Values That Guide Your Teaching Barriers to Values-Consistent Teaching Getting Stuck in Self-Limiting Beliefs Disregarding What Matters Most Avoiding Uncomfortable Feelings External Factors Tools for Discovering the Values That Guide Your Teaching Rate Your Teacher Individual Exercise Reflection Questions Variation Three Ups Three Downs Individual Exercise Reflection Questions Extension Values Rendering Individual Exercise Reflection Questions Variation Onward Chapter 2: Discover Your Team's Shared Values Values-Conscious Collaboration Discovering Shared Values Assume Diverse Thinking Clarify Decision-Making Processes Create Structures for Safe and Inclusive Communication Make the Process Itself the Only Outcome of Values Exploration Tools for Discovering Your Team's Shared Values Learning Timeline Group Protocol Reflection Questions Extension Assignment Analysis Group Protocol Reflection Questions Extension Venn Values Group Protocol Reflection Questions Extension Onward Chapter 3: Use Values to Imagine Learning Imagining New Possibilities Reimagining Content: Connecting to Current Concerns Reimagining Tasks: Assigning Meaningful Work Reimagining Resources: Drawing Upon All Relevant Knowledge Reclaiming the Artistry of Curriculum Design Tools for Using Values to Imagine Learning Resource Brainstorm Group Protocol Reflection Questions Extension Work What-Ifs Individual Exercise Reflection Questions Variation Curriculum Dice Group Protocol Reflection Questions Variations Onward Chapter 4: Use Values to Focus Learning The Unity of a Unit Why Teachers Create Heaps From Heaps to Systems Inquiry-Based Units: Exploring Important Ideas Using Essential Questions Writing Essential Questions Rehearsal-Based Units: Practicing Important Skills One Big Event vs. Several Smaller Ones Authentic Performances vs. Simulations Project-Based Units: Making Important Things Project Assignments as Unit Outlines Teaching Cross-Disciplinary Skills Approaching Unit Formats Flexibly Omitting Activities That Don't Advance Your Purpose Tools for Using Values to Focus Learning Unit Title Generator Individual Exercise Reflection Questions Variation Finding What's Essential Group Protocol Reflection Questions Extension Unit Story Quilt Group Protocol Reflection Questions Extension Onward Chapter 5: Use Values to Organize Learning Creating Foundational Experiences Recalling Previous Experiences Becoming Familiar with New Material Renewing Curiosity Selecting Learning Tasks Choosing Receptive Learning Tasks Choosing Expressive Learning Tasks Balancing Task Types Sequencing Learning Tasks Inquiries are Integrative Rehearsals are Cumulative Projects are Iterative Regularly Returning to What Matters Allocating Time for a Unit Unit Length and Expectations Planned Flexibility Tools for Using Values to Organize Learning Unit Write-Up Partner Protocol Reflection Questions Variation Quarters Individual Exercise Reflection Questions Extension Grading Your Unit Individual Exercise Reflection Questions Extension Onward Chapter 6: Use Values to Assess Learning Learning Tasks as Assessment Tasks Assessing What Matters Defining What Success Means Define Your Expectations but Leave Some Decisions for Your Students Weight Expectations Based on Your Values Copy Valued Expectations from Assignment to Assignment Setting Students Up for Success on Assessment Tasks Tools for Using Values to Assess Learning Assessment Task Swapping Individual Exercise Reflection Questions Extension Assessment Filter Individual Exercise Reflection Questions Variation Assessing Your Rubric Individual Exercise Reflection Questions Extension Onward Chapter 7: Use Values to Design Courses Designing Strands to Create a Sense of Wholeness Diversifying Experiences to Create a Sense of Balance Knowledge Sources Materials Group Sizes Stakes Sequencing Units to Create a Sense of Progression Skills Progressions Conceptual Progressions Work Product Progressions Understanding Your Course in the Context of a Larger Program Filling Programmatic Gaps Building Programmatic Arcs Tools for Using Values to Design Courses Values Routines Group Protocol Reflection Questions Variation Assignment Mix Individual Exercise Reflection Questions Variation Unit Connections Individual Exercise Reflection Questions Extension Onward Chapter 8: Use Values to Connect Disciplines Deciding Whether to Connect Disciplines Interdisciplinary Inquiries Designing Interdisciplinary Essential Questions Using Interdisciplinary Essential Questions Across Courses Simultaneous and Serial Inquiries Multidisciplinary Projects Organizing a Multidisciplinary Project Multidisciplinary Upcycling Getting Colleagues Interested in Crossing Disciplines Multidisciplinary Learning Events within Unidisciplinary Units Tools for Using Values to Connect Disciplines Finding What's Essential Across Disciplines Group Protocol Reflection Questions Extension Assignment Mashup Partner Protocol Reflection Questions Variations Participation Invitation Group Protocol Reflection Questions Variation Onward Conclusion: The Teacher You Want to Be Appendix A: Examples of Values Appendix B: Types of Meaningful Work Works Cited
