UbDDI+B1+Chapter+9

Alex Slack
Synthesis - Calling all Practicum students UbDI is complete! yes please go forth and teach students the ways of the warrior... I mean well go forth and teach. This chapter sums up the major points that we learned in UbDI. The major points of this book are the back wards teaching model, differentiated instruction, and absolutely beating education into our brains. Lets start with my favorite of the three beating education into our brains, although this sounds like a volatile and harmful process it carries value. This value would be that we have heard the correct way to teach so many times that how could else could we do the right thing. How else could we even so much as look at a classroom and not instantly think, positive arrangement, engaged instruction, great lessons plans, and being Da Boss. Essentially what has happened is a phenomenal transformation... we have become TEACHERS. The second idea that was really liked in UbDI that we learned was the idea of differentiaed instruction. THis process is that we are able to teach all forms of students that walk in our door and be abel to teach and cultivate engaging lessons. Differentiated Instruction is something of the future and it is something we will teach. The last import thing that this chapter and book taught us was the idea of the backwards teaching model this is the process in which you create a lesson in a three step function. The first is to set the goal the destination, the second step is to find the markings that allow you to reach the goal, and then the third is to set tup the engaging lesson to help your students get there.

Abstract - When all of these lovely chapters were put under intense scrutiny and harsh grading I have come up with a final grade. It will be with my great pleasure that I assign everyone in Block One an A+. In all seriousness after reviewing everyones responses I have seen a couple of things jump out that was enjoyed about this chapter. The first one being pure elation in the end of UbDI. In almost every single response there was at least 4 sentences speaking that they were glad UbDI to be over and were tired of the repetitive nature. Yet the most important thing that was talked about was the idea of the backwards design model. "The backward design method has, thus far, proved to be awesome." Jake "Captain Canada" Marcoux. Thus The backwards design model is something that will go down in infamy for this class. This model has helped us learn how to make an effective lesson, make this class seem less challenging, and well just make us plain awesome. toc

Ally
When you are teaching eventually you are going to bring it all together in order to make the lessons make sense. The use of backward design helps plan and organize each lesson so the teacher is constantly prepared and ready instead of just wasting a class to fill out worksheets for busy work. I found very helpful Figure 9.1 Integrating and Applying the Big Ideas of UbD and DI because it was in a step by step format and it also just made sense to me. Knowing that there are steps to make your lesson plans and each one follows a different standard would be very beneficial to all teachers so not only are they organized for teaching they also are following the standards. I have had multiple teachers who just seemed to get by through just throwing their lessons together and not actually putting an effort into them. Teachers need to understand that they are not just putting their jobs on the line but also their students education which could drastically change outcomes in the future. Student growth is also very important because you don’t want the end of the semester to come and ask your student what they learned and they say nothing much. This proves that they didn’t grow and you didn’t teach them so they could grow. By looking further into our lessons and adding technology we can really make a difference in education that will benefit the student body. There are endless possibilities of assessment why does it always just have to be a paper. This chapter impacted me as a teacher because I want to know how to bring it all together and make my lessons worthwhile for my students. Knowing the different ways to accomplish that will help me as a teacher and benefit my students because they will walk away from my class knowing that they really learned something and it wasn’t just a waste of time.

Jasmine
Both UbD and DI are complex and multifaceted to encompass the full range of factors a teacher must address in designing and implementing quality curriculum and instruction. Basically, teachers need to: identify desired learning results for the subject, determine acceptable evidence of student learning, plan learning experiences and instruction based on the first two things, regard learner differences as inevitable and important, address learners’ affective needs as a means of supporting students’ success, periodically review and articulate clear learning goals that specify what students should know and understand, use systematic pre assessment and ongoing assessments to make instructional adaptations, employ flexibility in instruction planning and a classroom routines, and gather evidence of student learning in a variety of formats. No big deal, right? Although it is a lot to handle, it is all 100% necessary in order to run a successful classroom. As a teacher, I will understand that learner variability is also a factor in student success and will consider students as carefully as content and plan for their needs with equal care, because that is what they deserve as students. Something else I will do is allow students to propose alternative ways of teaching the material. I want them to feel that they are able to speak their opinion and if they think they would learn better in an alternative way, I would very happily consider it any way I could. UbD and DI are great concepts that more teachers need to use these days, and there is no way that I would deprive my students of such rights that were provided in this book. They deserve better than that. They deserve to really learn what they need to learn, not just sit listen, memorize, test, forget, and repeat. It’s a vicious cycle of schools that needs to stop.

