ASCD, the nation's leading association for K–12 educator professional development, announced the publication of Streamlining the Curriculum: Using the Storyboard Approach to Frame Compelling Learning Journeys. The must-read resource offers a fresh take on curriculum design through storyboarding, enabling teachers to have more agency when streamlining curriculum so they can better meet the needs of students. Written by expert educators Heidi Hayes Jacobs and Allison Zmuda, this innovative book offers teachers a wealth of practical examples and guidance on how to apply a narrative lens to the curriculum. When teachers employ vivid imagery and student-friendly language in the storyboard format, students can fully engage as the heroes of their own learning journey, empowering them to explore new ideas, solve problems, and make clear, deliberate connections between units.
Streamlining Curriculum to Create an Engaging and Meaningful Journey for Learners
This innovative book teaches K–12 educators—including teacher leaders, instructional coaches, curriculum coordinators, and instructional leaders such as principals—how to
- Decide what to cut out, cut back, consolidate, and create in lessons and units.
- Find the throughlines in required content and approach lesson design and teaching as storytelling, no matter the subject area or grade level.
- Apply genre lenses to make courses, units, and lessons more compelling.
- Communicate clear learning targets to students and their families.
- Create space for exploring essential questions, investigating intriguing ideas, and conducting projects that feel relevant and important.
- Determine purposeful and authentic evidence of learning.
Praise for Streamlining the Curriculum
Once upon a time, teachers were learning designers—creators. Then came canned curricula, and teachers had to follow someone else’s plans. Without autonomy or emotional connection to teaching, we withered. But then came Heidi Hayes Jacobs and Allison Zmuda to the rescue, with a practical and inspiring approach to curriculum design focused on crafting curricula as compelling narratives. Now, teachers and students can enjoy exploring standards with vigor and depth.
—Mike Anderson, teacher, consultant, and author of Tackling the Motivation Crisis
For too long, curriculum has been dry, lifeless, and bloated. Heidi and Allison give us a fresh way to breathe new life into our curriculum, reframing it as a learning journey and giving educators the permission and process to do what we've been longing to do for so long: cut the dross, make students the center of the narrative, and craft compelling learning experiences that truly engage and inspire our learners and ourselves.
—Robyn R. Jackson, author of Never Work Harder Than Your Students and Other Principles of Great Teaching
About the Authors
Heidi Hayes Jacobs works with schools, organizations, and agencies to create responsive learning environments, upgrade curriculum, and support teaching strategies to meet the needs of contemporary learners. Her models of curriculum mapping and her design and approach to modernizing school ecosystems and learning spaces have been featured in numerous books, articles, podcasts, and software solutions throughout the world. Through her collaboration with the brilliant Allison Zmuda, Heidi has become fascinated by the possibilities storyboarding offers to streamline curriculum and increase student-facing engagement.
For more, follow Jacobs on LinkedIn or X
Allison Zmuda is a longstanding education consultant focused on curriculum development with an emphasis on personalized learning. Just as she advocates for personalized learning to be used by her clients, she practices it when engaging with her clients. Allison is the co-author of 12 books, curator of Learning Personalized, co-director of the Institute for Habits of Mind, and the co-creator of curriculum storyboards with the inspirational Heidi Hayes Jacobs.
For more, follow Zmuda on LinkedIn or X
For more information on ASCD's professional development books and resources, visit www.ascd.org/books.
About ASCD
ASCD is a passionate community of life-changing educators. Our community is empowered to be equity and instructional warriors who transform vision into practice. For 75 years, we have worked side by side with educators from every level in all 50 states and more than 200 countries to help them find their people and amplify their voices to reach many. Our professional learning services let educators chart their own learning journey, as educators, and as leaders, so they and their students can flourish. Learn more at www.ascd.org and visit ASCD's virtual learning community to view a full slate of educator professional learning opportunities and conferences.
