IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO KNOW TO PREPARE FOR THE WORKSHOP...
GPS: Guiding Pupils to Success Using an Integrated, Interdisciplinary, Thematic Approach to Differentiate Curriculum
With
Dr. T. Roger Taylor
Anticipation is building for what many teachers in the last 26 years have said is the most exciting, intellectually stimulating, and demanding week, not only of their summer but also of their professional education! You may have attended one of Dr. Taylor's one-day seminars either through a district-wide in-service, a national or state conference, an NSCI Conference or through an intensive one-day Bureau of Education and Research (BER) seminar. At these seminars Dr. Taylor is essentially the "sage on the stage" but during this weeklong CURRICULUM WRITING workshop he will be the “guide on the side.” This Workshop is focused completely on professional teachers creating their own curriculum for their own students using their own intelligence, energy, and creativity with their recommended materials and resources. Dr. Taylor will begin each day by taking you through the curriculum writing model objectives for that day. Detailed examples and practical applications will be addressed (K-12) before teachers begin to write. Following his presentation he will spend the majority of classroom time working with writing teams of teachers as they design integrated, interdisciplinary, thematic curriculum to differentiate for their students.
Because this is a WORKshop designed for maximum productivity, the following ideas should be considered to enhance your benefit from this seminar:
1. Dress comfortably.
2. Bring a laptop with you. Each writing group will need a computer to complete the writing of the differentiated curriculum unit. Don't forget appropriate software for writing units, i.e., graphics, etc. If you do not have a computer to bring with you, you will be able to join a writing group where there is one available.
3. Bring available state, county, and/or local curriculum guidelines that focus on curriculum planning in your district, especially those for your grade level and/or content specialty. Copies of your state and/or local standards and outcomes are also necessary because each lesson strand will be aligned to a specific benchmark / standard. Most states have the standards available on your State Department of Education website. You may also access your state standards on the US map located on rogertaylor.com.
4. Bring all textbooks, supplemental materials, and special readings. If you are flying to the workshop, you may need to FedEx your materials to the workshop location.
5. Bring the recommended books for writing curriculum listed in the attached "Recommended Books." You may order these books through rogertaylor.com and they will be shipped directly to you.
6. If you are coming with a team and want to write with that team, brainstorm possible themes you want to teach next year and bring related literature, information, etc. If you come alone to the workshop, Dr. Taylor will help match you up with a team of 3-4 other teachers with which to write the curriculum unit. Please encourage your principal and / or other instructional leaders to attend the seminar with you. Major changes in School Districts happen when administrators see the power of this model. And...administrators may attend for free.
7. You may wish to bring high protein snacks to give you energy and maintain creativity. The seminar will begin MONDAY with coffee and refreshments between 8-8:30 a.m. and continue to 3:30 p.m. with a lunch break. The hours for Tuesday through Friday will be 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. You will be given an assignment for each day. If your group completes the assignment before 5:00 p.m. you may leave the workshop site to pursue independent work, etc. (Lunch is on your own Monday-Friday.)
As part of the workshop you will receive a handbook that contains extensive information concerning differentiated curriculum, as well as a free User Name and Password to access Dr. Taylor’s Web site of 8000 differentiated curriculum units. The following five books plus an Online Subscription for the Green Book are EXTREMELY HELPFUL when writing differentiated curriculum;however, they are not mandatory for you to purchase individually. Your school district may be able to purchase these resources for your use in the workshop. Writing teams will find them beneficial if these are available for use. Your school library/learning center may already have these resources. If not, you can let us order them for you and ship them directly to you. Please see the Book Order Form for more information.
2. National Geographic Concise History of Science and Invention: An Illustrated Time LIne: Washington D.C. Brown Reference Group ISBN 9781426205446
4. VideoHound’s Golden Movie Retriever 2011 Gale Group, 2009. ISBN 1414400047
5. Green Book of Songs by Subject: The Thematic Guide to Popular Music. It is now online at the GreenBookofSongs.com® www.greenbookofsongs.com This is a Database subscription service.
6. The Literature Teacher’s Book of Lists (2nd Edition) by Judy L. H. Strouf, Jossey-Bass, 2005. ISBN 0-7879-7550-8
(Additional Teacher’s Book of Lists in other content areas can be found on Dr. Taylor's Recommended Reading List.
Click here if you would like us to do the ordering for you!
Taylor’s Most Recommended Reading List, contains additional resources that most teachers find critically important when designing integrated, interdisciplinary, thematic curriculum units for their students. If possible, bring these with you for the weeklong seminar. You and your writing team will be glad you did!
The Videohound book is very complex; please spend time before the workshop to become familiar with how it is organized.
