Lynn Erickson, recognized expert on curriculum design who has worked across the country, recommended to school leaders that they can provide students more engaging instruction if their teachers moved away from a traditional curriculum model. She proposed this approach during her Assembly session, “Developing Intelligence Through Concept-based Curriculum & Instruction.”

“We need to move away from the traditional model of curriculum which is teaching material that is a mile wide and an inch deep to one that is three dimensional and challenges youngsters to think and use their intelligence,” she urged.

The traditional curriculum model focuses on teaching facts and skills, but not understanding the deeper principles, according to Erickson. “When we employ the conceptual model, we allow students to transfer knowledge and think at a deeper level. We can engage students as they use higher level thinking.”

As an example, Erickson explained that if she assigned students a project on researching the American media using the traditional model, they would collect facts and write a report on those facts. However, using the conceptal model, she would challenge students to consider the persuasive impact of the media. They would still collect facts, but they would also be “invited to bring their own thinking into the study.” Students would have to process facts more deeply and become engaged in the assignment.

This approach works with all levels of students, Erickson told the principals, and increases their motivation for learning.

For more information, Erickson can be contacted at [email protected].