Response 2, Week 2

     I completely agree that technology should be a part of the every day classroom.  In chapter 12, the author discusses how technology improves motivation and provides authentic connections to kids.  She also talks about how kids in the classroom are bored because of how material is being delivered and they feel it is irrelevant to how they learn.  Chapter 5 also talks about assessment and if students are presented with alternative types of assessment rather than high stakes, standardized types, underperformers might produce highly creative work.  We need to ensure that students are ready to face our advancing world.  We need to keep up with how students learn and what interests them.
     The author goes on to describe in each of the chapters how, "...technology is changing at an exponential rate...".  As educators how do we possibly keep up with learning all these new trends?  How does administration keep up with the cost of providing all the technological updates that are needed in a time of budget cuts and fiscal hard times?  While I agree that to engage students and keep them learning by doing, how do we make that possible with 2 very large issues blocking our way?

Response 1, Week 2

In chapter 4, there were 2 points that really stood out to me; one was the groupings of students and two was the grouping of professionals. 
When talking about groupings of students, the author stated, "What type of grouping would best support learning for a specific group of students to address specific objectives?".  I'm quite certain she isn't talking about ability grouping of students into very high, high, medium, and low groups all year long.  I haven't figured out how this long standing practice is what is best for students.  Wouldn't it be better to assess, then figure out what each students' needs are based on a short section of say math, group them for a short time, reassess and then regroup?  Knowing what I do about literacy, putting students into static groups does nothing for their self-esteem (if in a low group), plus they do not have the benefit of learning from their higher achieving peers.  In literacy, groups are supposed to be dynamic so students have the chance to learn from others.  They also have thinking to offer that can benefit the whole group.
The second point was grouping of professionals.  Wouldn't grouping by problems instead of by department be differentiating on the presenters part?  Whoever is providing PD, or running the meeting should differentiate based on the professionals needs.  We do or should be doing this in the classroom, so why not during PD?  I hate going to a meeting (staff, grade level) and sit there listening to information that doesn't pertain to me.
The author brings up 2 very good points that would influence both student learning and PD for teachers.

Curriculum 21

After reading chapter 3 of Curriculum 21, I started thinking about high school curriculum (which frankly, I've never done).  My daughter, Michaela, entered 9th grade this past year and along with it came freshman English.  Michaela absolutely LOVES to read.  When you ask people about her, they automatically say, "book", or "reads all the time".  Freshman English though did nothing to foster her love of reading.  Why are some schools (teachers?) still stuck in past practices of reading old literature that kids struggle through?  And yes, everyone in this class HAS to be reading the same book.  So, she read The Odyssey and wrote essays in response, she read A Separate Peace and wrote essays....and hated them and the activities that went along with them. 
Curriculum 21 suggests reading a book that has a movie.  Kids do this all the time.  There are so many great pieces of current literature out there that have a movie out.  Wouldn't this be a better use of a freshman's time?  Doing something they would be doing anyway in the real world?  Giving students choice in what they read would provide so much more investment on their part.  Plus maybe get some reluctant readers going in the reading department.  I'm quite certain The Odyssey did not hook any reluctant readers into picking up books in their spare time.

Curriculum

Response #1 When I stopped to think about it, I realized that I do not have much experience with developing or planning curriculum.  I worked some as a classroom teacher on social studies curriculum at the district level in a previous district.  We worked grade by grade starting in at the Kindergarten level and tried to have content sequential using the Maine Learning Results as our guide.
Currently as a literacy coach, I do not do much curriculum work as the district I currently work for has a resource for reading (core program) and the scope and sequence is already laid out.  It spirals and teachers have been given instructions to follow it.
With CCSS fast approaching, I see my fellow literacy coaches and I working towards a writing scope and sequence that will support CC.  We currently do not have anything by way of writing where I work.  Math follows Scott Foresman, so that scope and sequence is done also.  Science follows the replenishable kits like forces and motion, ecosystems, etc. so that scope and sequence is established also.