Jenn
Chapter nine of UbD/DI covered, as best it could, methods that should be used to connect UbD and DI in the classroom to the curriculum. In this chapter most of what it was explaining, or giving helpful, useful advice on, was modeled in a nutrition unit. There was a lot of really great information in this chapter that the model helped show. However helpful this example was, it was the big ideas that surrounded this example that I took away from it. Many of them have been mentioned before, but seeing it modeled brought out a whole new significance. When discussing how to differentiate the activity of making a brochure, I seemed to catch on to a few really important details. First of all, the original idea was a starting point; it wasn’t wrong because it wasn’t differentiated, it just needed improvement. I think that will be helpful for any teacher who is struggling with differentiated lessons. Secondly, I really enjoyed how the differentiated model was split into four levels, and that the lowest level was the original activity because it was still a well thought out lesson. The four levels in this specific example followed the same task, but included chances for the students to use new vocabulary, a different audience, different technology, and was easily still connected to their lives in at least minimal ways. I think these are very important things to think of when differentiating any lesson, so the model was very useful in that regard. I also found some really helpful ideas under the observable indicators section of the chapter. Some of those included that teachers should be interacting with their students, not just lecturing, and the idea that when teachers give feedback it needs to be meaningful. All of these are things that I would use in my classroom.

Jake
I think they want us to know about differentiating instruction? I’m not sure if it’s because we talk about it consistently in class, or perhaps our readings are overlapping a bit, but I feel as though I just read the same thing I’ve read a hundred times.

The backward design method has, thus far, proved to be awesome. What I’ve found, through using it only in these last couple of weeks, is that it not only helps me to organize what I want students to know, but it also forces me to think about the material in a new way. I’m forced to master the material before it ever reaches the hands of the students. This is essential as in order to take the next step and differentiate the planned lessons, because you need to know how to manipulate the material in response to the learner’s development. I fully intend to continue using this method of thinking as it seems to be the most comprehensive approach; focusing entirely on the students understanding, and establishing the intended goal before moving forward.

The chapter uses the example of a nutrition lesson. On page 160, Tomlinson and McTighe provide an example of an undifferentiated lesson plan. Sadly enough, it appears very similar to many of the assignments that I encountered while going through school. The text then describes a differentiated activity and shows how the differentiated activity takes into account comprehension, understanding, interests, and learning preferences. It is a wonderful example of what, I believe, activities should look like because it is not only adjusted for different students, but it also provides students with a great deal more ownership than. The students know where there at, and they can incorporate their own ideas and abilities into the project. The projects are all the same and thus the students are given an opportunity to express themselves through their work.

Chapter nine brings curriculum and instruction together and explains how to do so. When bringing curriculum and instruction together using UbD and DI, keep in mind these nine essential goals: 1. Identify desired learning results. 2. Determine acceptable evidence for student learning. 3. Create lessons and experiences bases on the first two goals. 4. Accept that students learn in different ways. 5. Address learners needs in a supportive fashion. 6. Review and specify what students should learn from the unit. 7. Use pre-assessments and ongoing assessments to make instructional decisions. 8. Be flexible. 9. Gather evidence for student learning. It is vital to follow these goals when drafting lesson plans using backwards design.

When designing a lesson using backwards design, it may be necessary to identify the desired results then determine what type of evidence would be needed to show that the students succeed. The book gives examples of how to pre-assess students and what may happen when done correctly. The teacher will find out what the class does and does not know about the unit. Also, the teacher finds out if there are any students that show mastery in the topic or have alternative education programs. The book follows up with several steps on differentiating the lesson plan and determining the student's success. All in all, UbD/DI, when used correctly, would promote a supportive learning environment, an engaging curriculum, a thoughtful teacher, and focused students. This chapter is a great way to see examples of how UbD an DI are used effectively.

