1. 2012 14th Annual Title I Nonpublic Assessment Conference
Good Evening, and Welcome!
th Annual Title I Nonpublic Assessment Conference
Bringing the Higher
Levels of Learning
to Life!

2. Goals for the Conference
Provide an update on Pennsylvania’s transition to Common Core State Standards (CCSS)
Use “Backward Design” concepts outlined in Understanding by Design (Wiggins and McTighe) as a framework for unit planning based on CCSS.
Identify Desired Results (Understanding and Transfer)
Determine acceptable evidence of learning (Assessment)
Plan Learning Experiences and Instruction (Lessons, Tasks)
Develop an Action Plan for Sharing information from the conference with your colleagues

3. How does backwards design improve instructional planning?
Why Go Backwards?
How does backwards design improve instructional planning?

4. Real Life Examples of Backward Planning
Planning a vacation
Next, Think of an example where failure to plan with the end in mind resulted in problems or ineffective results.

5. Not Planning with the END in mind

6. Not Planning with the END in mind

7. Not Planning with the END in mind

8. Not Planning with the END in mind

9. “Teaching is a means to an end, and planning precedes teaching.”
Partner talk – What planning happens prior to teaching? What, specifically, does the teacher plan?

10. The Primary Goal of Education…
Student understanding that results in Effective Transfer of Learning.
“We want understanding by design
as opposed to understanding
by good fortune.”
Wiggins and McTighe (2011) p.7
Hope and prayer are not research-validated planning techniques!

11. Twin Sins of Typical Unit Planning
Sin #1: Activity-Oriented Teaching
Goal: Make lessons engaging and kid friendly
Result: Hands-on rather than Minds-on work
Sin #2: Content Coverage
Goal: Cover all the content in the curriculum
Result: Low level learning
Wiggins and McTighe (2011) p.8-9

12. Some Critical Questions:
What would real use of the content look like?
What should students ultimately be able to say and do with the content if they “get it”?
If that’s what learning looks like, what should be taught and how – to make it most likely that the teaching leads to fluent, flexible and lasting learning?
Wiggins and McTighe (2011) p.7

14. 3 Stages of Backward Design1
Identify desired results
What should students know, understand and be able to do? 2
Determine acceptable evidence
What would convince you that successful learning occurred? 3
Plan learning experiences & instruction
How will students acquire new knowledge and skills, make meaning/connections, and transfer to new situations independently?

15. An Example from Drivers’ Education:
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
If the desired result is for learners to…
Then you need evidence of the learners’ ability to…
Then the learning events need to…
Drive in heavy traffic with aggressive and inattentive drivers without accident or anger.
Handle real as well as simulated driving conditions in which defensive driving is required by traffic and behavior of other drivers.
Help novices become skilled in handling the automobile; help them learn and practice defensive driving in a variety of situations; help them learn to defuse anger using humor and different thought patterns, etc.
Talk through the design of this unit from drivers’ education
Discussion question: How would this design enhance instructional planning and assessment?
Wiggins and McTighe (2011) p.8-9

16. An Example from Parenting:
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
If the desired result is for learners to…
Then you need evidence of the learners’ ability to…
Then the learning events need to…
Organize and manage belongings so that surfaces in the bedroom are kept free of clutter and accessible to cleaning tools.
Determine storage locations for personal belongings as they are acquired and consistently place items in assigned locations by the end of each day in the child’s life until they move out of the parent’s home due to education, employment or marriage (hopefully in that order).
Help the child make logical and flexible choices about personal belongings including storage, relocation, sale, donation or disposal; in the absence of appropriate management, help the child demonstrate acceptance of parental confiscation and/or disposal of items.
Talk through this humorous example.
Ask the same question: If parents designed lessons in this way, what would the result be in the home?
Wiggins and McTighe (2011) p.8-9

17. Your Turn: Work with others at your table to use backward design for one of the following units:
Buying a car
Remodeling a master bathroom
Finding a mate
Training a puppy
Toilet training a toddler
Having your mother move into your house
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
If the desired result is for learners to…
Then you need evidence of the learners’ ability to…
Then the learning events need to…
Participants choose one of the units offered (or select one of their own with presenter approval)
Outline the three stages on chart paper
Allow minutes
Post units on the walls and allow time for participants to read units from other groups
Wiggins and McTighe (2011) p.8-9

18. Time to Share
Volunteers?

19. The Power of Collaboration
What were the benefits of doing this activity as a group?
How can you create this type of collaboration in your school?
What are the benefits to instruction when we begin planning by defining the end result of instruction?
Set the stage for the next two days of work – using the standards to create this kind of plan.

20. Dinner Gallery Walk
Take time to walk around the room during our dinner time together to enjoy the work of our groups.