In late June, Fran and I spent three days together in a workshop facilitated by Mike Matthews of Authentic Education. The foundation of the workshop was using the Understanding by Design framework to examine the big picture of curriculum change in schools. Fran and I decided to use this year's Curriculum Council work as our "unit".

For those of you who know me as an educator, you know that I am passionate about understanding by design. Starting with your end goals, or the big picture destination, is critical to guide any work and curriculum. Being able to think about and identify what success looks like allows you to create a meaningful pathway.

This experience paired nicely with another three-day workshop that Fran and I did in late July, joined by Margot, which I will also write about. We are excited about the Curriculum Council work of the year!