Big Ideas from Understanding by Design Intro and Ch 1 Recap Sec502/Fnd504

Big Ideas The key questions at the heart of effective learning:

Big Ideas The key question at the heart of effective learning: Whats the point? What is important here?

Big Ideas What do letter grades tell us, really, about student understanding?

Big Ideas What do letter grades tell us, really, about student understanding? Nothing, unless …

Big Ideas What do letter grades tell us, really, about student understanding? Nothing, unless … They correspond to valid assessment of understanding.

Big Ideas Backward Design is standard operating procedure in other design professions … designers start with explicit goals for specific end- users.

Big Ideas People need to cross from A to B … so, ….

Big Ideas People need to cross from A to B … so, lets start with a work plan, order materials, and find the right workers.

Big Ideas But thats not the way many teachers do it.

Big Ideas But thats not the way many teachers do it. Instead, they say ….

Big Ideas Ive got some cool cement here, and some steel I just love, and a bunch of guys lying around. Lets try and build some- thing useful and see what happens.

Big Ideas And, lets put them in groups to do it, because group work is the easiest way for them to figure out how to build something.

Big Ideas And, in groups, they wont fall asleep!

Big Ideas And, lets not tell them what were building; lets see if they can figure out something useful from all the cement and steel I give them.

Big Ideas Maybe … someday… they might even be able to build a bridge!

Big Ideas The Paradigm Shift in Backward Design:

Big Ideas The Paradigm Shift in Backward Design: We think through the following BEFORE we design and teach a lesson.

Big Ideas What are the specific learnings sought, and what is the evidence of such learnings?

Big Ideas We cannot say how to teach for under- standing, or which materials and activities to use, until…

Big Ideas We cannot say how to teach for under- standing, or which materials and activities to use, we articulate specific understandings we are after and what they look like in practice.

Big Ideas If students were to ask, could you provide a thoughtful answer? Why are we reading this particular novel? What will balancing equations help me to do in life? So what if I cant recall Newtons Laws of Motion? Whats the point of memorizing dates & names for my life?

Big Ideas If students were to ask, could you provide a thoughtful answer? So what if I cant find Algeria on the map? Why should I care about mitosis vs. meiosis? Whats the point of underlining words in this novel?

Big Ideas Backward Design happens in stages:

Big Ideas Stage One Identify the desired results…

Big Ideas Stage One Identify the desired results in terms of STUDENT performance.

Big Ideas Stage Two: Determine acceptable evidence needed to document and validate that the desired learning has been achieved.

Big Ideas Stage Two: And make sure you have a variety of evidence under a variety of circumstances.

Big Ideas Stage Three: Then, and only then, plan learning experiences and instruction.

Big Ideas Wiggins asks: What counts as evidence on the field, not merely in drills, that students get it? How do you know they are ready to perform with understanding, knowledge and skill on their own?

Big Ideas Skilled teachers can articulate answers and, thus, design effective instruction.

Big Ideas Rather than argue over which teaching methods are correct, smart teachers make best use of their time reaching agreement on acceptable evidence of learning.

Big Ideas Understanding Backward Design requires an open mind to look at learning as it really takes place …

Big Ideas Understanding Backward Design requires an open mind to look at learning as it really takes pla…not as we think it should take place.

Big Ideas Backward Design requires, really, common sense and the ability to see that …

Big Ideas … too few students really understand the point of their learning, and how to work effectively within the school system, and how to transfer those skills to the real world.

Big Ideas Instead, Backward Design posits that educators who produce high quality learning designs …

Big Ideas Instead, Backward Design posits that when educators produce high quality learning designs, wont experience teaching like this. Instead …

Big Ideas Instead, Backward Design posits that when educators produce high quality learning designs, teaching wont have look like this. Instead …

Big Ideas Instead, Backward Design posits that when educators produce high quality learning designs, teaching wont have look like this. Instead … it will look like this.