Caleb
Much like the end of epic quest, when we complete Ubd and our DI plans we tend to have a moment of self-reflection to witness how far we’ve come. That is what is going on in this chapter of Ubd. It’s bringing everything that we have learned back to the focal point. It reminds me of the last few scenes of Lord of the Rings. After battling are way to make the classroom a better place, we get to take go back to where we started and evaluate how are design went. Unlike Lord of the Rings we do this process all over again once we completed a unit. As teachers we have to make sure that we are constantly adapting our own unit to the differences in the classroom. This entails how we teach our lessons, how we evaluate their work, and how we observe the classroom. In the end we can sum up Ubd and DI with a simple sentence, “Keep an eye on your students and make sure they are learning.” With this sentence we briefly cover everything. What do we do when we are trying to figure out how to get our students engaged? You see what makes them excited. If they are not learning, the teacher adapts and makes a differentiated assignment. It’s what you do when you have students in the classroom. All teachers have to do is figure out what they want to teach the students, how they go about it, how they check if the students are understanding it, and how we can make sure that each student is being taught.

Dan
Understanding by Design and Differentiated Instruction are the cornerstone of a strong curriculum. It is important to realize the essential goals that UbD and DI try to bring forth in a curriculum. Using both Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design creates a curriculum that is fair and just, and designs assessments that are engaging and flexible. Though I do feel the repetitiveness of the chapters, as I see this chapter as more of a recap of what we have learned, I understand why Understanding by Design and Differentiated Instruction are very important to incorporate within a curriculum. Developing clear objectives does not only benefit the teacher, but also benefits the students as the desired results are present to both parties. With clearly defined goals, teachers increase the chances of student success. In all honestly, I feel like a lot of these instructions are common sense. For instance, pre-assessments should always be given to students at the beginning of a new unit. Teachers should never assume that their students have a great understanding of the concepts being taught. It also seems that differentiating assignments for students of different readiness. I do not see how teachers could not see they must be flexible, and it kind of makes me sad that it must be addressed. When I am a teacher, I will make sure I pre-assess my students and once I determine their readiness, I will differentiate my assignments accordingly.

Katie
In chapter 9 of the UbD and DI, the main idea that is discussed is how differentiated instruction and understanding by design, while both working together can be a big asset to the classroom. In order for teachers to implement quality curriculum and instruction into their classroom, teachers must develop an understanding of understanding by design and differentiated instruction as they are designed to help teachers and their students. When teachers use this method to design their lessons, in all stages of their unit they use the backward design process and how it contributes to goal clarity. Differentiation is important factor when designing a lesson plan or a unit because every lesson plan a teacher creates needs to have room for change for students who learn differently than others in the classroom.

After reading this chapter, I think that it is very important for teachers to have a backup plan when it comes to initiating differentiation in the classroom. When I become a teacher I will make my lesson plans with the idea that I will have to have other worksheets for different students depending on where they are in the unit based on their learning speed. If I have students who need to take more time on one topic or who are having trouble, I will create worksheets for them that will help them to better teach them the material while still doing the work that the other students are doing. I plan on using my pre-assessment and formative assessments to address what it is that my students are having a hard time with in the unit and what it is that I must change in order for them to gain a better understanding of what I am teaching them.

Abby
Chapter 9, started out by reviewing everything that we have learned so far about Understanding by Design and Differentiated Instruction. The whole idea of UbD and DI is that student learning should be the main focus: making sure that students achieve a deep understanding and exploring the means of how we can accomplish this. It also talked about what a UbD/DI classroom would look like and how it would be run. This classroom is an environment where there is a mutual respect between student and teacher and students are challenged to ask the big questions, but helped along the way to achieve them. The curriculum goals are straightforward and allow the students to know what is expected of them. It is flexible and creative and students are active learners. It then went on to give specific examples on how to apply backward design lesson plans. I think that this backward design model is extremely helpful. It seemed a bit tedious at first, but then I realized that I would not even know where to start if I was not following this method and it makes sure that nothing is left out. I think it is extremely beneficial to be able to make these lesson plans and understand all the important pieces that come into it. The backward design method challenges you to not just simply have students read some classic book that you had to read in high school and write yet another lit analysis paper on it, but think outside of the box and make sure that the students actually learn the standard, but in a much more engaging way that they will remember and that will hopefully cause them to develop a love for learning.

