BBYO: The Learning Advantage (TLA) Session #2 Beginning with the End in Mind: Understanding by Design

September 18, 2014, 2:00 PM EST

BBYO: The Learning Advantage (TLA) Session #2 Beginning with the End in Mind: Understanding by Design

September 18, 2014, 1:00 PM EST Session Agenda 2:00 pm Attendance, Sign-on 2:05 pm Welcome, Agenda, Online Presence Guidelines 2:15 pm Capabilities in Action: Celia Bernstein, GMR 2:25 pm Understanding by Design (UbD) Nina Price, Hebrew College 3:10 pm Creating Action Plans 3:25 pm Wrap-up 3:30 pm Session Close

TLA Core Values of Online Behavior as developed August 2014

We believe that online and distance learning have a unique value BBYO employees. As an international organization with employees in disparate locations, we have the ability to come together to build a real community of learning and practice.

We commit ourselves to organizing sessions which facilitate meaningful and engaging interactions and conversations among all participants.

We believe that all participants have something valuable to contribute during our learning together.

We commit ourselves to reminding ourselves of ground rules* at the beginning of each call and monitoring our own (and sometimes others’) participation.

We believe that time we spend together is precious and of the utmost value, as well as the daily schedules we all contend with.

We commit to starting and ending all sessions on time.

We believe that remote meetings are as and demand the same amount of presence and accountability important as in-person meetings.

We commit ourselves to refraining from other online work or activities which would take us out of the learning that we are doing together, and making all of the arrangements ahead of time to ensure that outside distractions not enter our online learning experience.

*Ten Ground Rules for being an Effective Virtual Meeting Participant

1. Only attend when I am willing and able to fully show up. Being a bystander is a waste of everyone’s time. 2. Come prepared. Ask for an agenda and handouts ahead of time. Schedule 15 minutes to prepare for the

meeting/webinar – if I don’t need it I can have the time back. Do the pre-work. Make notes and be ready with questions.

3. Test the technology ahead of time. Log in the day before to ensure full access to whatever online technology is being used. Check my headset.

4. Turn up early. Put the web address and teleconference details in my calendar. Set the reminder 15 minutes ahead of the call.

5. Remove distractions. Schedule a quiet place to participate from. Clear my desk and computer desktop. Turn off email & instant messaging. Put my cell phone aside. Put a note on my office door.

6. Take responsibility for my own participation. Don’t plan to do any “catch up” activities during the call. If I catch myself multi-tasking, close my eyes and listen. Avoid side conversations whether in the room with colleagues or in an online chat space.

7. Be aware of air time. Fully participate while allowing others to do the same. Speak my name before making a comment.

8. Be aware of who else is on the call. Make a note of those asking interesting questions or contributing provocative comments. Who do I want to connect with again after the call?

9. Support the facilitator. Laugh at jokes, acknowledge questions, pay attention. Keep off mute when possible. 10. Have high expectations. Do a mental evaluation at the end of the session. Send off a quick email to the

facilitator – thank them for what worked well; make constructive requests for future events as needed.

http://facilitate.com/blog/index.php/2009/10/virtual-meeting-ground-rules/

Celia Bernstein, GMR Reflecting on TLA #1: Asking Good Questions

TLA Capabilities in Action: Case Study

UbD

BBYO

You Before we get started… How does this relate to YOUR role in BBYO?

You might apply this to a program planning process (planning a convention or coaching teens / advisors through planning a chapter program). You might apply this to working with teen leaders or staff members as they are setting and assessing their goals for this year. You might review your own task list for a week and propose a few changes based on aligning your actions with your core goals.

Understanding by Design (UbD)

BBYO TLA Session #2 Nina Price, MAJE, RJE September 18, 2014

Overview of Our Session

� What is Understanding? � Introduction to Understanding by Design � Overview of Backward Design � Applying Design Standards � Adapting My Programming Practice

What is Understanding? Knowledge

� The facts � A body of coherent

facts � Verifiable claims � Right or wrong � I know something to be

true � I respond on cue with

what I know

Understanding � The meaning of the facts � The “theory” that provides

coherence and meaning to those facts

� Fallible, in-process theories � A matter of degree or

sophistication � I understand why it is, what

makes it knowledge � I judge when to and when

not to use what I know

(UbD, p. 38)

Understanding BBYO’s Mission

More Jewish Teens

Meaningful Jewish Experiences

Exploring Key Terms More

Jewish Teens Meaningful Experiences

Understanding: A Key to Making Meaning Understanding by Design (UbD) helps provide clarity as to what understanding is by noting, “To understand is to make connections and bind together our knowledge into something that makes sense of things.” (p. 7)

What is UbD? � “The essence of the

book is this: How do we make it more likely – by our design – that more students (participants) really understand what they are asked to learn?”

