Redkudu

The lesson plan section for key vocabulary is a good idea. I may try adding it into mine. As it is, I know what the key vocab will be, and prepare lessons for it, but pointing it out for myself in the lesson plan would help me remember what I need to emphasize, especially after I haven't looked at the plans for a while (say, come November and I'm going through the daily process).

What does spiral curriculum mean to you and how do you plan for it?

My understanding of spiral curriculum is that key concepts and skills are "recycled" or revisited consistently in order to reinforce understanding. The problem with this, as I see it, is that if students did not completely grasp the concept the first time around, they are going to be further confused by it later. The challenge with a spiral curriculum then, I think, would be to teach a concept or skill to complete understanding the first time, then build upon it as you go along. What I find happens with myself and other teachers though, is that sometimes spiraling is seen as a fallback when students don't completely grasp the material - they can pick it up again later. I am no longer satisfied with this theory, as I've seen clear indication it does not work for my students, either because the repetition of it occurs too far apart for retention, or because they simply didn't understand it in the first place.

However, another problem with curriculum in general is, as we've discussed, the difficulty in "covering" everything we're expected to cover. Therefore, on the English III level, if I teach irony, for example, with the Native American unit, the very next unit is Puritan lit and transcendentalism. While some case could be made for irony in some pieces included in this unit, I don't find enough clear, concrete examples of irony to be able to reinforce the concept with students. Spiraling in this case isn't going to help. I'm a little concerned over this right now, as I'm continuing on with my lesson planning. On the other hand, tone can be easily reinforced, as well as simile and metaphor, and theme. So, I am looking at the possibility that one thing may have to be set aside in favor of others. Hmmm.

I'm looking forward to our collaborative assignment!