EDA 503 Curriculum Development and Revision
April 21, 2011
Weekly Reflection # 2
The readings, lecture information, and Tony Hsieh’s book Delivering Happiness,
A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose are contributing to my learning and questioning.
I recognize “my current reality” as a novice with regards to curriculum development, the
significance of emotional intelligence and the success of UbD design, which is not
limited to curriculum creation. 
As a novice curriculum developer, structures such as the operational definitions of
relevant terms are helping me grasp new information. aha Chapter 2 of the UbD text
distinguishes between “knowledge” and “understanding.” Knowledge includes skills,
facts, and/or procedures that are learned; Bloom defines understanding as “…the ability
to marshal skills and facts wisely and appropriately, through effective application,
analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.” (1956, p. 39 of the text). Understanding involves the
transfer of knowledge and skills; it is “…the capacity to take what we know and use it
creatively, flexibly, fluently, in different settings or problems, on our own.” (p. 40). The
authors assert that content coverage provides students with fragmented knowledge; it
does not equip them to use the information to engage in higher-order thinking tasks.1 To
facilitate understanding educators must shift their focus and ask two questions that
correspond to the first two stages of backward design: “Stage 1: What should students
come away understanding? Stage 2: What will count as evidence of that understanding?
(p. 47). The challenge involves the creation of assessments that demonstrate capacities
1
The Interstate School Leaders Licensures Consortium (ISLLC, 2008): 2A, 2C, 2G, 2H, 4A, 5E, 6A
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on the “high end” of Bloom’s Taxonomy.good The assessments need to reveal the
students’ internalization of information; only when it is truly “owned” can it be
manipulated and applied in novel situations. The importance of misunderstanding as
evidence of the transfer of knowledge highlights another notion to keep in mind in the
backward design process; inherent in this is allowing students to take risks as they
acquire understanding.2 Back to Strong – define, picture what it is AND what it isn’t!
The premise of Chapter 3 of the UbD text is the goal-directed nature of backwards
design; how it targets the potential problems of content coverage and isolated activities.
Established Goals refer to “…formal, long-term goals, such as state content standards,
district program goals, departmental objectives, and exit-level outcomes—the desired
results that establish priorities for instruction and assessment.” (p. 58). In Stage 1
curriculum designers pose Essential Questions that focus on the “big ideas” (a.k.a. the
priorities), the core content and enabling skills (e.g. study skills, working in groups) that
students require. Big ideas are “…a conceptual tool for sharpening thinking, connecting
discrepant pieces of knowledge, and equipping learners for transferable applications.” (p.
70). They can include a concept, theme, ongoing debate and point of view, paradox,
theory, underlying assumption, recurring question or understanding/principle. The three
nested ovals the authors utilize to establish priorities around big ideas are helping me
begin to distinguish the necessary from the “fluff” as I plan treatment and “experiment”
with UbD (in assignment # 2!).3 great! This brings me back to the concept of inquiry that
we learned about in our first class in EDA 505. Now the inquiry involves the conversion
of standards and IEP goals into questions focused around big ideas. From here there
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3
ISLLC (2008): 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2E, 2G, 3C, 4A, 4B, 5A, 5E, 6A
ISLLC (2008): 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 2I, 3B, 3C, 4A, 4B, 5A, 5C, 5E, 6A
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needs to be appropriate assessments and a link between the big ideas and instruction in
order to facilitate understanding.
The six facets of understanding described in Chapter 4 of the UbD text are
Explanation, Interpretation, Application, Perspective, Empathy, and Self-Knowledge.
When providing explanations students need to support their answers/conclusions. !!
Otherwise, we get opinions and you know how I feel about unsubstantiated opinions!
Interpretation involves individual understandings that “…are bound by the personal,
social, cultural, and historical contexts in which they arise.” (p. 91). Students apply
knowledge when they synthesize information and utilize it in a novel context.
Perspective involves looking at situations from a different point of view. Empathy is a
form of insight that asks us to suspend our world view and to take on another’s. SelfKnowledge is a discipline that involves self-assessment and self-regulation. It results in
the wisdom to know what we know and, perhaps more importantly, what we don’t know.
