Q+&+A

=Questions & Answers =

> **A)** Open the Google Docs spreadsheet to which you were invited via e-mail and/or Gmail a little after 9:00a (Eastern) on Friday, December 17th. //__Music__// and //__Visual Art__// CD Writers: your spreadsheets are divided into __two__ documents--K-5/M/J and HS--because the original K-12 document was too large to transfer into Google Docs. > **B)** Select a course to work on by clicking on the titled tab at the bottom edge of the spreadsheet.  You must get out of the Crosswalk and move to a specific course worksheet. If you don't see the course worksheet you need, click on the small arrows to the right of the worksheet tabs until you do or click on the menu icon to the right of the arrows and select a course worksheet from the pop-up menu. To locate these controls, go to the page titled @Google Docs Controls and Guidance. > **C)** Locate the column that has your name at the top. **Your column is the only column in which you should enter a number.** > **D) **Enter 1s and 0s in only **__ONE__** (1) column per course worksheet. > **__Answer__:** Read a Big Idea and its Enduring Understandings (EUs), move to the row for a grade-appropriate benchmark, and--//in the column under your name//--double click on the cell and enter either a "1" (yes) or "0" (no). **Use only numbers--a one or a zero**. > **__Answer__:** Titles can be changed to reflect course content and for purposes of appeal. > **__Answer__:** This is a matter for Team discussion. > **__Answer__:** This is a matter for Team discussion. > **__Answer__:** This is a matter for Team discussion. However, no two courses should have identical sets of benchmarks. > **__Answer__:** If your name is missing, particularly likely if you joined your Writing Team after the initial spreadsheets were completed, I may have failed to add your name to one or more of the worksheets. Please contact me at Linda.Lovins@fldoe.org so I can update the worksheets(s) to reflect your inclusion on the Team so you can begin selection of benchmarks for each course. > ﻿**__Answer__:﻿** The Department does not designate prerequisites, as its position is that students should be enrolled in the most appropriate course based upon their individual needs. > **__Answer__:﻿** You have the option of including general notes for any course description. The notes must be included in descriptions presented to the State Board of Education (SBE) for approval. Special Notes can be included with the Introductory Paragraph. Honors designations should also be included in the proposal submitted to SBE for approval.
 * 1) //**Where do I enter my 1s and 0s?**//
 * 1) //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">**How do I show whether I think a benchmark should be included in a specific course?** //
 * 1) //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">**Do the current course titles have to stay the same or can they be changed?** //
 * 1) //**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">What is the essence of this particular course and/or series? How is it unique compared to others in your area? Does this course require specific preparatory skills to ensure success at the next level of this course sequence? Does it require higher-level, specific skills unlike earlier courses in the sequence? **//
 * 1) //**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Is the information taught in this course related to other courses? If so, which benchmark(s) will be the defining one(s) for describing or highlighting this course within the sequence? **//
 * 1) //**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Are there any courses that seem to require the exact same benchmarks? How is this possible if each course is unique? Is it possible that a separate course isn't necessary? **//
 * 1) **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">What if I can't find my name in a column on one or more worksheets? **
 * 1) //**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">If students have taken a full sequence of MS instruction in a particular field (e.g., drama, 2-D art, band, guitar, dance) or taken private lessons, should we seek to make more advanced levels of HS coursework open to students based on permission of instructor or expect that all students entering HS will begin at the 1st in the course series? Should all levels of M/J and HS arts courses, except the first in a series, require instructor permission? **//
 * 1) //**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Can we write an optional Introductory Paragraph and include a Special Note? **//