Week 2 Assignment #3

Week 2 Assignment #3

Understanding by design is a planning framework that focuses on goals. The framework focuses on the short term and long-term goals. The preparation that is involved in UbD is one that allows for the teacher to be aware of what is going to be happening in terms of content and performance throughout the unit. The teacher is so well versed in what is going to be happening in long term goals that the teacher knows when to let the student to branch off in their own interests similar to inquiry based learning. Focusing on critical and creative use of content allows for teachers to make sure there are entry points within the lessons for these skills to be developed. In UbD there is a synchronicity of strategic thinking. By asking students why and using Depth of Knowledge questioning we move further away from students just repeating and memorizing factual information. By thinking critically, the students can apply their knowledge to other situations. Socratic questions lets students and teachers alike focus on what is working. Having long term goals allows students and educators to see where the learning is going and understanding where they need to end up.

A great point that was brought up in this video is that textbooks aren’t the source. Many teachers think that the textbook is the answer to what the lessons should be and the answer to what the content and understandings should come from. Rolling out a new curriculum for my entire school, Amplify Science, I have seen this type of thinking at work. The first thing the other teachers ask for is the teacher’s guide and then the student textbook. There is no textbook for the students and the instruction is based in PowerPoint slides that are rooted in critical thinking questions and hands on discovery through problem-based unit story lines. The textbook is the old design, by using content that is focused on the outcomes first, the students are focused more on performance and understanding goals.  Intellectual engagement is important. Not all the students are going to be excited about the work that is presented but that is the biggest part of the design problem. As educators we must differentiate in order to design a way to get learners immersed in the content. By introducing incentives to what is happening in the classroom there is a motivation for learners of all engagement levels.