I hadn’t broken down the process into the 5 steps you’ve identified, but I suppose you’re right about it. Of course, this only happens in a graduate level course where it’s required and there’s a structure for accomplishing it. I think teachers need to be given more opportunities to go through formal this process. Not every unit, but at least one per year. And, of course, any unit is a continuous work-in-progress. We learn the most not from developing the unit but from implementing it.

I agree with you, too, that collaborative planning through a professional learning community can happen without the 5-step process! Simply talking with other teachers between classes, during a common planning period, or through online discussion opportunities can contribute greatly to our curriculum development and teaching units.

Another nice connection that you made – what you learn in the development of one unit is transferred to others and, over time, the steps become more automated.

Thanks for sharing your concerns about the assessment phase of your unit development. Yes, we will be spending a lot of time here on out on the universal design characteristics of assessment, the differentiation (products & performances, teacher-directed evidence, and observations & conversations). We’ll also strategize and share methods for reporting these in the units you’ll be submitting to me at the end of the semester.

See you back in class!
-Cynthia