Curriculum Standards
 

Aim

The purpose for the Curriculum Standards Homeroom Module is to explore ways that educators can address the IL/CPS Learning Standards using Web-based technology, using existing Web-based resources (WIT Basic) or curriculum that they write themselves (WIT Advanced). 

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Rationale

The Chicago Public Schools Website defines standards-based learning as "a way to focus instruction on an accepted set of ideas about what students should know and be able to do."  At the same time, classrooms are becoming increasingly geared towards using technology and the Web in learning. While many continue to think of computer time as extra or simply "fun time," incorporating the standards is one way to make using the Web more educationally viable.  Using the standards as a guide, teachers can use the Web creatively to complement their teaching and educational goals, as well as continue to fulfill their administrators' guidlines for standards-based learning.  Some educational sites address the standards, some mention them, and some ignore them altogether.  This module will show educators how to explicitly outline the standards addressed by each activity their class does.

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Subject Matter

The subject matter for this module are the Illinois State Learning Goals, specifically the Chicago Academic Standards and Frameworks.  It will deal with the standards in two ways: 
1)  Using existing web resources and activities to fulfill the standards 
and 
2)  Addressing the standards when creating your own web-based curriculum. 

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Audience

The Curriculum Standards Module is for educators seeking to address the Illinois State Learning Goals and/or the Chicago Public Schools Academic Frameworks and Standards with web-based curriculum.  However, the module can be adapted to suit any kind of standards-based learning using the Web.  It has been written for the two strains (WIT Basic and WIT Advanced) of the University of Chicago Web Institute for Teachers 2000. 
One part of this module will help teachers who are new to integrating the Web into the classroom, and teachers without the time to create a new curriculum module, and the second part  is for those who want to create a module especially suited to their classroom's needs while addressing the standards. 

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Learning Objectives

1)  Evaluate an exisiting Web-based unit in terms of the standards that the module (and each activity within the module) will address when used in the classroom. 
2) Create a table for the module that explicitly defines how each activity meets a specific set of standards to be included in the Curriculum Guide of the module. 

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Materials Needed and Pre-requisites

For this tutorial, you will need an Internet-connected computer and a copy of the Illinois State Learning Goals and/or Chicago Academic Standards (either Web-based or text-based). 
The pre-requisites for this module depend on whether you will be utilizing existing resources or creating your own web-based activities and curriculum.  Users of both aspects should know how to browse and search the Web, with those looking to create sites having used a Web editor such as Netscape Composer. 

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Instructional Plan

Addressing the Standards with Existing Web Resources: 
1.  Go to the selected web sites. 
2.   Look for some explicit mentioning or targeting of the standards. 
3.  Choose one activity from each web site and match it up with the subject matter and grade level that you teach. 
4.  Identify one or two standards that the activity you have chosen addresses.  Make sure that your activity actually addresses the standard in a direct way, not in a roundabout way. 
5.  Using the Curriculum Standards Correlation Table template as a guide, enter your activity and corresponding standard into the table. 

The basic structure for the above part of the Curriculum Standards module is 
Activity ---> Standard.
The structure for creating your own lesson plan or module (below) is 
Standard ---> Activity.

WIT Basic: 
1.  After choosing a topic for your lesson plan, look at the Illinois State Learning Goals and Chicago Academic Standards and Frameworks (or other applicable Curriculum Standards document) that are relevant to the topic you are teaching. 
2.  Choose one or a few standards that you will address in your lesson plan.  The key is to start with the standard(s) you want to address, and then build your activity around the standard, not vice versa.  You can use the given resources and links as references or models for your lesson plan. 
3.  Once you have chosen the standard(s) you want to target, create an activity or set of activities that address your standard(s). 
4.  Use the template provided to create a Curriculum Standards Correlation Table that explicitly shows which standards are addressed by each activity.  Include this table in the teacher's section of your page, perhaps in the learning objectives section in your Teacher's Guide. 

WIT Advanced: 
1.  After choosing the topic of your curriculum module, look at the Illinois State Goals and Chicago Academic Standards and Frameworks (or other applicable Curriculum Standards document) that are relevant to the subject matter you are teaching. 
2.  Choose the standards that you will address in your curriculum module.  The key is to start with the standard(s) you want to address, and then build the activities in your module around the standard(s), not vice versa.  You can use the given resources and links as references or models for your curriculum module. 
3.  Once you have chosen the standards(s) you want to target, use them as a starting point for the creation of activities within your module. 
4.  Use the template provided to create a Curriculum Standards Correlation Table that explicitly shows which standards are addressed by each activity.  Include this table in the teacher's section of your module, perhaps in the learning objectives section of your Teacher's Guide. 

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Self-Assessment

The best assessment is for you to go through your module, or ask a colleague to review it.  Is it clear which standards the lesson plan or module addresses?  Do your activities really address the standards you have chosen, or do they just vaguely relate?  The goal is that your Curriculum Standards Correlation Table clearly spells out which standards you have built your activities around. 

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Evaluation of the Module

Does this module make it clear why it is important to start with the standards then create activities? 
Are the resources and links helpful in thinking about using the standards in new and interesting ways? 
Feedback is always helpful.  Please contact the author of this module or Director of WIT. 

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Credits and Resources
See the Other Resources and Links page