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Curriculum Standards

Janet’s work with our district was very well received. Both veteran and new teachers greatly appreciated the opportunity to dive into our state’s mathematics standards and learn how to prioritize them for consistency across our schools. In an engaging and supportive manner, she provided worthwhile professional learning to all our teachers PK to High School.

—Sean Feeny, Port Washington Union Free District, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment

Curriculum Mapping & Curriculum Design

Janet Hale's curriculum design work for The Dewey Schools has been transformative. Her expertise in creating engaging and effective educational frameworks has significantly enhanced our students' learning experiences. Her contributions have been invaluable in shaping a dynamic and robust curriculum that meets our diverse needs as an international school community.

—Laurie Whiston, The Dewey Schools, English Program Director

Curriculum Mapping & Curriculum Design

Janet led a multi-year curriculum mapping project designed specifically for our student population. As a low-performing school with high teacher turnover, curriculum unit guides for Mathematics and ELA became essential for ensuring learning and teaching cohesiveness. Janet was instrumental in listening to our concerns and interweaving our school’s founding principles surrounding culturally responsive teaching into each unit. She guided our administrative and teacher teams through the process of developing unit guides that identify key content, skills, and anchor texts aligned to our state standards and social justice outcomes.

—Stacey Howard, Z.E.C.A. School of the Arts and Technology, Founder and CEO

Curriculum EDiting

Many thanks go to Janet Hale, a bestselling author, educational consultant, curriculum expert, colleague, and friend. Her careful evaluation, honest critique, and helpful advice have made my book, TrustED: The Bridge to School Improvement, a more thoughtful and engaging read.

—Toby Travis, Author

Curriculum EDiting

I have hired Janet multiple times as an educational consultant for our best-selling line of workbooks. Janet ensured that the content in these workbooks aligned perfectly with curriculum standards. She meticulously revised and edited lessons and activities, significantly enhancing the quality of the workbooks. Her expertise and attention to detail gave me complete confidence in the content and its impact on children's education. Janet is great to work with and I highly recommend her for your educational publication needs!

—Courtney Acampora, Senior Editor, Silver Dolphin and Studio Fun

Curriculum EDiting

When I embarked on a bold plan of writing a series of children's books for our organization, I truly didn't know what I didn't know! Janet has been consistently beyond patient in ensuring I understand the do’s and don'ts involved in good storytelling, formatting, and editing, which has enabled us to produce age-appropriate and fun books that convey our purpose and intended message.

—Kevin Schwieger, Luke5Adventures, Founder and President

    Making curriculum decisions related to students' learning needs is on every administrator's and teacher's mind—both addressing prioritizing standards-based learning and the need for innovation. To discuss your needs and concerns, contact Janet to schedule a free virtual meeting.

    Project-Based Learning

    Project Based Learning is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for
    an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an engaging and complex question, problem, or challenge.
    — Buck Institute of Education (BIE)

    John Dewey, a leader in education in his day, who still influences educators today, conveyed that learning should not be just the acquisition of a rote set of skills. He believed that learning should be “the realization of one’s full potential and the ability to use those skills for the greater good.” Project Based Learning (PBL) provides an educational environment that creates meaningful contexts to apply both academic and success skills that embrace the application of caring about, and for,  “the greater good.”

    There are a variety of definitions and explanations pertaining to PBL. One model that Janet uses if a school or district does not already have a model or framework in place is the BIE Gold Standard Project Based Learning Model—both for designing project-based curriculum and developing and implementingproject-based instruction.

    Janet enjoys working alongside educators to train, coach, and support them in designing project-based units that embrace quality design, such as the eight BIE Gold Standard PBL Essential Project Design Elements

    • Key Knowledge, Understanding, and Success Skills – The project is focused on student learning goals, including standards-based content and skills such as critical thinking/problem solving, collaboration, and self-management.

    • Challenging Problem or Question – The project is framed by a meaningful problem to solve or a question to answer, at the appropriate level of challenge.

    • Sustained Inquiry – Students engage in a rigorous, extended process of asking questions, finding resources, and applying information.

    • Authenticity – The project features real-world context, tasks and tools, quality standards, or impact – or speaks to students’ personal concerns, interests, and issues in their lives.

    • Student Voice & Choice – Students make some decisions about the project, including how they work and what they create.

    • Reflection – Students and teachers reflect on learning, the effectiveness of their inquiry and project activities, the quality of student work, obstacles and how to overcome them.

    • Critique & Revision – Students give, receive, and use feedback to improve their process and products.

    • Public Product – Students make their project work public by explaining, displaying and/or presenting it to people beyond the classroom.

    In tandem, Janet aids teachers in understanding, establishing, and improving their personal and collaborative PBL teaching capabilities. A useful tool to engage in this process is to focus on the eight characteristics of the BIE Gold Standard Project Based Teaching Practices:

    • Design & Plan

    • Align to Standards

    • Build the Culture

    • Manage Activities

    • Scaffold Student Learning

    • Assess Student Learning

    • Engage & Coach

    Janet believes that Project Based Learning has myriad student-centered advantages, includingsynthesizing the 4 C’s and a Growth Mindset with the Authenticity of quality PBL design characteristics.


    In quality PBL design elements and teaching practices, teachers are expected to ensure alignment to standards, as well as scaffold learning and instructional practices. In John Larmer’s blog, “Gold Standard PBL: Align to Standards,” he summarizes a roundtable he facilitated with a few BIE faculty members wherein they focused on the need to ensure that PBL units are aligned to standards. He shares that Teresa noted,

    “[A]ligning to standards might seem deceptively simple, but it really is an active process: essential for ensuring the project has rigor, as opposed to being ‘just a pet project’ that might be ‘fluffy.’”

    Given Janet’s expertise in standards literacy and standards alignment, both systemically across grade levels and within a specific grade level, she works diligently to ensure that PBL-created units are appropriate for student learning expectations–both academically and maturationally.

    Janet has had the pleasure of training and coaching teachers and administrators who are just beginning to design curriculum and instruction based on a Project Based Learning model, as well as those who are adjusting or upgrading their PBL understanding and 

    implementation.

    To discuss your organization’s project-based learning needs, please complete a Curriculum Design Survey. Janet will respond within 24 hours.

    To contact Janet directly, call her at 520.241.8797, or email her using this contact form.

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