Year-Long Planning for Gifted Education with Depth & Complexity and EduProtocols

Before we begin - I am not affiliated with Eduprotocols or Depth & Complexity Icons (The Center for Depth & Complexity).  I simply use them in my gifted class & share the genius of these two frameworks/systems with my gen ed colleagues.  My gen ed colleagues appreciate the simplicity and structure behind each of them.  Because of my success & the success of gen ed colleagues in my building, I'm sharing some ideas that have worked for us using these two systems.

As gifted educators, we're always seeking ways to challenge and engage our students. By combining the Depth & Complexity framework with EduProtocols, we can create a dynamic, year-long framework that promotes higher-order thinking and student engagement. I'll explain a general way integrate these tools into your gifted education planning.

Understanding the Framework

Before diving into the planning process, let's quickly review our key components:

⭐Depth & Complexity Icons: 11 critical thinking tools that help students delve deeper into content, requiring them to think of the content through various lenses.⭐ EduProtocols: Flexible instructional frames designed to engage students in critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity. The frames are reused with different content, allowing students to focus on the new content rather than the mechanics of the task. Also, they're super engaging!

Creating Your Year-Long Plan

• Step 1: Establish Overarching Themes

  
  

  Begin by identifying 3-4 broad themes that will guide your year. These themes should align with your curriculum standards and provide ample opportunities for interdisciplinary connections.

  • For example:

    
    

    Innovation and Change

    
    

    Power and Conflict

    
    

    Patterns in Nature and Society

    
    

    Ethics and Decision Making

• Step 2: Map Depth & Complexity Icons to Themes

  
  

  For each theme, select 3-4 Depth & Complexity icons that naturally align. This will help structure your students' exploration of the content. For instance:

  • Theme: Innovation and Change

    
    

    Change Over Time

    
    

    Trends

    
    

    Multiple Perspectives

    
    

    Big Idea

• Step 3: Integrate EduProtocols

  
  

  Select EduProtocols that complement your chosen Depth & Complexity icons and support your learning objectives. Here's an example of how this might look:

  • Theme: Innovation and Change

    
    

    Change Over Time + Iron Chef EduProtocol: Students collaborate to create presentations on how a specific innovation has evolved over time.

    
    

    Trends + Cyber Sandwich EduProtocol: Pairs analyze and discuss current trends in technology or society.

    
    

    Multiple Perspectives + Sketch and Tell EduProtocol: Students visually represent different viewpoints on a controversial innovation.

    
    

    Big Idea + Thin Slides EduProtocol: Groups distill the core concepts of a major scientific or technological breakthrough.

• Step 4: Develop Quarterly Units

  
  

  Break your year-long plan into quarterly units, each focusing on one of your overarching themes. Within each unit, plan to use 2-3 EduProtocols in conjunction with your selected Depth & Complexity icons.

• Step 5: Create Flexible Assessment Opportunities

  
  

  Incorporate various assessment methods that allow students to demonstrate their understanding through the lens of Depth & Complexity. Use EduProtocols like BookaKucha or 8 p*ARTS to structure creative, student-driven assessments.

Sample Quarterly Breakdown

Here's a glimpse of how a quarter might look using this integrated approach:

Quarter 1: Innovation and Change

• Week 1-3:

  
  

  Focus: Change Over Time & Trends

  
  

  EduProtocols: Iron Chef & Cyber Sandwich

  
  

  Activity: Students research and present on the evolution of communication technology. Then students analyze current trends.

• Week 4-6:

  
  

  Focus: Multiple Perspectives & Details

  
  

  EduProtocol: Sketch and Tell & 8 P*rts

  
  

  Activity: Explore various viewpoints on the topic. Prioritize the key details or create the diagram and classify the components of the topic or subject.

• Week 7-9:

  
  

  Focus: Big Idea

  
  

  EduProtocol: Thin Slides

  
  

  Activity: Synthesize core concepts of a major scientific breakthrough

Benefits of This Approach

• Consistency with Flexibility: The Depth & Complexity icons provide a consistent framework, while EduProtocols offer flexible implementation.

• Differentiation: This approach naturally allows for tiered assignments and student choice.

• Engagement: EduProtocols are designed to be engaging and student-centered, perfect for gifted learners.

• Higher-Order Thinking: Both Depth & Complexity and EduProtocols promote critical thinking and deep analysis.

• Interdisciplinary Connections: This framework encourages students to make connections across subject areas.

By thoughtfully integrating Depth & Complexity icons with EduProtocols, you create a rich, challenging environment that meets the unique needs of gifted learners. By starting slow during the first quarter, introducing a new eduprotocol each week, students learn the structure well.  You can then take this same approach, planning for the entire year, but using the eduprotocols & D&C icons for new content.

Please note, this is just one suggestion. There is an Eduprotocols Fast Start that suggests using several Eduprotocols during the first week of school, allowing students to learn the structure on low-stakes, fun activities. You can use many of the eduprotocols for ice breakers (Frayer a Friend) or to teach class expectations (Cyber Sandwich or Fast & Curious).

If these names sound like a different language, let me encourage you to check into the EduProtocols lessons and Depth & Complexity Icons. I have links below.  The reason I strongly suggest this is because as the "lone wolf" of Gifted Ed in my district, these two systems provided a researched based track on which I could run my program. We're often starting from zero, with no curriculum or guidance. These were lifesavers to me when I began piecing together a curriculum for my gifted students. Also, they're SO versatile and can be used for any topic or content area.

Remember, the key is to remain responsive to your students' interests and needs, adjusting your plan as necessary throughout the year.  Using EduProtocols & Depth & Complexity Icons to create a year-long "skeleton" or framework can make responsive, differentiated lessons sustainable and a reality.

The Center for Depth & Complexity

EduProtocols (I pay for the Eduprotocols+.  You have access to everything and tons of professional development & live workshop opportunities)