Parallel Curriculum
Developed by:
Tomlinson, Kaplan, Purcell, Leppien, Burns, & Strickland
Theoretical Underpinnings:
Lots!
Ausubel ('68), Bandura ('77), Bruner ('60, '66), Gagne and Briggs ('79), Jamess (1885), Phenix('64), Taba ('62), and Bloom et al ('56)
Key concepts > Facts
Representative topics > specific topics
Doing > memorizing
Brief description of the model and/or its philosophy:
Curricular model, where teachers/curriculum designers use four core parallels and ascending intellectual demand to develop curriculum that will help students make sense and meaning of information (so they retain it better).
Key elements,components, and/or non-negotiables:
The parallels:
Core Curriculum (the facts and knowledge)
Curriculum of Connections (connections between the facts/knowledge, concepts)
Curriculum of Practice (predominantly skill-acquisition)
Curriculum of Identity (gets students to act as practitioners of the discipline
Ascending Intellectual Demand
Intended applicationsfor the model (enrichment, pull-out, whole school,classroom, etc.):
Classroom
Whole school
District
Intended Audiences:
Curriculum developers, any age
Relative strength and weaknesses:
Strengths
effort is primarily at the front, during development, makes implementation easier
can be at any level
makes differentiation easier
Weaknesses
very high effort
requires a curriculum developer, or lots of professional development for teachers
staff development required for implementation
Resources required:
the parallels
training/support for staff
Tomlinson, Kaplan, Purcell, Leppien, Burns, & Strickland
Theoretical Underpinnings:
Lots!
Ausubel ('68), Bandura ('77), Bruner ('60, '66), Gagne and Briggs ('79), Jamess (1885), Phenix('64), Taba ('62), and Bloom et al ('56)
Key concepts > Facts
Representative topics > specific topics
Doing > memorizing
Brief description of the model and/or its philosophy:
Curricular model, where teachers/curriculum designers use four core parallels and ascending intellectual demand to develop curriculum that will help students make sense and meaning of information (so they retain it better).
Key elements,components, and/or non-negotiables:
The parallels:
Core Curriculum (the facts and knowledge)
Curriculum of Connections (connections between the facts/knowledge, concepts)
Curriculum of Practice (predominantly skill-acquisition)
Curriculum of Identity (gets students to act as practitioners of the discipline
Ascending Intellectual Demand
Intended applicationsfor the model (enrichment, pull-out, whole school,classroom, etc.):
Classroom
Whole school
District
Intended Audiences:
Curriculum developers, any age
Relative strength and weaknesses:
Strengths
effort is primarily at the front, during development, makes implementation easier
can be at any level
makes differentiation easier
Weaknesses
very high effort
requires a curriculum developer, or lots of professional development for teachers
staff development required for implementation
Resources required:
the parallels
training/support for staff