Understanding by Design Ensuring Learning through Lesson Design

i.e. Backward Design Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe

Big Idea …… “Making Best Practices, Common Practice”

 We teach so that others may

understand

.

 Our challenges: • • • Finding time to ‘teach all standards’ and maintain the rigor (teaching for understanding not just ‘to cover’) Making lessons meaningful Engaging students in the learning process

Old saying….

 “If you don’t know exactly where you are headed, then any road will get you there.”

Three Stages of UbD

 Stage 1: Identify the Desired Results • Unpack the learning, prioritize learning goals, determine expectations ….  Clarify Learning Outcomes  Stage 2: Determine Acceptable Evidence  Stage 3: Plan learning experiences and instruction

“Let the main ideas which are introduced into a child’s education be few and important, and let them be thrown into every combination possible.”  -Whitehead, 1929

Understanding

is the ability to transfer learning to new, different and unique experiences.” Wiggins

A Big Idea … (bottom line)

     Provides a ‘lens for prioritizing’ Serves as an organizer for facts, skills and actions … focusing on big ideas, helps students see purpose and relevance of pieces Support Transference … create coherence Manifest itself in many ways and in many content areas Requires Uncovering - its meaning is abstract, so it must be discovered, constructed or inferred by learners

2nd Component: Essential Questions

“To question means to lay open, to place in the open. Only a person who has questions can have real understanding.” Gadamer, 1994

Essential Questions …

       Have no simple ‘right answer; they are meant to be argued and discussed (discovered, uncovered) Designed to provoke and sustain inquiry Often address the foundational or historical issues of a subject Lead to more questions Naturally come back again when learning Encourage ongoing re-thinking of big ideas, assumptions, prior learning (transference…) Could be overarching or topical

3rd Component - Desired Outcomes

 Determine the Learning Goal (standard)  Clarify specifically what the student will know, understand, and be able to do (unpack the standards)

   Stage 1: Identify the Desired Results Stage 2: Determine Acceptable Evidence • • What evidence could be used to document and validate the learning that has been achieved Evidence is gathered throughout the learning time - includes formative and not only summative assessments Stage 3: Plan learning experiences and instruction

   Stage 1: Identify the Desired Results Stage 2: Determine Acceptable Evidence Stage 3: Plan learning experiences and instruction • What specific content and skills must be ‘taught’ to achieve desired results? • What is the best way to ‘teach’ the content and skills? • What resources will we need? • How much time might be required for learning?

"Reduce your plan to writing... The moment you complete this, you will have definitely given concrete form to the intangible desire." Napoleon Hill

Lasting thought ….

“For any subject taught in primary school, we might ask [is it] worth an adult’s knowing, and whether having known it as a child makes a person a better adult. A negative or ambiguous answer means the material is cluttering up the curriculum.”  Bruner, 1960

UbD - Stage 2

Assessment Evidence

Why Assess?

  Assessments are not just to provide a ‘grade’ Purpose of assessment: • Determine if learner ‘got it’……Gather evidence which demonstrates learning outcomes were achieved • • • Help teachers determine extent of student understanding Guide next steps of instructions Provide appropriate scaffolding/differentiated instruction for students throughout the learning experience • Provide feedback to stakeholders (students/parents)

Kinds of evidence …

Continuum of Assessments

Bloom’s Taxonomy

Knowledge Application Comprehension Analysis Synthesis Evaluation Emerging Heard of it Developing Know it Proficient Can apply it Advanced Can teach it Explain Interpret Apply Empathy Perspective Self-knowledge

6-Facets of Learning

Stage 3

Designing the Lessons