Individualizing the Curriculum

Self-paced instruction seems to be a hot topic these days, since every software vendor has some type of product to assess students and provide activities based on their level of performance.  I agree with the idea behind individualized programs, especially since each student can work at his/her own level.  As students work independently and software tracks performance, data is gathered to show areas of strength and weakness.  Instruction can be deliberate and meaningful if it is decided upon based on data.  Is there a purpose to self-paced instruction if the classroom teacher does not address the data gathered by the system?

My district encountered this issue last year.  We were paying for two learning management systems; however, teachers were not using the data to drive instruction.  “Computer time” consisted of logging into the program for 10-15 minutes.  It was an easy “center” for elementary teachers because it was assumed that the program would teach the students.   We discontinued paying for these programs this year due to rising costs and the fact that teachers were using a plethora of additional learning tools.

My questions are as follows:

Does individualized learning benefit all students? 

How deep is the knowledge that students gain from these programs? 

How do self-paced courses fit into grading criteria?

As a curriculum leader, I would promote the use of data to drive instruction.  I would make sure all staff members felt supported in the use of these tools through professional development.  I would also ensure that students had access to their programs for a certain amount of time every week.  

Thoughts About Co-Teaching

I believe that the co-teaching model can be extremely valuable with the right supports in place.  For it to be effective, building leaders need to establish a clear vision for what co-teaching should look like and how it will support student achievement.  The co-teaching model needs to be introduced to staff in a way that is non-threatening or overbearing.  Planning and teaching with another individual is an intimidating process, especially for someone who is used to teaching by themselves.  With that said, there are a number of challenges that arise with co-teaching models.  Co-teachers need at least one common planning time per week.  They need a large amount of support so that they can effectively co-teach, not just coexist.  They need to learn how to work closely with another individual and use student data to drive their instructional decisions.  As a new concept for teachers, this requires a lot of professional development and encouragement.

When evaluating a co-teaching team, does a supervisor write up two individual teacher observations or one? Since co-teaching is built on a collaborative model, I believe the evaluation needs to look at both teachers as one team.   I also think it’s important to keep the students as the primary focus of the evaluation instead of the teacher actions.  Are the students actively engaged and receiving an appropriate amount of support?  If observations show that students are struggling, then one needs to look at other factors in the classroom.  What kinds of roles do the teachers serve?  Are strategies being applied to affect all learners?

Another challenge that leaders may encounter is determining how to evaluate regular education teachers and special education teachers.  Should they be evaluated on different terms or by different supervisors?  I think that co-teaching opens up the lines of communication between regular education and special education, which is much needed.  Building principals are responsible for effectively evaluating all teachers and staff – not just regular education teachers.  In order to do that, they need to be informed about best practices.

As curriculum is upgraded for the 21^st century, co-teaching becomes even more valuable because teachers can support each other with their integration of technology in the classroom.  If the special education teacher has knowledge of Universal Design for Learning (UdL), he/she can incorporate aspects of UdL into classroom instruction to help all kids succeed.