Integrated Curriculum, Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design Connecting Content and Kids

UbD and DI: An Essential Partnership

Integrating Differentiated Instruction + Understanding by Design: Connecting Content and Kids

by Carol Ann Tomlinson and Jay McTighe

“In effective classrooms, teachers consistently attend to at least four elements: 1. whom they teach (students), 2. where they teach (learning environment), 3. what they teach (content), and 4. how they teach (instruction). If teachers lose sight of any one of the elements and cease investing effort in it, the whole fabric of their work is damaged and the quality of learning impaired.” Read Chapter One http://shop.ascd.org/productdisplay.cfm?productid=105004

Teaching is an Integrated Process

Curriculum Instruction Assessment Learning Environment

1.

2.

3.

4.

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6.

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The primary goal of quality curriculum design is to develop and deepen student understanding.

Evidence of student understanding is revealed when students apply (transfer) knowledge in authentic contexts.

Effective curriculum development following the principles of backward design helps avoid the twin problems of textbook coverage and activity oriented teaching in which no clear priorities and purposes are apparent.

Regular reviews of curriculum and assessment designs, based on design standards, provide quality control and inform needed adjustments. Regular reviews of “results” (i.e., student achievement) should be followed by needed adjustments to curriculum and instruction.

Teachers provide opportunities for students to explore, interpret, apply, shift perspectives, empathize, and self-assess. These six facets provide conceptual lenses through which student understanding is assessed.

Teachers, students, and districts benefit by “working smarter” and using technology and other vehicles to collaboratively design, share, and critique units of study.

UbD is not a program, but a way of thinking, not a program. with the goal of promoting better student understanding.

The Big Ideas of UbD

UbD Big Idea What’s the Point

If not…

Plans need to be well aligned to be effective Aimless activity and coverage Backward Design Transfer as Goal Understanding via Big Idea Meaningful learning It is the essence of understanding and the point of schooling That’s how transfer happens, makes learning more connected That’s what is most engaging and inviting Students fail to apply; poor learning Learning is fragmented; more difficult, less engaging You lose many kids over time

UbD is not a program, but a way of thinking, with the goal of promoting better student understanding.

What Really Matters in Teaching?

Students

Categories of Student Variance with Contributors that have some Implications for Learning Categories of Student Variance Contributors to the Category

Biology Degree of Privilege Positioning for learning Preference/ Learning Styles

Gender Neurological “wiring” for learning Abilities Disabilities Development Economic status Race Culture Support system Language Experience Adult models Trust Self-concept Motivation Temperament Interpersonal skills Interests Learning preferences Preferences for individuals

How do we get our students to Learn? To Think?

KNOWING UNDERSTANDING

How do we move students from knowing to understanding?

What Really Matters in Learning Content

Integration: An ESU Contribution

 Relationship between and among disciplines and bodies of knowledge  Reading, writing and creating are ways to organize thinking and knowing  Children learn better and more deeply if learning is connected  Integration provides multiple entry points for diverse learners  Integration supports authentic work, personal engagement and understanding

Important Questions for Planning

How can we promote UNDERSTANDING more by design than by good fortune?

How do you know when they “GOT IT”? What is and isn’t evidence of UNDERSTANDING?

How do we move beyond designing merely interesting activities or textbook coverage? How do we teach for UNDERSTANDING?

Six Facets of Understanding

How do we know what we really understand?

When we truly understand we can:



Explain

– Provide theories, ‘the why’ 

Interpret

– Meaning, stories, translations 

Apply

– Use and adapt what we know in diverse contexts 

Perspective

– Other points of view, critical stance; zoom in/out 

Empathize

– “Walk in the shoes of…” 

Self-Knowledge

– Wisdom, “knowing thyself”, aware of prejudice

Where do we begin the Unit?

    Step 1 

IDENTIFY DESIRED RESULTS

BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND!

 DO IT FIRST; DO IT WELL Step 2 

DETERMINE ACCEPTABLE EVIDENCE

CLARIFIES WHAT LEARNING LOOKS LIKE IN THIS UNIT OF INSTRUCTION FOR ALL STUDENTS Step 3 -

PLAN DIFFERENTIATED EXPERIENCES AND INSTRUCTION

 DETERMINES THE LEVEL OF STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND DEPTH OF UNDERSTANDING Step 4 

SET THE STAGE FOR LEARNING

PROVIDES THE SUPPORT & RESOURCES FOR LEARNING IN THROUGHOUT THE UNIT

Design Template -

UBD Integrated Unit – Design Template Stag e 1 – D esired Results Established Goals:

What relevant goals (e.g. content standards, progra m objectives ) will this design address?

Big Idea –

What Big Idea is inherent in these goals?

Understandings: Essential Questions:

Students will understand that:

• What provocative questions will foster inquiry,  them are desired?

 What specific understandings about understanding, and transfer of learning?

What misunde rstandings are predictable?

Students will know: Students will be able to :

  What key knowledge and skills will s tudents acquire as a result of this unit?

What should they eventually be able to do as a result of such knowledge and skill?