� The book is built on the premise that, “Teachers are designers. An essential act of our profession is the crafting of curriculum and learning experiences to meet specified purposes.” (p. 13)

What UbD is Not About

Wiggins and McTighe (2005) clarify that: � "It is not a

prescriptive program."

� "It is not a philosophy of education, nor does it require a belief in any single pedagogical system or approach.“ (p. 8) UbD is not Miracle Grow. You cannot

simply water your BBYO participants with it and suddenly grow knowledge and understanding.

Backward Design 1. Identify

desired results

2. Determine acceptable

evidence

3. Plan learning experiences

and instruction

� Backward design reminds us that we need to know where we are going in order to get learners there. Accordingly, we start with the end in mind.

� In order for backward design to be effective, it is important to check alignment among all three stages.

Focus of Stage 1: Identify Desired Results In order to identify desired results it is necessary to: 1. Be able to articulate the

WHY of your program 2. Pinpoint BIG IDEAS 3. Generate ESSENTIAL

QUESTIONS to refine your focus and guide your design process

UbD Stage 1

Be Sure to Ask WHY

(EFIG, p. 37)

UbD Stage 1

Identifying Big Ideas

Worth Being Familiar With

Important to Know and Do

Big Ideas & Core Tasks

� With such a broad scope of content to share with participants in BBYO, it would be ineffective to try to cover it all. It is important to figure out the big idea at the center of a unit.

� Big Idea – “A big idea is a concept, theme, or issue that gives meaning and connection to discrete facts and skills.” (UbD, p. 5)

UbD Stage 1

Applications to BBYO

Worth Being Familiar With

Important to Know and Do

Big Ideas & Core Tasks

Being Familiar: • Good recipes for

baking challah for Shabbat dinner. Important:

• How to participate in Kabbalat Shabbat table rituals.

Big Ideas & Core Tasks: • Shabbat rituals are

important because they help build community.

UbD Stage 1

Essential Questions Definition

“The best questions point to and highlight the big ideas. They serve as doorways through which learners explore the key concepts, themes, theories, issues, and problems that reside within the content, perhaps as yet unseen: it is through the process of actively ‘interrogating’ the content through provocative questions that students deepen their understanding” (p. 106)

Characteristics 1. “Cause genuine and relevant inquiry

into the big ideas and core content. 2. Provoke deep thought, lively

discussion, sustained inquiry, and new understanding as well as more questions.

3. Require students to consider alternatives, weigh evidence, support ideas, and justify their answers.

4. Stimulate vital, ongoing rethinking of big ideas, assumptions, prior lessons.

5. Spark meaningful connections with prior learning and personal experiences.

6. Naturally recur, creating opportunities for transfer to other situations and subjects.” (p. 110)

UbD Stage 1

What kinds of evidence do we need to find hallmarks of our goals, including that of understanding?

What specific characteristics in responses, products, or performances should we examine to determine the extent to which the desired results were achieved?

Does the proposed evidence enable us to infer knowledge, skill, or understanding? (UbD, p. 150)

Focus of Stage 2: Determine Acceptable Evidence

UbD Stage 2

In order to effectively approach the process of assessment it is essential to ask the following 3 questions:

BBYO Impact Areas Identify:

Strengthen Jewish Identity

• Religious observance

• Celebrating Jewish holidays

• Interest in Jewish learning

Connect: Create Jewish Community

• Engagement in Jewish cultural activities

• Connecting with Israel

Improve Change the World

• Social/political involvement

CHALLENGE: How might it be possible to build upon these impact areas, based in Kivun, by describing specific evidence of understanding, meaning, and impact for a particular program?

UbD Stage 2

Focus of Stage 3: Planning Learning Activities � Once you know the focus of your program and the types of

evidence of understanding and impact you hope to see at the end, you can map out a course of how you want to use learning activities to get you where you want to go!

