Transcript
Understanding by Design
Gaining Clarity on Our Goals
How to Use Backward Design – Stage 1
Use national, state, or provincial content standards as a starting point.
“Unpack” the nouns and verbs in the standards to point to the “big ideas”. Stated or implied Big Ideas in the Nouns and Adjectives. Stated or implied real-world performances in the verbs.
Use the template as a tool for developing a coherent, purposeful, and efficient design for learning.
NETS for Students
http://www.iste.org/standards/standards-for-students/nets-student-standards-2007
Big Ideas…
It’s the central and organizing notion. It’s the core idea in a subject It has lasting value and transfers to other
inquiries and requires uncovering because it is not obvious.
Essential Questions…
Have no simple ‘right answer; they are meant to be argued and discussed (discovered, uncovered)
Designed to provoke and sustain inquiryOften address the foundational or historical
issues of a subjectLead to more questionsNaturally come back again when learningEncourage ongoing re-thinking of big ideas,
assumptions, prior learning (transference…)Could be overarching or topical
Understandings…
Frame the desired understanding as a full-sentence generalization in response to the phrase, “Students will understand that…”
Beware of stating an understanding as a truism or vague generality. (Triangles have 3 sides – truism or vague generality?- The U.S. is a complex country – truism or vague generality?) – Check to see your stated understandings don’t end with an adjective (i.e. fractions are important)
Avoid the phrase, “Students will understand how to…” “Understanding is the ability to transfer learning to new,
different, and unique experiences” - Wiggins
Big Ideas, Understandings, and Essential Questions
Big Idea
UnderstandingUnderstandingEssentialQuestionEssentialQuestion
Topic orContent Standard
Knowledge…What we want students to know Vocabulary Terminology Definitions Key factual information Formulas Critical details Important events and people Sequence and timeline
Skills…What we want students to be able to do Basic skills – decoding, arithmetic
computation Communication skills – listening, speaking,
writing Thinking skills – compare, infer, analyze,
interpret Research, inquiry, investigation skills Study skills – notetaking Interpersonal group skills
Unpacking Goals – Method 1Established Goals: 1. Creativity and Innovation
Students demonstrate creative thinking, constructknowledge, and develop innovative products andprocesses using technology.
Stated or Implied BIG IDEAS In the NOUNS and ADJECTIVES:
Stated or Implied real-worldPerformances in the VERBS:
Understandings:Students will understand that…
Essential Questions:
Knowledge:What we want students to know…
Skills:What we want students to do…
Performance Task Ideas:
Establish Goal (Content Standards)
Understandings Essential Questions
Knowledge Skill
Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
Performance Tasks Other Evidence
Key Criteria
Stage 3 – Learning Plan
Stage 1 – Desired Results
Should not be differentiated
May be differentiated
Should be differentiated
Applying Differentiation to theUbD Framework
Six Facets of Understanding
What to assess?
“Students must perform effectively with knowledge to convince us that they really understand what quizzes and short-answer tests only suggest they get”
The argument for performance assessment as a necessity, not a luxury……
Transfer: the link
The six facets link the stagesUse the six facets as the test of whether you are truly measuring “understanding” of the big ideas/essential questions
Explanation
Insightful connections and illustrations
Require students to explain what they know and good reasons in support of it
Explain “why” it is correct
Interpretation: what does it mean?Show significanceReveal importanceRecognize relevance
Application: use knowledge effectively“show understanding by
using it, adapting it, customizing it”
New situations, realistic context
Perspective: critical and insightful points of viewCasting familiar ideas in a
new lightExpose questionable and
unexamined assumptions
Empathy: walk in another’s shoesAbility to get inside another
person’s feelings and viewpoint
Differs from perspectiveInside versus outside view
Self-knowledge: Wisdom to know one’s ignoranceHow thoughts and actions
inform as well as prejudice understanding
Must first understand ourselves before we understand the world
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