Why Good, Vetted Curriculum Matters with Patrick Vennebush

04/22/21 • 48 min

Patrick Vennebush is the Chief Learning Officer for The Math Learning Center, where he oversees the areas of Educator Support, Educator Resources, and Development. Patrick shares his expertise in mathematics and developing a high-quality education curriculum. He talks about how professors and education experiences framed his outlook and trajectory for teaching - including his methods, his approach to learning and how teaching SHOULD be. This led him on the educational trajectory working for several educational companies that all have the same philosophy and approach to teaching.

Patrick talks in-depth about what a ‘good curriculum’ is and why it’s so important for teachers to have a good curriculum that “provides the impotence for great lessons even if it can’t provide everything that the teacher needs”. He discusses the team effort behind creating educational resources that are consistent and aligned and compares these to open-education resources. He shares ‘the joy, the wonder, and the beauty of mathematics” that comes from working hands-on with learning.

To learn more and for full show notes with links to resources mentioned, please visit 180days.education.

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To learn more and for full show notes with links to resources mentioned, please visit 180days.education.

You can also connect with us on Facebook and Twitter or subscribe to our newsletter for updates!

Previous Episode

The Anatomy of Digital Resources with Dr. Steve Sullivan

What are the advantages to digital content that is ‘evergreen’ and non-textbook specific? Who pays for this? Why is paid-for content more reliable and vetted compared to ‘free’ open-resource materials? What’s better - online, hybrid, or face-to-face? This and more in our jammed-packed episode with Dr. Stephen Sullivan, professor of anatomy and physiology at Bucks County Community College in Pennsylvania.

Dr. Sullivan is also a digital author for McGraw-Hill Education. He shares his experiences as a professor and curriculum developer, around creating content for anatomy and physiology courses, and how this has evolved over the years.

He talks about the digital tools and resources that he has used and helped develop over a decade, and how his experiences teaching online for years have made it easy for him to transition and support students and other educators during this time of Covid and distance learning. He shares strategies and provides some great insight into the impact of Covid both on his own instruction, but particularly on the struggles and challenges facing community college students.

To learn more about Dr. Sullivan and for full show notes, including links to all the resources mentioned in the episode, please visit 180days.education.

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Next Episode

The Art & Expertise of Education - Research, TeacherEd & Politics with Tabitha Dell’Angelo

Dr. Tabitha Dell’Angelo is a professor, storyteller, playwright, mother, and potential school board member. She holds a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies in Human Development from the University of Pennsylvania and is currently a professor at The College of New Jersey, in addition to her work as an improvisational acting teacher at Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, PA.

Tabitha shares her arts-based research approach as a way of communicating findings, through plays and comics. She launched the Urban Education Program at The College of New Jersey, which is focused on recognizing and responding to conditions that contribute to inequalities in schools. Through first-hand experience, she talks through teacher education and preparing pre-service teachers for the reality of teaching, particularly in high-needs urban districts. She shares her ideas on what areas of education need to be completely overhauled, and her journey to running for her local School Board. Tabitha’s experience of the political process—the stress of running for the first time, the vulnerability of going door-to-door to ask strangers(potential voters) for money, trying to be bipartisan in a very partisan time—offers us a behind the scenes look into processes that guide what teachers in a district’s classrooms can do.

To learn more about Tabitha and for full show notes with links to the resources mentioned in the episode, please visit 180days.education/podcast.

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