A Misguided Thread = A Bobbin Error

   I have had a very busy schedule this week and unfortunately, my curriculum development course was put on the back burner until today (Saturday).  This morning, my very expensive Baby Lock sewing machine was hefted into the back of my car and escorted to the sewing shop forty minutes away to be "looked at", because I was sure that there was something seriously wrong with her.  She was skipping zigzag stitches, just like my other two Brother sewing machines.  I was beyond upset due to the same issue occurring with my other two machines.  The reason I purchased her was because I knew she was the top of the line and was extremely well-built, therefore, I was hopeful to not have any hiccups.  

    I have been sewing for more than thirty years and troubleshooting machines is unique to each machine.  In a huff last night, I expressed to my husband that my new machine was doing the same stitch skipping as my other two machines, but only on the zigzag stitch.  His response was simply, "Consider the common denominator of the problem."  Of course, he was talking about me.  So, I promptly answered him that I had considered that, but the Baby Lock was different than the Brother machines. I knew that I had threaded them all correctly.  I have used different threads and I was still having the same problem with all three.  He wasn't convinced that I wasn't part of the problem.  Pfft!  What does he know?!

    I arrived at the sewing machine repair place and within five minutes, the technician found the culprit.  Bobbins!  Previously, I had purchased a max-pack of 100 bobbins on Amazon for cheap that were allegedly for Brother sewing machines.  All three of my sewing machines have a top-loading bobbin and the thought of needing different bobbins for each one never occurred to me.  Something so simple was, quite frankly, making my sewing time a living nightmare.  Anyone who has had to rip out stitches on a product they intended to sell can surely understand my annoyance with this. In my defense, I blamed it on the bobbins and the "deceptive" Amazon seller.  

    Identifying the problem is the first step to correcting it, right?  Whether the problem is a skipped zigzag stitch or a curriculum that needs tweaking, identifying the problem helps us to find the solution and get everyone back on track.  In this week's reading, I learned about the "goal-based design" and the "Design-Down, Deliver-Up" models in my curriculum development course.  The goal-based design model is aimed at aligning the curriculum with what the goals of the school are.  This model allows the curriculum development team to evaluate what the curriculum will be used for and also how it will be implemented and supported overall by the teachers

    The "Design-Down, Deliver-Up" model starts from the end product/outcomes and breaks it down through the steps to the authentic tasks.  This model provides various resources that can be used with the curriculum, supporting the goals.  Administrators use these models to identify gaps in education and align curriculum with the state standards.  Teachers, at different grade levels, can use this model to not only help them align their lessons with the grade standards but also with the goals previously set.  These models complement each other in every way and allow curriculum changes to stay in sync. 

    As a future teacher/administrator, the goals, lesson plans, learning objectives, instructional strategies, and assessments will stay aligned if I make sure that each one is pointing to the next in successive order.  Equally important is considering Bloom's Taxonomy and the different levels of student learning, with each skill set being built on the previously mastered one.  If the goal is to have students recite the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution, I am certainly not going to have them turn in a paper summarizing it in their own words.  The goal and the assessment would not be aligned.  

    Much like my misaligned zigzag stitching from the deceitful bobbins, curriculum development requires assessments to make sure learning is actually taking place.  Formative assessments should occur as often as possible during lessons.  Having students draw a concept map or explain it in their own words will allow me to see what they are learning in each lesson. Scaffolding students to foster understanding, with gradual teacher withdrawal, is another way to assess student understanding.  Summative assessments should take place at the end of a unit's completion.  As much as I don't like summative assessments, they are a vital tool in gauging student learning and identifying the need for student remission or curriculum changes.  

    I pray everyone is doing well, not skipping stitches, and is enjoying this beautiful Saturday!  I am looking forward to the nearing Spring and an abundance of sun-kissed days.  Remember to identify the problem first before you assume there is something seriously wrong.  It could be something so simple as the wrong bobbin...

Kristine :)