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About the Institute
The Curriculum Storyboards Institute invites educators to move beyond the struggles of a traditional, overloaded curriculum and embrace a fresh, exciting approach to design. Curriculum Storyboards are compelling visual narratives that illuminate what students are learning, why it matters, and where the journey is heading - serving as clear guides for teachers, students, and families alike. Through this institute, participants will explore real-world samples, gather practical tips and strategies, and receive expert guidance from Allison Zmuda and Heidi Hayes Jacobs. By the end, educators will begin drafting their own Curriculum Storyboard, ready to spark curiosity, joy, and deeper engagement in their school or setting.
About Allison Zmuda
Allison Zmuda is an international education consultant specializing in long-term projects on curriculum, assessment, and instructional designs. She works with her clients to imagine learning experiences that are worthy of the pursuit for both students and educators, designing work that is relevant, meaningful, challenging, and appropriate. In addition to her consulting work, she has co-authored 11 books and has written numerous articles on curriculum design and personalized learning. She is co-director of the Institute for Habits of Mind with Bena Kallick and Art Costa as well as generating fresh ideas and amplifying voices on Learning Personalized.
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About Heidi Hayes Jacobs
Dr. Heidi Hayes Jacobs is internationally recognized for her seminal work in contemporary curriculum design, vertical mapping and modernizing responsive school environments. She prizes her work directly with schools in all settings of every kind, whether public, private, secular, sectarian, on-site, or virtual. Dr. Jacobs’s models on curriculum mapping world are the basis for software solutions used throughout the world. Dr. Jacobs is engaged in projects with a wide array of both national and international organizations and companies. The author of thirteen books including the best-selling Bold Moves for Schools: How We Create Remarkable Learning Environments (ASCD) with co-author, Marie Alcock. Dr. Jacobs is fully engaged in how professionals, learners, and families can make choices to best prepare students for the future.
Learning Paths in the Curriculum Storyboards Institute:
Introduction to Curriculum Storyboarding
Discover how to cut through the noise of an overloaded curriculum and bring clarity to your design work. Guided by Allison Zmuda and Heidi Hayes Jacobs, this path introduces the power of storyboarding alongside ideas from Streamlining the Curriculum, helping you define what truly belongs in a curriculum, what informs it, and how to establish a common language that makes planning more purposeful and inspiring.
30 minutes
The Impact of Storyboarding on Teachers and Learners
I can identify how storyboarding the curriculum impacts teachers and learners.
This path explores how storyboarding transforms curriculum into a connected, accessible experience for everyone - teachers, students, families, and communities. Participants will examine how breaking down silos in the writing process fosters collaboration, coherence, and clarity across grades and subjects. By shifting to inviting, student-friendly language and centering each unit around a clear focus of the story, educators will see how curriculum storyboards become both a roadmap for teachers and an engaging narrative that students and families can follow with confidence.
45 minutes
Creating Your First Storyboard
I can begin to play with choices to create a compelling storyboard.
In this learning path, you’ll move from exploring ideas to actually drafting your first curriculum storyboard. Guided through the Engage-Examine-Act framework, you’ll learn how to choose powerful unit titles, images, and a clear focus of the story that capture the essence of your course while keeping clarity and simplicity at the forefront. Along the way, you’ll play with creative choices, streamline content, and experiment with versions tailored for different audiences. By the end, you’ll share your first draft storyboard - an intentional, student-friendly design that brings learning to life.
2 hours
Reflecting and Looking Ahead
I can reflect on the benefit of a storyboard to generate ideas for how to develop and use this with my learners.
In this final path, you’ll step back to reflect on the benefits of curriculum storyboarding and explore practical strategies for using your storyboard with learners. Through addressing common questions and applying coaching tips from Heidi and Allison, you’ll gain tools to refine your drafts and shape next steps. By the end, you’ll leave with clarity, confidence, and a vision for how storyboarding can evolve alongside your teaching practice.
35 minutes
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