Director of Educational Technology, Curriculum and Instruction

“The unexamined life is not worth living.” -Socrates

Welcome to the Educational Technology, Curriculum and Instruction Department.  I am excited and humbled to be able to serve the Northern Lehigh School District by leading a joint mission to expand our strategic use of technology to improve learning while also working with a phenomenal team of professionals across the district to initiate and engage in a comprehensive curriculum development plan. 

The quote above is one that I faithfully listed on my syllabi when I taught high school English classes many moons ago. As a former English teacher, often engaged in finding and shaping meaning out of stories, this quote served as a reminder that what we were doing as scholars in class was best used if it served as practice for the kind of reflection and meaning-building we need in the development of our own character and our own story. As we emerge from the loss that occurred as a result of COVID-19, I suspect that there is much to examine. I look forward to the opportunity. It has and will make us stronger.

When we design curriculum, we are writing a story. It’s the story of the experiences and opportunities of the children and young adults of this community.  Writers often say that they begin with a good plan, the characters write themselves, which means that the personalities and actions taken by the characters expand beyond that plan to become uniquely theirs.  Like this, we are committed to developing a comprehensive curriculum, and we are honored to have the opportunity to share in the unique ways that it shapes the initial chapters of each of your children’s lives. 

Scott Pyne

Director of Educational Technology,

Curriculum & Instruction

Curriculum Review Cycle

Below you will find links for the Curriculum Review Cycle. Curriculum will be written over the next four years across all content areas and will be reviewed every four years for any significant revision or materials and resource purchases. While the cycle lists those departments that will undergo revision or rewriting in a given year, the interim years will follow a pattern to prepare for the next revision year: 

Assessment Review and Development

We measure what we value. Departments will work collaboratively to develop common assessments as well as a broad battery of assessments that provide opportunities for various avenues by which to have students demonstrate mastery of the standards. 

Data Analysis 

We value what we measure.  Using locally designed assessments as well as norm-referenced and criterion-referenced external assessments, we will take account of areas in which the current curriculum is working and areas in which it needs revision.  

Research and Reflection 

The department members will work collaboratively to outline changes that they are seeking to make in the curriculum.  This could include researching new programs or ancillary resources to fill gaps, determining that they need to realign skills or knowledge targets within a particular course or across courses, or researching different methods of instructional planning or delivery that would impact the curricular structure. This will conclude with the development of SMART goals for each curriculum guide that will be used to justify decisions to be made in the following year during the revision. 

Curriculum Revision

Using data and reflection over the three years since the last open revision, the team will engage in a backwards design approach to curriculum writing. The process, beginning with the end in mind, will guide the team through decisions about unit design and instructional planning.

Curriculum Council

Our curriculum council is composed of building and district administrators, faculty content leads and school board members.  Attached here is an organizational chart outlining the faculty content leads and the teachers that fall within their respective curriculum groups. This group meets monthly to share and discuss new programs, initiatives and learning from the buildings and departments around the district. The goal is to maintain high levels of collaboration and work together to achieve a common mission under common values throughout the journey of a Northern Lehigh Student.

Technology Integration Specialists

The Technology Integration Specialists (TISs) are positions that work directly with teachers, providing timely and personalized coaching in the implementation of educational technology tools that advance students' learning. In addition, they play a key role in supporting the administrative team  as they make decisions regarding educational technology investments, working with teachers and administration to evaluate the cost, functions and impact on student learning. Through their involvement we seek to ensure that good pedagogy and instruction remain at the center, with technology serving to support that end and provide increased avenues for student engagement and creation.

Bulldog Academy (In-house Cyber School)

The Northern Lehigh Bulldog Academy is our cyber school option that is available for full time K-12 Northern Lehigh students. Students enrolled in the Northern Lehigh Bulldog Academy have full access to the Northern Lehigh School District school functions and events. The high quality curriculum and innovative software platform allow for customized learning. The Northern Lehigh Bulldog Academy gives parents the tools they need to support, motivate, and monitor their student’s progress through a special homepage called the Parent Portal. In addition to many other supports and benefits that come from making the local choice with Bulldog Academy, it is the only cyber option from which students can graduate with a Northern Lehigh Diploma. 

As we continue to work together, our school district is a community where people offer strength and support to each other. It is a community that offers personal growth to everyone.