How do you collaborate to revise your curriculum?

I have developed a spreadsheet model to develop or revise a curriculum, and it saves time and labor for any curriculum development and revision work.

Curriculum revision is an iterative process involving human knowledge, data analysis, feedback gathering, and experimentation. It starts with recognizing the need for change, assembling a multidisciplinary team, evaluating the existing curriculum, and keeping up with advancements. Goals are defined, and a new curriculum is developed. Stakeholder input is sought, and multiple rounds are performed. A pilot test is conducted to identify real-world concerns. The success of the updated curriculum is evaluated, and further development is required.

Think of what learning will be of value when your students are out of school. This is the vision that should guide each step of curriculum writing.

As Thompson and Zeuli (1999) discussed, the vision needs to align with institutional goals and diverse student needs. Scheduling collaborative sessions can build a collective vision, as mutual understanding fosters shared investment (Friend and Cook, 1996). Balancing non-negotiable priorities with inclusive visioning can yield a plan that is cohesive yet responsive. An effective shared vision emerges from synthesizing research, experience, and diverse perspectives.

Revising the curriculum is important as it is considered part of the school improvement process to meet the students’ needs and the institution goals. This should be shared with the concerned stakeholders to help in the improvement and contribute to achieving the goals.

When revising the curriculum usually we include internal and external collaborators, mainly the academic experts who have a hand in designing the curriculum. Sharing the vision help to receive different inputs and enrich the development process and create a balance with different perspectives

Reach out to those who use what you teach. If it is math, then reach out to the fields that use that math. If it is English, or another language, reach out to authors, marketers, managers who wrote memos, etc. If it is history or/other social sciences, reach out to those who live there, or have studied it deeply. If you are wondering how to find these people, that is why we have LinkedIn!!!

Based on my experience, collaborators should share the vision yet offer diverse expertise, as Thompson and Zeuli found (1999). It is vital to look for variety in backgrounds, philosophies and strengths to gain balance. Openness to intensive collaboration is key, since relationships and communication matter greatly (Dana et al., 2010). The aim should be to promote mutual understanding within a coordinated team united behind our shared vision (Friend and Cook, 2007). A strategic selection of collaborators with complementary skills and mindsets can truly enrich the process.

The most recent project I have worked on has involved collaborating closely with colleagues from four continents with very different perspectives and experience. While the moments of shared vision have been comforting, the differences have been much more invigorating and productive. But only because of a collective acceptance of the need to challenge our own assumptions and working practices whenever the differences have arisen. The time zones have been a pain, though!

Consider using an agile project management framework from industry that has been very successful, such as Scrum. While many think of this as only a software development collaborative framework, modified forms can work for all sorts of educational projects, including curriculum development/revision.

Collaborative should not be confused with cooperation. Cooperation is assigning tasks to members to complete work. In a collaborative framework, one must build a team that believes in conflict, an iterative approach, and testing ideas to develop synergy. Moving beyond buzzwords necessitates a commitment to a culture that values the individual within a socially-connected group.

Developing a collaborative framework provides the necessary structure when revising curriculum together (Wiggins and McTighe, 2005). It is prudent to consider models like Understanding by Design or Curriculum Mapping based on needs. The framework should outline vision-aligned goals, roles, timelines, resources, and monitoring mechanisms. It is wise to revisit the framework regularly to evaluate and adapt as needed. An adaptable framework can greatly facilitate organized collaboration through complex redesign (Thompson and Zeuli, 1999).

Collaboration is key when revising Curriculum documents. We invite Curriculum Consultants, Teacher Leaders, and our thoughts as Curriculum Coordinators/Specialists. We must research the TEKS to ensure the curriculum is meeting the standards.

To enrich curriculum revision, stakeholder engagement should be continuous (Dana et al., 2010). It is beneficial to provide regular progress updates and gather input through surveys, focus groups, and open houses. Stakeholder advisory committees can offer valuable insights and support. Addressing concerns openly while reinforcing shared vision and goals helps maintain engagement and build trust. Sustained stakeholder communication allows for meaningful participation that enriches curriculum improvement efforts.

