5040+Reading+Notes

**The work below is essential to your learning.** **It is your entry pass into the seminar discussion.**
 * Scaffolding for reading Understanding by Design **
 * Please use this assignment as you participate in the Understanding by Design Seminar (Threaded Discussion) **

Write a question you would have for one of the teachers discussed in the introduction to the book. This question should challenge the author/s to think deeply about their assertions in the assigned reading.

(This question is directed at the teacher in the second scenario) Is it necassary for students to have a clear understanding of exacly what their goals and expected outcomes are for every assignment? Wiggins and McTighe question the integrity of you lesson and whether your students "understand what the learning targets are?" (p.2). Yet, at the begining of this chapter they seen to find value in evasive objectives, as they quote a teacher reflecting on using UbD, "They seem to sense something more at the core of what we're doing. I suppose they sense the goal: the goal is usually not revealed as completely and clearly."

Questions to the author:

In the second scenario you (the authors) write that "questions about the value of the work remain;" however, I feel that by the list of activities given it is apparent that many important skills are being developed: (Johnny Appleseed teaches about the genre of legend, and themes such as compassion, not to mention reading a story alone teaches a variety of literacy skills; writing a creative story develops skills such as mechanics and vocabulary, in addition to story structures- understanding there is a begining, middle, and end, main idea, and so on; illustrating the story accomadates visual learners.) So are you questioning the lesson structure or the teachers and their ability to develop these important skills when teaching a lesson themselves? Also, you ask "To what ends is the teaching directed...Do the students understand what the learning targets are?" which seems to contradict part of the quote you gave at the begining of this chapter, from a teacher reflecting on using UbD, "They seem to sense something more at the core of what we're doing. I suppose they sense the goal: the goal is usually not revealed as completely and clearly." So then do you think that the students need to know exactly where they are going, or only the teacher needs to know this?

The twin sins of design are (p.3): 1. __**Activity**-__focused teaching 2. __**Coverage**-__focused teaching


 * || Infer how these “twin sins” could be detrimental to student learning
 * Activity** is detrimental because drives motivation, keeps students engaged, and makes experiences meaningful and memorable.
 * Coverage** is detrimental because it ensures quality of learning experiences; that students are learning skills which can be built upon for continued success throughout their lives. (ex. Phonics improves reading ability, which allows them to research and discovers new information, which allows them to create new information...) ||  ||

**Make it personal!**

What learning experiences dominated your high school, middle school, or elementary school learning?
 * Coverage-focused teaching: In elementary school it was often in the form of worksheets, information was learned directly from the teacher and in class text-books, middle school we began note-taking in addition to worksheets and tests, did some (still very little) research of outside sources (aside from textbooks and teachers' notes.

What learning experience in high school, middle school, or elementary school was different from the norm?
 * 5th grade country reports
 * 9th grade scrape books about famous people
 * 11th grade mock trial

Please read the helpful cautions and comments on page 9 and 10 (as well as the Misconception Alert on p. 10). Respond to the following assertion:

//I propose that the “cautions” and “alerts” on page 9 and 10 should be facts, not cautions! Effective teaching must be the antithesis of what occurs in the classrooms today and should not focus on traditional testing or grades.// Response: I'm not sure what you are trying to say exactly. Are you suggesting the heading be changed? I ask because the author seems to believe (as you suggested) that these are indeed facts. Specifically that, one, educators are often unclear about what real understanding is/ looks like. Two, that 'big ideas' are essential for learning/ applying specific skills. And three, that designing for understadning (particularly incorporating 'big ideas,') is comatible with standardized tests. It is my opinion that the author has used terms such as 'caution' and 'warning' to draw attention to the fact that these concepts are contrary to popular belief and to ease the reader into these ideas, eventually allowing them to draw the same (new) conclusions as they read further. As they have written, "We expect that your approach to all your design obligations will change" (p.10). By allowing the reader to read, questions, and anaylze the text they are creating a more meaningful experience, rather than simply tell us this is how it should be, and everything else you thought before is wrong. However, I don't think you meant this to question the semantics of the author, and are then asking whether we agree or disagree with these 'facts,' to which I do. It has become clear over the years as standardized tests have become the focus, that they do not do much to help educate students. I certainly agree that repeated formative assessments which guide the lessons based on students' needs, abilities, and interests should drive decisions made in the classroom, and am looking forward to learning more about how to do this (and especially how to balance it with rigid district standards.)
 * || [[image:http://msofficecontent.next.ecollege.com/CurrentCourse/__System/OfficeDocs/outFiles/b1cd0768-04b9-412a-bf3e-2029dbab9b93/b1cd0768-04b9-412a-bf3e-2029dbab9b93_files/image001.gif width="586" height="457" caption="Rounded Rectangle: Response:"]] ||
 * || [[image:http://msofficecontent.next.ecollege.com/CurrentCourse/__System/OfficeDocs/outFiles/b1cd0768-04b9-412a-bf3e-2029dbab9b93/b1cd0768-04b9-412a-bf3e-2029dbab9b93_files/image001.gif width="586" height="457" caption="Rounded Rectangle: Response:"]] ||

**Mentally play with the reading!**

Draw a graphic representation of the essential information in Chapter 1. You must include a minimum of 10 key words from the reading. You must use: color; lines; key words; metaphorical representations; theme
 * Complete the following in your journal and bring to our next face to face session**

On page 49 of the reading it states, “Evidence of understanding requires that we test quite differently, then. We need to see evidence of students’ ability to extract understandings and apply them in situated problems…” Let’s practice what he preaches: transfer the learning from these chapters into your partner school. Create two columns in your journal; one column is what you observe in your partner school and the other column is specifically what **should be happening in these classrooms according to Wiggins and McTighe.**
 * Caution! If your observations parallel the concepts in Backward Design, include them as well and discuss the similarities. Thank you.**


 * ** What I observe in my partner school ** || ** What should be happening to allow students to deeply understand the content (be specific) ** ||
 * ** Situation: ** || ** Revisions to be made: ** ||
 * ** Situation: ** || ** Revisions to be made: ** ||
 * ** Situation: ** || ** Revisions to be made: ** ||

**Inference** Write a paragraph describing what would happen if all teachers utilized this approach to constructing learning units.

Now that you have completed your reading in Critical Pedagogy Notes from the Real World, please find 5 similarities between the Wiggins and McTighe book and the Wink book. Complete these as indicated:


 * Wink quote || Page number || Wiggins and McTighe quote || Page number || Carefully stated similarity ||