In this chapter the authors talk about the importance of planning. We have to be carefull when we plan. First it mentions that we have to plan the appropriate learning activities at the heart of everyday classroom life. we have to know what they need individually and collectively to achieve the desired results an do perform well.Our design must be user-friendly, not only intellectually defensible.But how we know if our plan is good...According to the authors a plan must be engaging and effective.Engaging a design that learners find truly thought provoking, fascinating and energizing. Learners not only enjoy the work,but it engage them in worthy intellectual effort centered on big ideasand important performances.On the other hand, effective is when a learner becomes more competent and productive at worthy work.
For reaching the ideal design UbD propuses us some guidelines,which are represented by the acronym WHERETO, in which:
W: ensure that students understand where the unit is headed, and why.
H: hook students in the beginning and hold their atttention throughout.
E: equip students wth necessary experiences,knowledge, tools and know how to meet performance goals.
R: Provide students with numerous opportunities to rethink big ideas,reflect on progress and revise their work.
E: build in opportunities for students to evaluate progress and self assess.
T: be tailored to reflect individual talents, interests, styles and needs.
O: be organized to optimize deep understanding as opposed to superficial coverage.
These elements are helpful for design, but is easy to lose viewpoint, if we are not careful,it just contributes to students' short-term learning.In my opinion I think that, it is very important and it sounds great, but how and when we can do all of these things.
martes, 23 de noviembre de 2010
Chapter 6: Crafting Understandings
In this chapter the authors talk about the understandings, but what is understanding?... According to the authors understanding can be defined as:
1. an important inference, drawn from the experience of experts, stated as a specific and useful generalization.
2. It refers to transferable, big ideas having enduring value beyond a specific topic.
3. It envolves abstract, counterintuitive, and easily misunderstood ideas.
4. Understanding is the best acquired by uncovering and doing the subject.
5. It summarizes important strategic principles in skills areas.
We have to consider that understanding is not the same for all of us.We have to consider different kind of students which have different abilities and develop skills in a different way. Understanding is a process which requires certain conditions, which we as teachers don't have.
It is very clear that we have a lot of books explaining the desirable, but what happen in our classroom, with our time, materials, text book and also with headship.Theory is one thing, but reality is another very different thing.
1. an important inference, drawn from the experience of experts, stated as a specific and useful generalization.
2. It refers to transferable, big ideas having enduring value beyond a specific topic.
3. It envolves abstract, counterintuitive, and easily misunderstood ideas.
4. Understanding is the best acquired by uncovering and doing the subject.
5. It summarizes important strategic principles in skills areas.
We have to consider that understanding is not the same for all of us.We have to consider different kind of students which have different abilities and develop skills in a different way. Understanding is a process which requires certain conditions, which we as teachers don't have.
It is very clear that we have a lot of books explaining the desirable, but what happen in our classroom, with our time, materials, text book and also with headship.Theory is one thing, but reality is another very different thing.
Chapter 5: Essential questions; Doorways to Understanding
This chapter talks about the essential questions that help us to enhance the critical thinking of our students, but what is essential?...According to Wiggins and Mc Tighe in Understanding by design essential can be defined in four different ways when it is used to characterize questions. The first one has to do with important questions that recur throughout all our lives. The second one refers to core ideas and inquiries within a discipline, they are historically important.A third meaning for essential questions refers to what is needed for learning core content. If it helps students effectively inquire and make sense of important but complicated ideas and knowledge.And finally the last meaning refers to questions that will engage a specific and diverse set of learners. In other words, the same question is not necessarily important or essencial for and adult or another particular student.
According to this chapter we as teachers have to know first our students, thus we can make and prepare essential questions for them. We know that one of our duties is to help students think about their learning process and to raise their awareness of how they develop their own learning strategies to become effective learners and independent thinkers.
Hans George Gadamer said: " Only a person who has questions can have real understanding", but I ask myself, what about those students who never ask,not participate or simply are shy students. I have to think that he or she does not understand anything or he is not worried about his learning process...
According to this chapter we as teachers have to know first our students, thus we can make and prepare essential questions for them. We know that one of our duties is to help students think about their learning process and to raise their awareness of how they develop their own learning strategies to become effective learners and independent thinkers.
Hans George Gadamer said: " Only a person who has questions can have real understanding", but I ask myself, what about those students who never ask,not participate or simply are shy students. I have to think that he or she does not understand anything or he is not worried about his learning process...
sábado, 23 de octubre de 2010
Chapter 3: Gaining Clarity on our Goals
It is certain that when we plan, we have an objective, but what happen in this process? Why we can plan but we cannot do everything?
