Let's warm up our curriculum workout with a good assessment stretch, good... now take a deep breath, and let it out!

   I loved the realism about the problem of 21st century public education that Heidi Hayes Jacobs presents in the initial chapters of her book Curriculum 21, Essential Education for a Changing World. Hayes Jacobs addresses real problems and gives real workable answers and solutions. Hayes Jacobs identifies one issue of curriculum change and development as being three pronged, and clearly outlines an avenue for change which has proved to be successful. Hayes Jacobs gives us a starting point for change: ... assessments. She describes that beginning first with modifying our assessments will initiate change for curriculum content and finally affect an upgrade for learner's skillls and proficiencies. I think I can deal with this. I can see that beginning with assessment will create a powerful impetus that will in  turn modify both content and proficiency for students. I will make an analogy for Hayes Jacob's proposal to begin modifications with assessment, to the proper beginning...... for a workout.  We all know that warming up our muscles with stretching and other aerobic exercise will help us to better perform our core workout. We will have better blood flow, hasten  oxygen to the muscles,etc. I think we can apply this to Jacob's idea of starting to enact change in our curricula by starting with modifying our assessments.