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Mod 14 Curriculum Selection Activity 1

Mod 14 Curriculum Selection Activity 1

Mod 14 Curriculum Selection Activity 1
by Lauren Bowersox -
Number of replies: 0

I. Non-Textbook Material Selection Guidelines (Trade Books, Software, Web-Based Materials)

A. Content Relevance & Cultural Responsiveness

  • Materials must reflect diverse cultures, identities, and perspectives.

  • Materials should include characters, settings, and themes that mirror students' lived experiences.

  • Avoid stereotypes and ensure authentic cultural representation.

B. Linguistic Accessibility

  • Materials must include supports such as glossaries, audio read-alouds, and visual cues.

  • Content should be accessible across a second language acquisition continuum: from entering to bridging.

C. Instructional Differentiation

  • Must provide scaffolded supports: sentence frames, leveled readers, visual aids.

  • Should include multimodal access (videos, images, text, speech-to-text, etc.).

  • Must allow for small group, partner, and individual exploration.

D. Engagement and Interactivity

  • Web and software materials should promote student interaction, collaboration, and inquiry.

  • Digital tools must support content creation, not just consumption.

E. Assessment Integration

  • Include built-in formative and summative assessment options aligned with state standards.

  • Must provide data or progress monitoring tools for teacher analysis.

F. Teacher Support Materials

  • Should include guides for differentiation, cultural adaptation, and alignment to standards.

  • Must include sample lesson plans and suggestions for ELL and special education accommodations.

Critique of Current Non-Textbook Selection Process:

In many schools, non-textbook resources are chosen primarily based on budget availability, popularity, or publisher reputation. Unfortunately, these selections often:

  • Lack authentic multicultural perspectives.

  • Are designed for native English speakers without embedded scaffolds.

  • Are missing supports for emergent bilinguals or students with interrupted education.

  • Do not include materials that allow ELLs to work from their funds of knowledge or home culture.

Proposed Improvements to Non-Textbook Selection Process:

  1. Form a Diversity Review Committee (including ESOL teachers, special educators, and family liaisons).

  2. Use a cultural relevance rubric to review every resource.

  3. Require ELL accessibility criteria for all digital tools and texts.

  4. Pilot materials with representative student groups and collect feedback.

  5. Rotate materials annually to align with evolving student populations.

II. Textbook Selection Guidelines for Inclusive Classrooms

A. Standards Alignment

  • Must be fully aligned to Florida State Standards (FSS) and English Language Proficiency Standards.

B. Cultural Representation

  • Textbooks must depict diverse cultures and languages positively and accurately.

  • Include authors and characters from a variety of racial, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds.

C. Language Scaffolding

  • Include visuals, summaries, glossaries, sentence starters, and comprehension checks.

  • Provide dual-language or side-by-side translations where possible.

D. Flexible Design

  • Allow teachers to customize or supplement textbook content.

  • Include differentiated pathways (beginner, intermediate, advanced).

E. Support for Multiple Learning Modalities

  • Textbooks should pair with audio, video, and interactive tools.

  • Include real-world applications relevant to students’ communities and lived experiences.

Final Thoughts:
To meet the needs of all learners—particularly in a multicultural, multilingual school environment—we must shift from a one-size-fits-all approach to one that centers inclusivity, voice, and choice. The selection process must be ongoing, data-informed, and grounded in the lived realities of our learners.