English 2 Curriculum Redesign Presentation Notes

Slide 1:
Title Page

Slide 2:
Presentation Objectives laid out.
-Ultimately, I want the curriculum redsigned to be approved, which begins with this audience of
my department approving it.

Slide 3:
Educational Hook in the form of four questions for the audience to consider before hearing the
proposal.
-I want them to really understand the gravity of what we’re being asked to do, so my proposal
will be received openly and professionally.

Slide 4:
This is a kind of reach out, where I speak directly to any hesitations or concerns that may have
been stirred as they reflected on my questions, before a move to be reassuring.
-We don’t have to change as much as they might fear to accomplish what we’ve been tasked
with, and I want them to understand that as well.

Slide 5:
Summary graphic of the entire course redesign.
-I will not have time to get into all of it within the ten minutes I have to present, but I want them
to see that it’s there, that the entire redesign is available and easily accessible.
-It will also be attached to the handout I provide them with, to review more at their convenience
later.

Slide 6:
This is the first major change that will be delved into.
-I’m framing it as a “tweak,” and leading with that, so as to again assuage any fears or concerns
my colleagues may have; “tweak” sounds as innocuous as the changes I am presenting.
-We do a lot with the Greeks, and I agree with that to some extent, as they form the foundation
of Western Culture as we know it, but we just do too much, at the expense of other cultures and
works.
-We also keep returning to them repeatedly, so let’s do a survey unit instead, setting the table
for what’s to come.
-It will also provide an opportunity for informative writing to be brought into the curriculum, as
students can write about other modern impacts of Greek Culture

Slide 7:
Another more reassuring slide, focusing on what this change will “free up,” as far as our time
and the students’.
-I want my fellow teachers to know this is also for them.
-This will also set up my first progress monitoring question

Robbie Blasser 1
English 2 Curriculum Redesign Presentation Notes

Slide 8:
Progress monitoring question 1: “What would you like to do with the time this consolidation
creates?”
-I want them both thinking about what they could do with extra time, and give them the chance
to voice any tangible ideas.

Slide 9:
Possible addition to the curriculum #1: A world mythology unit.
-This will pick up from that aspect of the Greek survey unit and maintain our work with
archetypes, while also explicitly bringing in much more cultural diversity.
-This unit can also serve to broaden our writing curriculum further, as we can assign the
students to write their own mythic stories, covering both narrative and creative writing.

Slide 10:
Second “tweak” addressed. We already have a poetry unit for second semester, but it is
designed or implemented with much intentionality.
-The freeing up of time would allow for a much more detailed and developed unit, which could
be done by bringing in global voices and more culturally diverse styles of poetry.
-Also, the students could write their own, providing even more variance to our writing curriculum.

Slide 11:
Progress monitoring question 2: “What voices are you considering for the unit?”
-Again, this is an opportunity to personally engage my audience and allow them to start filling in
some of these possibilities for themselves.
-Additionally, by providing them with a second opportunity to share their views with the group, I
have fostered the kind of collaboration that will be necessary in making this proposal a reality.

Slide 12:
Possible addition #2. Persepolis, by Marjane Sarapti.
-Basic information about the work, both culturally and it being a graphic novel

Slides 13 & 14:

Another direct appeal to my audience
-This work hits all bases, from my vantage point.
-It’s shorter, autobiographical, and more contemporary.
-It’s a different style of writing
-It features a female of color as both the author and the protagonist.
-It’s a unit we can design from the ground up.
-With all writing requirements covered, we are free to pursue more creative projects

Slide 15:
Closing questions, comments, or concerns

Robbie Blasser 2