The document discusses focused curriculum, which aims to better meet students' academic needs by identifying their needs, creating a tailored plan for each student, and intentionally implementing lessons to address those needs. Three sources are described that provide examples of focused curriculum. The first describes a case study where decision-making was successfully incorporated into lessons. The second provides guidance on developing a focused curriculum. The third profiles a school that uses focused curriculum to prepare students for college.

1. FOCUSED CURRICULUM
McKinsy Lietz
SOE 115-B2 Psychology of Teaching and Learning
Kendal College

2. Overview
The teaching strategy I chose to research and present is Focused
Curriculum. Focused Curriculum is the idea that a school
becomes more focused on meeting the students' academic needs,
and less focused on administration. There becomes an
instructional focus that first identifies the students' needs, creates
a plan for the students, and then follows through and
implements this plan. It allows for specific tools and important
lessons to be taught in an intentional way.

3. Credible Source #1
My first credible source was a case-study. It was done to observe
a class that had decision-making entered as a part of the lesson
plan. It was done to see if this served as a distraction, or a
successful, focused piece of learning.
As it turns out, it was successful and didn’t act as a distraction at
all. When the teachers decided to focus on this aspect of
learning and incorporate it into their lesson planning
intentionally, it served its purpose appropriately. (Jacobson,
2012).

4. Credible Source #2
My second credible source was really a how-to on developing a
focused curriculum. It was in support that a focus curriculum
was more effective and successful. “A recent review of outcome-
based education concluded that an effective educational
programme cannot be delivered without making its learning
outcomes explicit” (Newble, 2005). Focusing on the desired
outcome allows for organized planning, learning, and intentional
teaching which leads to successful learning.

5. Credible Source #3
My last credible source is from a professional website. It is an
academy that uses focused curriculum. The main focus of their
curriculum is college prep. They utilize this curriculum to get
the students ready for college in a focused, organized way.
Rather than just testing and teaching standard classes, they have
incorporated a focus on college prep into their lesson plans for
each class in order to better prepare their students for the next
educational step. (Grand River Academy, n.d). This type of
curriculum allows for those necessary focuses and adaptations.

6. Analysis
The three sources of information that I used during this
presentation all had different pieces of information to offer.
They all were similar, as well, by the fact that they all put this
curriculum into practice. The first, about decision-making
incorporated as a focus of the curriculum, was a case-study
example of putting it into practice. The second was different
because it didn’t give examples, rather it gave practical ways to
develop the curriculum. Finally, the third differed because it
really showed how to use this curriculum in different areas.

7. Connections
I think that this type of curriculum really ties into Piaget’s thought that
learning ties into organization. He thought that you can learn and
grow when your thoughts are organized and mapped out. I think that
Focused Curriculum goes hand-in-hand with that! When you develop
a focus and organize your lessons to tailor to that focus, students are
better able to follow along and understand the lesson, which allows
them to learn in a more succinct, successful manner.

8. Conclusions
I think that this type of curriculum definitely promotes achievement. In
regards to a specific skill or skill set, I think it promotes the ability to learn
intentionally in every area. Sometimes it is easy to learn what is placed before
you just because it is thought that this is expected. However, this type of
curriculum is very intentional in its teaching, so I think that through it,
learning can become very intentional as well. I think this because in the case-
study where they incorporated decision-making as an intentional part of the
curriculum, the students were able to learn this and utilize it in a way that was
successful.

9. Communications with Families
If I had a family that was questioning this curriculum or having a
hard time understanding what we do in the classroom, this is
what I would tell him/her:
“This type of curriculum is really just a way for teachers to be
more intentional with their planning and focus more on meeting
students’ needs and less on administration and testing.”

10. References
Jacobson, D., Parker, A., Spetzler, C., De Bruin, W. B., Hollenbeck, K.,
Heckerman, D., & ... Marshall, J. R. (2012). Improved Learning in U.S. History and
DecisionCompetence with Decision-Focused Curriculum. Plos ONE, 7(9),
1-3. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0045775
Newble, D., Stark, P., Bax, N., & Lawson, M. (2005). Developing an outcome-
focused core curriculum. Medical Education, 39(7), 680-687.
foi:10.1111/j.1365-2929.2005.02198.x
Grand River Academy. (n.d.). Focused Curriculum for Boys’ Education.
Retrieved November 11, 2016.
http://www.grandriver.org/academics/academic-concentrations