Full Circle - Deceptively Simple

Looking back from the beginning of the class to now, the end, I'm thinking about where I started versus where I am. Coming from a business background and not having much experience with curriculum design, I was particularily excited about this class but also a little intimidated since many of the people in the program had worked with curriculum a lotand had background in design. Initially reading "The Big Picture" was almost life changing for me, but definately eye opening. I love its simplicity. I've always been a fan of simplicity but one thing I realized is that when it seems simple, it's really hard. In other words, whether it be curriculum design or the performance of a musical composition or a book, the simpllist ones are somteimes the most well thought out and meaningful ones. When a designer, composer, writer, or performer creates something that to the outsider, seems simple often it is indicitive of a well planed and orchestrated work. I remember in Gary's class we talked about this in relation to music and that often performances that sounded "easy" was a sign of a lot of practice. Making something sound easy took a lot of work and planning and practice. I think this applies to curriculum as well. The curriculum that seems so simple that you wack yourself in the head because you can't believe how simple it is, really takes a lot of planning, practice and work.

THe ABC's and the concept of backwards design is so engrained in my, that I've found it creeping into other thing too. For example, I taught a crystal reports class today and all of the sudden the light bulb appeared above my head and the bell went off at the same time when I realized while I was teaching report design, the same concepts hold true for curriculum design, database design, etc....if you begin with the end in mind, you create a lens to view all the other components. You create a framework which allows you to make decisions on what to include and not include.

So my goal is to continue to work hard to make things seem easy for others using the many tools I have become aware of for resources.

That is all the deep thoughts I have for tonight.