Enduring Understanding

Generalization that states the essence of the desired results for a single or integrated topics.

Stag e 2 – A ssessment Evidence Performance Tasks: Other Evidence

:  Through what authentic perf ormance tasks • Through what other evi dence (e.g. quizzes, will students demonstrate the desired tests, academic prompts, observations, understandings? Homework, journals) wi ll student s demonstrate  By what criteria will perfor mance of achievement of the desired results?

understanding by judged ? • How will s tudents reflect upon and self-assess their learning?

Stag e 3 – Learning Plan Cycle of Learning Activities:

What learning experiences and research-based instruction wi ll enable student s to achieve the desired results? How will the learning be tailored to the differen t need s, interests and abilities of learners?

Awaren ess: Exploration: Elaboration: Utilization :

Stag e 4 – Learning Environment Design: Resources:

How will the classroom be organized to What supplies and/ or support is neede d to maximize initial and sustained engagement fully realize the desired results?

as well as effe ctive learning?

Should not be differentiated May be differentiated Should be differentiated

Stage 1: Identifying Desired Results What is worthy and requiring of understanding?

Enduring Understanding Essential Questions

Big Idea

EXPLORATION Learning Goals & Standards

STAGE ONE: What is worthy of knowing?

Stage 1: Key Design Elements

  How can we unpack the goals (e.g. content standards, district goals) to derive big ideas?

What “big ideas” do we want students to come to understand?

 What essential questions and understandings will stimulate and promote inquiry?

 What knowledge and skills need to be acquired given the understandings and related content standards?

Big Ideas: What are they?



Is it a Big Idea?

– A core idea or process at the “heart” of the discipline?

– Enduring – has lasting value?

– Connecting Idea – Will it help link discrete facts/skills, disciplines?

– Require “uncoverage” (it is often abstract or a misunderstood idea) – Transferable to other topics?

Select a BIG IDEA(s) -

An abstract and transferable concept, theme or process at the hear of a subject or topic

                  Abundance or capacity Acceptance or rejection Adaptation Aging or maturity Balance Challenge Change or continuity Character Communities Conflict Connections Conservation Cooperation Correlation Courage Creativity Culture Cycles                    Defense or protection Democracy Discovery Diversity Environments Equilibrium Evolution Exploration Fabrication Fairness Harmony Honor Interactions Interdependence Invention Justice Liberty Loyalty Migration                  Mood Order patterns Perspective Production or consumption Proof Survival Relationships Repetition Rhythm Structures Survival Sustainability Systems Democracy Tyranny Wealth OTHERS?

From

Big Ideas to Understandings and Essential Questions

Understandings    What specific insights will students take away about the meaning of “content” via big ideas?

Understandings summarize the desired insights we want students to realize Understandings make sense of facts, skill, and ideas: they tell us what our knowledge means, connect the dots Essential Questions     Important, provocative question that recur throughout our lives Core ideas and inquiries within the discipline Helps students effectively inquire and make sense of the big idea(s) and requires students to make decisions about answers Engages a specific and diverse of learners

Knowledge Skills

      Vocabulary/terminology Definitions Key factual information Critical details Important events and people Sequence/timeline       Basic skills- e.g. decoding, drawing Communication skills – e.g. listening, speaking, writing Research/inquiry/ investigation skills Thinking skills – e.g. comparing, problem solving, decision making Study skills – e.g. note taking Interpersonal, Group skills

Stage 2: Determine Acceptable Evidence What is Evidence of Understanding?

STAGE 2: Determine Acceptable Evidence

 

Think like an Assessor!

What is the

purpose

for assessment? • Diagnostic, Formative, or Summative

Refer back to Stage 1:

Enduring Understandings, Essential Questions, learning goals?

Who are your

learners

? What

methods

and

scoring tools

will show understanding?

• Consider a

wide range

of assessment methods and scoring tools. • Anchor assessment with

performance tasks

or

projects

; use traditional assessments to round out the picture

Assessment filters

?

Valid, reliable, sufficient, feasible, authentic work, student friendly

Stage 2: Collecting Acceptable & Sufficient Evidence

(p. 148) Formal observation or interviews of students Public performances

Collect Acceptable & Sufficient Evidence

Targeted Understanding Written, oral, or visual (displayed) products in response to prompts Core Performance Task Student self assessments, logs, and peer reviews May be differentiated Student exhibits or models Short answer quizzes and tests

Summative Project: Create an Authentic “performances of understanding”      

G

- a real-world goal

R

- a meaningful role for the student

A

- authentic, or simulated real-world audience(s)

S

- a conceptualized situation that involve real-world application

P

- student generated culminating products and performances

S

- consensus driven performance standards (criteria) for judging success

STAGE 2:

Thinking Process

WHAT IS EVIDENCE OF UNDERSTANDING?

1.

2.

Determine the Performance task or Project =

Summative Assessment Method

Isolate key criteria

for assessing summative performance or project – Create a Rubric for Summative Project! - May be differentiated

3.