When implementing any sort of curriculum modifications, it’s critical to request the feedback of teachers. They are the center of making the curriculum work for students. In most cases, they are essentially left out of the decision making process. To do this, district and/or school leaders may want to pilot the adapted curriculum prior to fully incorporating it into every classroom. Teachers can see what works and what does not work for students. Collaborators can make note of this information and discuss ways to adapt that would meet students most pressing needs.

Teachers do ongoing assessments while students should give feedback in many forms, one being writer’s workshop. Parents will hopefully step forward with their concerns.

One of the most valuable ways of getting real feedback from how the curriculum will work, is to do lesson studies, as pioneered in Japan. This tests out the lesson with real students, and gets a group to see what worked and what didn't, and how to improve.

Iteration and change is critical. But not just on how the curriculum facilitates student learning, but more importantly on what content will likely be relevant to your students when they are out of school. This was a critical to me when I drafted California's K-12 ICT standards/model curriculum.

Understanding that the process is iterative and therefore takes time is crucial. It's just as important not to be too possessive of 'pet' ideas. Every idea should be challenged and scrutinized a number of times by a number of people. If it withstands that process, great. If not, it goes.

To enable responsive curriculum revision, flexibility is key (Thompson & Zeuli, 1999). It is prudent to regularly re-evaluate goals, frameworks, roles and timelines. Adjustments may be needed to accommodate emerging needs or changing contexts. With complex collaborative efforts, plans rarely unfold exactly as anticipated. A growth mindset focused on ongoing learning and improvement is beneficial. Embracing flexibility allows for adaptation while maintaining alignment with the shared vision.

Whenever I design any curriculum, the first step is to research and look into the best books and authors in that area. Also, speak to industry experts for their input.

Celebrating success is not only important for our own recognition, but it is also something important for improving the world. If you have developed curricula that is valuable, and publicly funded, consider sharing it as an Open Educational Resource (OER). If you developed it in your own time, consider either releasing it as an OER, or spreading it while receiving funds with sites that allow teachers to sell their work to other teachers and schools. This will have the celebration of your success being much greater and broader.

Having a vertical and horizontal alignment of the curriculum once a year, bringing together all teachers involved in delivering the curriculum is one good way to reflect on the curriculum. When we reflect on our practices, taking feedback, listening to suggestions and strategies will bring about a collaborative understanding of the needs of the curriculum. Reflection with feedback and feedforward with the team is the key to discovering how effectively the curriculum has worked for a certain grade and the impact it has had on the learner.

We must have the humility to recognize that as curriculum developers we only have part of the picture, and even with good collaborators and reaching out to experts & practitioners, that this is still a partial view. So it is important to do good research on what is needed to be learned to give students the greatest possibility of success in their lives from the value of what they learned. While there is unfortunately a dearth of good research about specific knowledge and skills necessary for the job market, there is good broad info for the U.S. at O*NET. Also, check your information. There is a reason that the book Lies My Teachers Told Me was written. Especially check your quotes. Most quotes attributed to Einstein are not from him.

By reviewing data from multiple sources (i.e., standardized exams), educational teams can engage in data-driven conversations, facilitating processes in identifying/addressing curriculum areas requiring the most need. Moreover, educators can use data to engage in comparative analysis exercises, which creates opportunities to gain insights on items impacting student achievement, such as content-to-standards alignment, instructional rigor, and/or differentiated learning. These conversations can support pedagogical shifts to standards-based instruction, where teachers design lessons that emphasize students' evidencing standard mastery. This shift prioritizes staff development over revising/overhauling a potentially costly curriculum.

To revise curriculum, it is best to engage stakeholders and audit the present curriculum. Not only function, structure, and content but also word use/language. A backward design framework is useful in grounding learning outcomes when creating/revising a curriculum. A constant to keep in mind in revising is to ask the questions: Who is this for? What assumptions are being made?