Common Curriculum is getting Baltimore teachers together this summer

Common Curriculum offers a platform to make it easier for teachers to plan lessons. But the idea isn’t to do it alone.
The cofounders of the Baltimore edtech company also have a goal to get teachers collaborating in the process. Along with replacing paper, the platform grew out of the experiences of former Baltimore city teachers and cofounders Robbie Earle and Scott Messinger as they struggled to write lesson plans in various Google Docs and Sheets.
Since it launched in 2012, the company’s reach has also grown. During the 2017-18 school year, 12,000 teachers wrote 750,000 lessons using the platform.
As they’ve progressed, the team has added features designed to make that collaboration easier. Last year, the company launched version 4.0. According to Charlotte James, who recently joined the company as director of outreach, teacher input was key to the process.
Now, James said, “We want to bring those teachers together.”
With a pair of events this summer, the goal is to do so in person. In this case, summer plans involve looking to the year ahead.

We have two FREE events coming up to help you prep for the 2018-19 school year! Click the link to learn more and to RSVP!https://t.co/5B9lkPNyvT#planbetterwithcc #bmoreplanned pic.twitter.com/YZQPj3Qdnf

— Common Curriculum (@MakeCurriculum) July 16, 2018

On July 31, the company will hold a Lunch & Learn at Impact Hub Baltimore. The idea is to introduce teachers or administrators to digital lesson planning, Common Curriculum style. Teachers who are entering a new role are welcome.
For educators ready to dig in just before classes begin, a full-afternoon Lesson Planathon on August 16 offers the chance to get working on the first unit of classes with other educators, also at Impact Hub Baltimore.
Along with introducing Common Curriculum to educators who may not have used it, James said the team will continue asking about what users want to see.
“We want to make sure this remains a teacher focused product,” she said.