Brittany
This chapter brings everything from previous chapters together. The book walks us through a unit showing every piece for each stage. The example is very clear and concise, for example it not only states that a quiz will be given towards the end of the unit, but it has planned the type of quiz and what will be on it. The authors give brief definitions of what each stage of UBD will do for the student to clarify and solidify the understanding of how it works. I found this interesting because the authors are not just telling you how to use the model, but they have several examples in which they are actually using their own model to write the book. The chapter gave an example of a classroom with a lot of variety of students, it was realistic to what any average classroom would look like. The chapter explains that with the variety of needs, abilities, languages, readiness and learning styles that the teachers plan through UBD is bound to change for each student through out the course with assessments. This is how the teacher will be sure that all students end with the desired results. The book then goes into a little more detail about how the teacher will actually carry out the unit's assignments, activities and assessments. Then moving on to more detailed explanation of how the students success can be seen by the teacher and others. Finally the chapter gives excellent examples with detail of exactly how to differentiate assignments, as well as what a classroom that uses UBD/DI would look like. I think this chapter helped me to make the UBD/DI method something more concrete that I can use in my classroom to reflect on the ability I have and whether or not I am allowing students to learn and succeed at their full potential.

Lizz
The first thing that popped out at me in chapter 9 was that both Understanding by Design and Differentiated Instruction are complex and multifaceted to encompass the full range of factors a teacher must address in designing and implementing quality curriculum and instruction. Understanding by Design is a sophisticated planning process that demands in-depth knowledge. Differentiated instruction is also a sophisticated process that demands attention to the needs and strengths of the learners. Both require teachers to step out of their bubbles and branch out with different ideas. I know when I’m a teacher I don’t want to get too comfortable because I’m the type of person who wants to be pushed to do more and be better and I think that be the same when I become a teacher and have my own classroom. The chapter also went over backward design and showed an example of a teacher whose work was guided by the backward design and differentiated instruction. Together backward design and differentiated instruction describe a comprehensive way of thinking. It does this by stemming from a shared understanding of what a great and effective teacher does when teacher and learning. A teacher in a differentiated classroom who is has a clear and engaging unit plan is ready to guide their students to success. In addition, a teacher who understands that learn variability is also a factor in the student success because they will consider the students needs. As an upcoming teacher, I think variability is a very important aspect to becoming a very successful teacher. School is all about learning and I want my students to learn as much possible but I want them grasp it not just memorize. ===

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Alex Slack
UbDI Chapter 9 – This chapter brings to realization the end of the book and just and overall summary of what has been done and what we have learned so fro through the book and in class as well. This book is not only directly quoted and used multiple times in our class but it is also the stepping stones for the very curriculum that we are creating. This form of instruction, assessment, and curriculum is the every backbone and foundation for us the teachers of change and the teachers of tomorrow. We are taking material that is hot off the press and we are going to be the teachers who not only take new material and out into action for revision and improvement but we are bringing engaged learning and love of learning back into the school system. This energy and enthusiasm that you see block one have in our projects and just love for learning is going to not only be transferring into our school system but into the youth that we are going to inspire. Here comes work that will really knock your socks off and revolutionized the industry. My favorite and most important thing that I learned in this chapter that summed up the rest of the book for me was the back ward teaching model and the differentiating instruction. The backwards teaching model taught me how to make an effective lesson and just set up an appropriate way to establish goals and bring learning back to the classroom. The second thing was the idea of differentiated instruction this reaches all learners and together we can make learning a lifelong desire.