� Stage 3 is often what comes naturally, and teens want to jump right into it. There is value in thinking through the first 2 stages before jumping into the activities because they tend to lead to more depth and focus.

UbD Stage 3

WHERETO: A Tool for Programming •Where are we going? Why? What is

expected? W •How will we hook and hold participant

interest? H •How will we equip participants for expected

performances? E •How will we help participants rethink and

revise? R •How will participants self-evaluate and reflect

on their thinking? E •How will we tailor learning to varied needs,

interest, and styles? T •How will we organize and sequence the

learning? O

UbD Stage 3

Using UbD Design Standards to Improve Your Programming

•To what extent does the design focus on the “big ideas” of targeted content? Stage 1

•To what extent do the assessments provide fair, valid, reliable and sufficient measures of the desired results?

Stage 2

•To what extent is the learning plan effective and engaging? Stage 3

•To what extent is the entire unit coherent, with the elements of all 3 stages aligned? Overall Design

Alignment w/BBYO Design Criteria

In addition to reviewing your programs in light of UbD Design Standards, it is also critical to take into consideration alignment with Kivun and other criteria unique to BBYO.

Cardinal & Menorah Pledge

Principles

Programming Folds

Teen Priorities Kivun

Old Habits Die Hard If you have been used to planning programs in a particular way, it can be hard to change your habits. That said, once you get used to a backwards design approach, you may just find that in the long run it’s worth it.

http://nalakagunawardene.com/tag/wcsj-2009/

Uncoverage Facilitates Transfer � In thinking about

Kivun (BBYO’s educational framework), the end goals all relate to transfer and the long-term impact.

� Programming with a focus on uncoverage as a tool for making meaning and transformational learning holds the potential for transfer and both achieving and sustaining the goals of Kivun.

Applying UbD in Your Practice

http://wagonized.typepad.com/wagonized/2010/08/understanding-by-design.html

So, it’s now your turn to think of ways to help BBYO teens design programs that will move them toward understanding, facilitate a process of meaning-making, and will enable them to identify, connect, and improve!

If you would like to learn more about UbD, it is recommended that you: • Get the UbD book • Review the UbD in a Nutshell document that will be

sent to you, and/or • Access a wealth of resources at

http://www.ascd.org/research-a-topic/understanding-by-design-resources.aspx.

Continuing Your Learning…

UbD

BBYO

You Time to Shift Gears… How does this relate to YOUR role in BBYO?

You might apply this to a program planning process (planning a convention or coaching teens / advisors through planning a chapter program). You might apply this to working with teen leaders or staff members as they are setting and assessing their goals for this year. You might review your own task list for a week and propose a few changes based on aligning your actions with your core goals.

1. Identify desired results

2. Determine acceptable evidence

3. Plan learning experiences and

instruction

UbD Shorthand You might apply this to a program planning process (planning a convention or coaching teens / advisors through planning a chapter program). You might apply this to working with teen leaders or staff members as they are setting and assessing their goals for this year. You might review your own task list for a week and propose a few changes based on aligning your actions with your core goals.

In the text box, please do two things: 1. Put out an idea of where you think you’ll

apply this learning. 2. Ask a question of someone else’s idea (be

sure to name them!) to help them clarify their idea.

What Now? We will run down the participant list and ask each person to share where and when they plan to try out a formal UbD planning process or a goal-based approach to a conversation. It’s important to do this out loud so we can all hear each other’s goals and plans. What Next? We will send out this list to the whole group so you can look for ways to partner and support one another. Don’t forget to keep working on your Questions implementation!

Thank You

Thank You to Nina, for her expertise and excitement to work with us.

Thank You to all of you, for engaging and

committing to this new way of learning together.

Shabbat Shalom!

TLA 2014-2015 Schedule October 23, 2014, 2:00-3:30 pm eastern: Session 3: Online November 20, 2014, 2:00-3:30 pm eastern: Session 4: Online December 18, 2014, 2:00-3:30 pm eastern: Session 5: Online January 11-14, 2015 (Exact date/time TBD): Session 6: In-Person at Staff Conference March 12, 2015, 2:00-3:30 pm eastern: Session 7: Online April 2, 2015, 2:00-3:30 pm eastern: Session 8: Online May 14 2015, 2:00-3:30 pm eastern: Closing Session, Reflection: Online