The Big Picture

What is the structure?

To understand the curriculum as a whole, I investigated the structure and determined what to include at each level. This process helped me define each part of the curriculum and ensured the final product would be easy to navigate. 

Thinking about the structure also helped me generate ideas, such as:

• Math Overview - a document where teachers can easily access any math unit would reduce the amount of time teachers spend searching for items in Google Drive
• Feedback - feedback documents for each unit would give curriculum users an easy way to give feedback
• Standards Explained - a document explaining the standards for specific units would help curriculum users understand the content they need to teach 

Math Overview

Access to every math unit from one document

To prevent teachers from searching for content in Google Drive, I created a document where teachers could access links to all math units and important documents such as the Scope and Sequence. I found inspiration from Craigslist, as it displays a lot of information and links but is easy to navigate.

Lesson Plans

Defining the structure of lesson plans

Using the research, I prioritized the information teachers needed to see in each lesson plan. Each lesson included:

• standards
• objectives
• a description
• timeline and materials
• detailed lesson instructions
• assessments, homework, and resources

Defining the flow and structure of math lessons

There was no structure to the lessons, so teachers had to de-code each lesson plan, which was time-consuming and led to frustration. Using teacher and leader feedback, I created a plan for what each math lesson would include.

• Warm Up - to review and practice concepts and create structure for students 
• Lesson - explanation of how to teach a concept
• Practice - students explore the concepts they just learned
• Exit Ticket - a way for teachers to get feedback on student understanding ‍
• Supplemental Resources - resources for differentiation to help teachers and special education teachers meet the needs of individual students

To help teachers understand the structure, I included a timeline at the top of each lesson plan. The timeline acted as an overview, showing how long a teacher should spend on each part and the related materials they would need.

Writing the curriculum + including engaging resources

I wrote the 4th-8th grade content and managed revisions most other grades. I included problem-based learning activities and engaging practice resources in the lessons, practice, and supplemental resources. Diving into writing the curriculum itself would be a case study of its own.

What I Learned

Creating a solid foundation before designing is beneficial 🚀

When I first arrived, we were continually making structural changes to the curriculum, and found ourselves going around in circles. I saw how important it was to stop, think about the big picture, and make sure the organization is on the same page before designing. Doing this prevents foundational issues that become major issues later and are difficult to change. This also creates a system where updates and features can easily be incorporated. 

Interviewing Students 📖

Although I interviewed teachers, I didn't interview the true end users - the students. This would have provided so much great feedback and would have helped me understand what types of processes and activities to include. It would have been really interesting to do some true research with them. Hopefully, I'll get to do this in the future!

Continuing to improve collaboration skills 🤝

Through designing the curriculum, I gained valuable experience working on a team. I learned how to state my ideas clearly, be open to new ideas, and saw the benefits of working together to solve problems collectively. I also improved my management skills by overseeing curriculum consultants, facilitating presentations to leaders, and working closely with outside software vendors.