The progressive complexity of these six facets needs to be inherent in curriculum design;
this will enable students to acquire facts/skill sets, question in order to make meaning
from the facts, and learn about themselves as learners.4
The six facets of understanding correlate with the components of emotional
intelligence (i.e. self-awareness, mood management, self-motivation, empathy, the ability
to manage relationships). These components are essential to professional and personal
growth, development and success. Brain research shows that the ability to delay
gratification and persevere is a predictor of success and a sign of emotional intelligence.
I was initially surprised to learn that EQ is a better indicator of success than traditional
measures such as GPA, IQ scores and standardized test scores. However, various articles
4
ISLLC (2008): 1C, 1E, 2A, 2B, 2E, 3C, 4B, 5A, 5B, 5E, 6A
3
in the Curriculum Leadership text highlight the relationship between emotional
intelligence and learner achievement. In “We Feel, Therefore we Learn: The Relevance
of Affective and Social Neuroscience to Education” authors Mary Helen, ImmordinoYang, and Antonio Damasio review the neuroscience of emotion and its relationship to
cognition. This research, “…which shed light on the nested relationships between
emotion, cognition, decision making, and social functioning, will provide a jumping-off
point for new thinking on the role of emotion in education.” (p. 204). In “The Biology of
Risk Taking,” author Lisa Price discusses the neurology of adolescent behavior (which
includes a biological drive to engage in risk-taking). She states that schools need to
provide structures and vital supports to students who experience puberty at different
times. Researchers Lisa Flook and Andrew Fuligni explore the interdependence of the
family and school in fostering student adjustment and achievement in the article “Family
and School Spillover in Adolescent’s Daily Lives.” They assert that the reduction of
family stressors “…may have benefits for adolescents’ school adjustment and vice
versa.” (p. 181).5
The necessity of emotional intelligence for a lifetime of success is actualized in
Tony Hsieh’s Delivering Happiness, A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose. Throughout
his journey he takes risks, thinks outside of the box, is undeterred by the “odds” and
looks inward for direction. His introspection consistently reveals his passion (the
specifics of which are thematically woven throughout his life), which guides his choices.
He is curious and confident; he acts with intentionality, communicates effectively and
works cooperatively. Ironically, the seemingly frivolous endeavors in which he partakes
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ISLLC (2008): 1B, 1D, 1E, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 2I, 3B, 3C, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 5A, 5B, 5C,
5E, 6A
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(e.g. poker playing) illuminate connections between business and life.  Tony Hsieh
consistently returns to his entrepreneurial nature and passion for shared experiences
within a “tribe.” He shares acronyms and tattoos such as PLUR (Peace, Love, Unity,
Respect), BCP (Brand, Culture, Pipeline), and “Never outsource the core competency.”
In essence, his design is backwards: he looks within for the vision, decides how to
measure/achieve it, then defines the specifics.great connection!!!!!!!! Only the initial,
introspective aspects of this process are done in isolation; often the shared vision, desired
results and assessment measures begin to materialize during a “conversation” (many of
which seem to occur over lunch or drinks!)yeah, baby!. My reading thus far (it’s a tough
book to put down!) is causing me to pause and contemplate personal passions, risk, and
the cultures in which I have worked throughout my educational and professional careers.
