The Course Organizer Routine
Teachers use the Course Organizer Routine to plan courses around essential learning and critical concepts. At the start of the year, teachers introduce the course and class rituals, and they revisit them throughout the year to help students maintain focus on the big ideas and understand important relationships.
In research studies, students whose teachers used the Course Organizer Routine correctly answered significantly more “big idea” questions--twice as many--than students in the comparison condition. Additionally, teachers who used this routine spent considerably more time introducing major course ideas, concepts, themes and routines, and using innovative instructional practices than teachers in the comparison condition in a study in middle and high school science and social studies classrooms.
Author(s): B. Keith Lenz, Jean B. Schumaker, Donald D. Deshler, and Janis A. Bulgren
Publication Info: Edge Enterprises, 1998
This product is published by Edge Enterprises, Inc. Professional development is recommended, see the SIM Event page for sessions.
Please note that professional development, coaching, and infrastructure support are essential components to effective implementation of SIM instructional tools and interventions. It is highly recommended that you work with a SIM professional developer. Please email simpd@ku.edu to learn more.
Resources:
RESEARCH ARTICLES
- Lenz, B.K., & Adams, G. (2006). Planning practices that optimize curriculum access. In D.D. Deshler & J.B. Schumaker (Eds.), Teaching adolescents with disabilities: Accessing the general education curriculum (pp. 35-78). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. This chapter reviews issues related to planning for students with disabilities, different kinds of planning interventions, and studies on teacher planning, including a review of lesson planning, unit planning, and course planning research.
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