In this chapter,Wiggins and Mc Tighe tell us about the difficulties in design,they call them,the twin sins, the first one has to do with the aimless of content and the other one has to do with the isolated and desconected activities that don't help to students' learning process.
When we plan, we have to decide what to teach,what to leave out,what to emphasize, and what to minimize only if there are agreedbupon priorities related to exit-level objectives (W. and Mc T).I think that often it is difficult to carry on, because we need a lot of time to analize every single class and think what is the best way for that particular class.
Also they talk about the differences between Understanding and Knowledge, the first one is define as a constructivist result of attempts by learners to make sense of the work and lessons,using reflection, performance and inquiry.On the other hand Knowledge is described as a summary of facts and concepts that are gained from learning and teaching activities.
According to the authors, there are three common problems when attempting to ue the standars for educational planing, one of them is the overload problem, it has to do with the contents and time,there is too much content to present and there is not enough time to teach it, so we have to select, and think what is the best way to do it. the second one is called the Goldilocks problem, this has to do with too big standards and this doesn't help to teachers and students' learning process and finally the last one has to do with no clear instructions and information on a same theme, so teachers can interpret in a different way according their own appreciation.
As a conclusion I can say that there is no a single way to design our plan, there is no the only one, it is related to students necessity, so goals can vary.
In this chapter,Wiggins and Mc Tighe tell us about the difficulties in design,they call them,the twin sins, the first one has to do with the aimless of content and the other one has to do with the isolated and desconected activities that don't help to students' learning process.
When we plan, we have to decide what to teach,what to leave out,what to emphasize, and what to minimize only if there are agreedbupon priorities related to exit-level objectives (W. and Mc T).I think that often it is difficult to carry on, because we need a lot of time to analize every single class and think what is the best way for that particular class.
Also they talk about the differences between Understanding and Knowledge, the first one is define as a constructivist result of attempts by learners to make sense of the work and lessons,using reflection, performance and inquiry.On the other hand Knowledge is described as a summary of facts and concepts that are gained from learning and teaching activities.
According to the authors, there are three common problems when attempting to ue the standars for educational planing, one of them is the overload problem, it has to do with the contents and time,there is too much content to present and there is not enough time to teach it, so we have to select, and think what is the best way to do it. the second one is called the Goldilocks problem, this has to do with too big standards and this doesn't help to teachers and students' learning process and finally the last one has to do with no clear instructions and information on a same theme, so teachers can interpret in a different way according their own appreciation.
As a conclusion I can say that there is no a single way to design our plan, there is no the only one, it is related to students necessity, so goals can vary.
domingo, 26 de septiembre de 2010
Understanding by Design Chapter 1: Backward Design
Design is not an easy work,as teachers, we are constantly designing, planning and preparing our work,which is focus on our students.As designers, we have to be involved of our audience, that is to say, the students.When we design, we have to consider the diverse student interests,developmental level,large classes and previous achievements must always shape our thinking about the learning activities, assignments and assessments. As teachers we cannot teach what we want just because it is our choice. We have to follow some instututional standars or the national curriculum.In both cases, it is supposed to know what the students need, should know and be able to do.
According to Grant Wiggins and Jay Mc Tighe in Understanding by Design, there are three -stage approach to planning, they call them "backward design".
First; Identify desired results: What students should know,be able to do and understand. I this stage we have to consider our purpose or objective, and what we can really do during that period.
Second; determine acceptable evidence: In this stage we have to know if students have achieved the desired results, we need to have evidence that it works and it can be apply to our students.
Third; Plan learning experiences and instruction: In this stage, when we have the evidence and we have already identified the results, now we can think in the most appropiate instructional activity.
Finally as a conclusion,desing is not easy, we have to pay attention to many things before planning,we have to be clear in what to teach and how to teach it,knowing the three stage that I explain before,and obviously there is no just one way to do it, it always depends on our students.
Marcela.
According to Grant Wiggins and Jay Mc Tighe in Understanding by Design, there are three -stage approach to planning, they call them "backward design".
First; Identify desired results: What students should know,be able to do and understand. I this stage we have to consider our purpose or objective, and what we can really do during that period.
Second; determine acceptable evidence: In this stage we have to know if students have achieved the desired results, we need to have evidence that it works and it can be apply to our students.
Third; Plan learning experiences and instruction: In this stage, when we have the evidence and we have already identified the results, now we can think in the most appropiate instructional activity.
Finally as a conclusion,desing is not easy, we have to pay attention to many things before planning,we have to be clear in what to teach and how to teach it,knowing the three stage that I explain before,and obviously there is no just one way to do it, it always depends on our students.
Marcela.
jueves, 23 de septiembre de 2010
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