My introduction to backward design and a curriculum focused on emotional intelligence
occurred in my graduate program in speech-language pathology at Queens College. The
program was designed to foster diagnostic/clinical skills, self-awareness, self-evaluation,
empathy, the ability to manage relationships with clients, family members, and various
professionals, and the capacity to question the therapeutic process. It is my current
culture that is the least “tribe-like” of my professional experiences and in which I, at
times, feel like a step-child (I realize the system is designed that way). In this culture I
find the passion in the work with the students and the “willing” colleagues who share a
similar vision and purpose. When correlating poker playing and business, Tony Hsieh
says that the table choice is the most important element. Moreover, that one can always
change tables. This is food for thought professionally and personally. Another great
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connection. We often have many choices but it is difficult for us to see them – ask Dr. D
– this is why we all need mentors. Read Monday Morning Leadership (Mentorship) next
Chapter Three of the Curriculum Leadership text stresses the use of information
about human growth and development when planning curriculum (i.e. individual
differences and teaching to “where the learner is”, p. 131). Curriculum leaders are
challenged to matching learning experiences with brain growth patterns. In the article
“Schools That Develop Children,” James P. Cromer states that educators and
administrators need to be cognizant of how children develop and learn since the purpose
of education is “…to prepare students to become successful workers, family members
and citizens in a democratic society…” (p. 132).6 Other theorists and researchers assert
that developmental stages occur in a fixed order and that individuals need to accomplish
the tasks at each level in order to proceed developmentally. Specifically, Jean Piaget’s
theory of cognitive development states that children learn through interacting with their
environment in the following stages: sensorimotor (birth-2 years), preoperational thought
(2-7 years), concrete operations (7-11 years), formal operations (11-15 years). Margaret
mead saw this similarly Erik Erikson’s model of psychosocial development includes
eight stages from infancy through old age that “…are characterized by a psychosocial
crisis for the individual’s emotional and social growth.” (p. 130). Lawrence Kohlberg’s
model for moral development is based on Piaget’s stages and John Dewey’s levels of
moral development. Kohlberg believes that there are stages of moral development and
that the “principle of justice” is refined within each stage. Carol Gilligan challenges
Kohlberg’s research because it reflects primarily men’s perspectives. In the article
“Woman’s Place in Man’s Life Cycle” she postulates that relationships are experienced
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ISLLC (2008): 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 2A, 2B, 2G, 2H, 3A, 3C, 4B, 4C, 4D, 5C, 5D, 5E, 6A, 6C
6
differently by men and women and that, for women, moral development is centered on
responsibility and relationships. In “WhatEver Happened to Kick the Can? Wellness in
School and Community,” investigator Tom Burton states that the federal Child Nutrition
and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 have positively impacted student wellness in
schools. He describes the “systemic plan” put into place in his school district that goes
beyond these regulations. The plan includes various physical activities, community
wellness, and changes in Food Services operations. Wellness is an emerging and
necessary trend in education; physical education is another conduit to emotional
intelligence.7
Learning and learning styles were discussed in class and Chapter Four of the
Curriculum Leadership text. An eclectic curriculum that embodies all learning theories-behavioral, social learning, cognitive, and constructivist-- reaches diverse learners across
content areas. Learning styles are “individual typical ways of processing information and
seeking meaning” (p. 193); they are influenced by genetics and the environment. The
seven intelligences proposed by Howard Gardner in Frames of Mind: The Theory of
Multiple Intelligences (1983, 1993a, p.8) are logical-mathematical, linguistic, musical,
spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, intrapersonal, and interpersonal. The class activity and
personal inventories we took highlighted the diversity among learners and the
implications for curriculum planning, assessment and instruction. I correlate this
information with Dr. Mel Levine’s Schools Attuned work at the All Kinds of Minds
Institute, in which “Participating teachers learn to analyze how their own instructional
delivery and content taps specific aspects of memory, attention, motor function,
7
ISLLC (2008): 1B, 2B, 2H, 2I, 3C, 4A, 4B, 5A, 5C, 6A, 6C
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language, and other areas of brain function (The Jossey-Bass Reader on Educational
Leadership, p. 297).8
After reviewing the readings, lecture notes and content of Delivering Happiness,
A Path to Profits, Passion and Purpose I am recognizing the application of UbD in realms
other than curriculum, such as supervision. Further, the “bottom line” comes back to
unearthing the brutal truth, developing a shared vision of “big ideas,” having assessments
in place to track progress and research-based instructional practices. Although I remain
uncertain as to where the path is leading me in terms of educational administration, I
know that the understandings I am acquiring are helping me become a better speechlanguage pathologist and a questioner of current realities. 
You are really making fantastic connections with both your head AND heart. This is a
rare ability that you seem to have in abundance. Whatever path you choose, it is one in
which you will surely succeed. Trust your instincts. Great insights. 8/5
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ISLLC (2008): 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 2B, 2C, 2E, 2G, 2H, 2I, 3B, 3C, 3E, 4A, 5A, 5B, 5E, 6A, 6C
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