Damen Kugel

June 16, 2014

EDL 675- Foundations of Leadership

CurriculumActionPlan:(CAP)
Part1:DefinitionofCurriculum

Thepurposeofeducationistoprepareallstudentstobesuccessfulcitizensinthereal
world.Althoughthisstatementseemsobvious,itfeelsthatwearedoingtheexactoppositein
educationtoday.Schoolsaremovingclosertouniformismwiththeimplementationof
highstakesstandardizedtests.Forstudents,teachers,andadministrators,educationhasmany
importantgoals.Oneimportantgoalofeducationistoinstructstudentstopreparethemforlife
outsideofschool.Thisgoalincludesteachingtorealworldapplications,expandingon
selfinterests,andmaintaininghighstandards.Next,educationneedstopromotesocialskillsof
selfrespect,manners,andmoralsthatareapplicabletoallofsocietyinvariousregions.Finally,
educationmustpromotehighexpectationsthroughcurriculumthatoffersallstudentsan
opportunitytolearnandmeetseverystudentsneeds.
Idefinecurriculumasaspecificsetofgoals,standards,andobjectiveswhichNebraska
andthelocaldistricthaveassigned.However,inmyclassroom,curriculumgoesaboveand
beyondtherequirementsofthestateanddistrictstandards.Inmyclassroom,studentsarepushed
tohighlevelsofthinkingthroughmultiplecrosscurriculumassignments.Studentsare
encouragedtouseallpriorknowledgeandcurriculumstoformulatehypothesesandextendtheir
knowledge.
Asaresult,manyoftheassignmentsanddiscussionspromoteselfinquiryandmultiple
disciplines.Studentsareabletodecidewherethetopicofdiscussiongoeshowever,theirideas
areformulatedandbasedonstandards.Studentsplaceahighervalueonclassroomcontentwhen

Damen Kugel
June 16, 2014
EDL 675- Foundations of Leadership

theyhaveownershipandareabletotakepartinthedirectionoftheclass.Therefore,as
educators,weareabletocreateandfosteranimageofwhatcurriculumisbutthestudentisable
tosetitscoursewhichpromotesselfinterest,accountability,andresponsibilityinandoutsideof
theschoolenvironment.
Part2:ActionPlan
Asateacher,Ialwayshopethatmystudentsbegintounderstandandapplythe
informationthatIamgivingthem.Thiswouldallowthemtocreateadeepermeaningtothe
worldaroundthem.IalsohopethatIcancontinuetodevelopinquirybasedlessonsthatwillget
mystudentsmoreengagedintheclassroomenvironment.Finally,Iwouldliketocontinueto
implementformativeassessments,whichmeasuresunderstanding,butdoesnotfocusonrote
memorization.Also,IwouldliketocontinuetoimproveandincreaseNeSAtestscoresformy
studentsandformydistrict.
Inordertoachievetheabovegoals,Imustbewillingtoincreasemyunderstandingand
knowledgeofcurriculum.Although,Ihaveafirmunderstandingofstandardsandobjectives,I
needtolookatthewholepicture,notjustaspecificcontentarea.Iwillbepartoftheschool
improvementcommittee,technologycommittee,andtheSATTeam.Allofthesepositionswill
allowadeeperunderstandingofthecurriculum,instruction,andassessmentprocessandwill
providemewiththeabilitytolearnmoreaboutthebiggerpicture.Toattaintheunderstanding,I
mustfirsthavethesupportofmyadministrationanddepartment.Iwillalsoneedtobeapartof
therealignmentofcurriculum.Iwillalsoneedadditionalliteratureresourcesthatspecifically
addresscurriculumattheK12level.Iplantoread,
MappingTheBigPicture
byHeidiHayes
Jacobs.Thistextfocusesonasevenstepprocessforcreatingandworkingwithcurriculum.In

Damen Kugel
June 16, 2014
EDL 675- Foundations of Leadership

addition,thetextdiscussestheimportanceofasking"essentialquestions"andofdesigning
assessmentsthatreflectwhatteachersknowaboutthestudentstheyworkwith.
Insettingthesegoals,theoutcomeconnectstomanyoftheEducationalLeadership
Outcomes.However,Ifeelthatcurriculumspecificallyalignswithstrategicandinstructional
leadership.Italignswiththestrategicoutcomebecauseitistheplanningandpreparationforall
futureteachingendeavors.Next,itsupportsinstructionalleadershipbecauseitistheintended,
implemented,andattainedcurriculumthatisconveyedintotheclassroomeveryday.
Withthepurposeofachievingmygoals,Iplantofaceminimalresistance,ifany.Our
districtisintheprocessofformingcurriculumteamstorealignstandardsandimplementnew
readingandmathcurriculumthroughoutthesecondaryschool.However,mydepartmentisvery
traditionalwiththeirwaysbutwithsupportandadirectivefromadministrationtheresistance
shouldbeminimal.Inordertoachievethesegoalstherewillbeadegreeofrisk.Iwillneedto
takeonmoreofaleadershiprolewithinmydistrict.Insteadofmypreviousroleofanewly
hired,nontenuredteacher,Iwilltakeonaroleasanadvocateforteachersandstudents
ultimatelymakingdecisionsthatwillimpacttheoverallrelationshipandoutlookofthedistrict.
Finally,Iwillneedtoovercomesomepersonalinternalstrugglesofbeingmoreoutspokenin
committeeandstaffmeetings.Iwillworktoovercomebothoftheserisksbysimplytakingone
dayatatimeandaddressingeachsituationasitpresentsitself,keepinginmindthegoalsand
outcomesthatIhaveset.

Damen Kugel
June 16, 2014
EDL 675- Foundations of Leadership