Select supportive Assessments:

Formative Assessments - while learning Diagnostic Assessments - before learning

4. Isolate criteria and develop tools

for supportive assessments methods - May be differentiated

ASSESSMENT PLANNING KEEP IN MIND . . . Purpose: Diagnostic, Formative, Summative Student Outcomes/Learning Goals Learner Characteristics Assessment Methods

Case Study Checklist Essay Exhibitions Group Project Interviews Open Response Observation Product Portfolio Research Paper Charts Demonstrations Exams &Quizzes Graphic Organizers Guided Response Journal or Log Performance Problem-solving Project Rubric Short Answer

Scoring Tools

Chart Checklist Graphic Organizer Rubrics Scales Exam/Quiz Key Observation with criteria

Stage 3: Plan Differentiated Experiences & Instruction

What learning experiences and instruction promote engagement, understanding and achievement for ALL students?

Stage 3: Plan Differentiated Experiences & Instruction

1.

Use the

learning cycle

to sequence experiences within and across disciplines Awareness • Exploration • Elaboration • Utilization 2.

Select a variety of highly effective strategies from research-based repertoire of teaching strategies

3. Differentiate instruction

to accommodate for advanced learners, learners and struggling learners 4.

Check connection to

understanding Stage 1: enduring

and essential questions, learning goals.

Awareness

The Learning Cycle

Exploration Elaboration Utilization

UbD Instructional Plan

Awareness

Read/W rite Social Studies Science Visual Art Modifications

Exploration Elaboration Utilizaiton

SELECT Research Based Instructional Strategies 

Research-based Instructional Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement

Strategy Category Identifying Similarities and Differences Teaching Ideas and Activities

 Venn Di agram, Compare/Contrast Charts, Analogies, Metaphors, T-Charts  

Summarizing and Notetaking Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition

 Data Disks, Concept Squares, QuIP, R eciprocal Teaching, Graphic Organizers, Structured Outlines  Say Something, Think-Pair-Share, Dramatic Enactment, Rubrics, Se lf-assessments, Praise, Contracts 

Nonlinguistic Representations

  

Cooperative Learning Settin g Objectives and Providing Feedback Generating and Testing Hypotheses

 Graphic Organizers, Mind mapping, Drawing, Collage, Dance, Scul pture, Drawing J ournals, 3-D Models, D ioramas, Visual Im agery, Kinesthetic Activities  Think-Pair-Share, Jigsaw, Group Projects, Centers, Numbered Heads Together, Literature Circles  Class Generated Rubrics, Formative Assessments, Tickets Out, Dialogue Journals, Self-assessments  Science Ex periments and D ata Collection, Predictions Before, During a nd After Reading, Double Entry Journals, Research Projects  

Cues, Contexts, and Advance Organizers Homework and Practice

 K-W-L, Advanc e Organizers and Outlines, Text Structure Information, Double Entry Journals, Graphic Organizers (before, during, and after reading)  Tasks and activities that match w hat has been taught, authentic reading, writing, creating, and thinking activities – allow for interpretation and elaboration of what has b een taught

INSTRUCTION Must be Differentiated for Diverse Learners

Stage 3: Instruction - MODIFICATIONS & ENHANCEMENTS

Where can this occur? Curricular – Instructional – Ecol ogical Level Consider the following: CONTENT: What yo u want the s tudents to learn PROCESS: The w ay students make sense o f the content PRODUCT: The o utcome at the end of instruction Determine what type of modification is appropriate and when it will occur.

When?

What?

Teacher directed instruction demonstration Guided Practice Independent Practice Final Assessment Measure

Level o f cognition Information input Level o f participation Content Performance Standards* Time Structure Materials / Equipment * These are not national, state, and/or local st andard. IDEA requires “progress within the g eneral education cu rriculum ”.

Stage 4: Set the Stage for Learning

How will the learning environment support, stimulate, inspire and validate student learning?

Stage 4: Set the Stage for Learning

 Plan an

Integrated Learning Center

 Draw the center design and add appropriate modifications or assistive technologies  Identify where and how will you

communicate and share student

learning with others including process and products  List the

resources, artifacts,

and successfully teach this unit.

materials

you need to  Identify which artists and/or works of art support visual literacy and connections to other disciplines.  Determine the children’s literature needed to support the curriculum content and verbal literacy - leveled books.  Select other materials, games, artifacts you may need to support learning of all students.

Where to Begin Your Unit?

    Step 1 

IDENTIFY DESIRED RESULTS

KEY STEP FOR THE ENTIRE UNIT - BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND!

 DO IT FIRST; DO IT WELL Step 2 

DETERMINE ACCEPTABLE EVIDENCE

CLARIFIES WHAT LEARNING LOOKS LIKE IN THIS UNIT OF INSTRUCTION Step 3 

PLAN EXPERIENCES AND INSTRUCTION

DETERMINES THE LEVEL OF STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND DEPTH OF UNDERSTANDING Step 4 

SET THE STAGE FOR LEARNING

PROVIDES THE SUPPORT & RESOURCES FOR LEARNING IN THIS UNIT