Chapter 3: Curriculum and Assessment to Improve Teaching and Learning

In this chapter there were three things discussed: the Backwards Design, assessments, and the standards. The Backwards Design I learned in Practicum. It's a really great way to put the teacher in the students' shoes; this way it would be clearer to see what students will understand at the end of the lesson. For assessments, it's important to have variety. This way, students will not get bored with the routine, and it is a great way for students with different strengths to shine. It is also important to have standards within a school. This way, teachers can have a common goal. It would also be a good way to stay focused when teaching. Standards could bring school and the community together by creating a common goal- to educate children.

Chapter 9: Planning for Block Scheduling

This chapter talked about planning for a block schedule. In middle school it would be beneficial to have longer periods. Throughout this chapter, the author plans out his day according to the block period schedule, writing down his thoughts. I found that it was important for teachers to not fill the entire 80 minutes with lessons. Have students take breaks. The ideas of having more time for formative and summative assessments is ideal for students because the assessments can have more dimension to them. They can relate to real life and will be more engaging than a written test.