Backward Planning Center for the Education and Study of Diverse Populations

Essential Question: How do we plan engaging, authentic teaching and learning that is meaningful to our students?

Guiding Question: How does high stakes testing, AMOs, meeting the needs of our EPSS influence what we have been doing as we plan teaching and learning?

SWOT Authentic Practices StrengthsThreats Opportunities Weaknesses

Ten Common Principles 1. Focus on students using their minds well 2. Less is more (limited # of essential knowledge & skills) 3. All students achieve in their own time and way 4. Learning is personalized 5. Student as worker, teacher as coach 6. Students demonstrate mastery through performance 7. Tone of decency with high expectation 8. Staff as generalists 9. Commitment to change 10. Honor democratic diversity

Overview of Backward Planning 1. Where do we want students to go? 2. How will we know they know? 3. How will we help them get there?

Historically, how did we decide what to teach? Pair Share with a person you are sitting beside Group Share

Your Ideas:

How do you know what’s relevant or engaging for your students? Pair Share Pair Share Group Share Group Share

Your Ideas

Concepts How can teachers take what we find is relevant and meaningful to our students and use the required concepts for teaching and learning?

Your Ideas:

Concepts Broad Broad Universal Universal Timeless Timeless

Examples: Beauty Beauty Change Change Courage Courage Freedom Freedom Patterns Patterns Happiness Happiness Rights/Responsibilities Rights/Responsibilities

Engaging Relevance How do you connect topics to student relevance? How do you connect topics to student relevance?

Your Ideas:

START BY BRAINSTORMING WITH STUDENTS

Essential Questions What do you think they are? What do you think they are? Share in double pair-share groups.

Your Ideas:

Essential Questions Address the essence of what you want to teach Address the essence of what you want to teach Concept based Concept based Require rigorous thinking Require rigorous thinking Are open ended Are open ended Generate personalized interest Generate personalized interest Reflect the REAL WORLD of students Reflect the REAL WORLD of students

Example: How is the quality of the water where I live affected by what I do in my environment?

Your Examples:

Guiding Questions Provide part of the answer to the essential question Provide part of the answer to the essential question Are student focused Are student focused Can provide the topic for learning sections Can provide the topic for learning sections Require students to acquire knowledge, skills and understanding Require students to acquire knowledge, skills and understanding

Examples: Where does our water come from? Where does our water come from? What do I do that is good for water? What do I do that is good for water? What can each of us do to support our water system? What can each of us do to support our water system?

Standards Based Design Select grade level benchmarks connected to the : *Concept *Concept *Essential question *Essential question *Guiding questions *Guiding questions These are the big ideas which we call essential learnings or learning targets.

Performance Standards Under each Benchmark are the performances your students can use for practice to hit the learning targets. Under each Benchmark are the performances your students can use for practice to hit the learning targets.

Assessment Based on the learning targets and relevant performances, how do you know they know? Based on the learning targets and relevant performances, how do you know they know? Discuss in groups Discuss in groups

Your Ideas:

Examples: Use real settings Use real settings Require students to address an audience Require students to address an audience Base the purpose on the audience Base the purpose on the audience Allow students to personalize the task Allow students to personalize the task Students know the task, the learning target and criteria in advance Students know the task, the learning target and criteria in advance

Authentic Assessments Are realistic Are realistic Require thinking Require thinking Ask students to DO learning Ask students to DO learning Are complex Are complex Take advantage of learning opportunities Take advantage of learning opportunities

So how do you get there? Discuss in groups Discuss in groups

Your ideas:

Possibilities: Based on the performance standards, decide what significant tasks will support learning of your students Based on the performance standards, decide what significant tasks will support learning of your students Plan opportunities to practice Plan opportunities to practice Decide how to asses progress (pencil and paper tests, mini-demonstrations, observations, self assessment, group assessment, written responses, etc.) Decide how to asses progress (pencil and paper tests, mini-demonstrations, observations, self assessment, group assessment, written responses, etc.)

Where do we go from here? Action plan Lesson plan template Time for planning ????

You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make them drink. If the horse becomes thirsty, however, he will eat sand from your hand.