Understanding Understanding by Designby Design

Backward Instructional Backward Instructional Design and PlanningDesign and Planning

Survey Trends! Survey Trends! 61% of you rated yourself a level 161% of you rated yourself a level 1

11% of you rated yourself a level 211% of you rated yourself a level 2

6 % of you rated yourself a level 36 % of you rated yourself a level 3

22% of you rated yourself a level 422% of you rated yourself a level 4

““I would like enough background knowledge and I would like enough background knowledge and

skills to be able to support teachers better skills to be able to support teachers better

understand how to “begin with an end in mind.” I understand how to “begin with an end in mind.” I

want to help teachers move from “covering” the want to help teachers move from “covering” the

curriculum to a deeper understanding of curriculum to a deeper understanding of

processes, strategies and assessments.”processes, strategies and assessments.”

Purpose(s) of SessionPurpose(s) of Session

1. Identify key principles of UbD1. Identify key principles of UbD

2. Share misconceptions (What UbD is 2. Share misconceptions (What UbD is

not!)not!)

3. Identify why and how HCPS is using the 3. Identify why and how HCPS is using the

principles found in UbDprinciples found in UbD

4. Provide participants with opportunities 4. Provide participants with opportunities

to engage with the concepts and reflect on to engage with the concepts and reflect on

current practices within his or her schoolcurrent practices within his or her school

UbD Overview UbD Overview

VIDEO CLIPVIDEO CLIP

““To begin with the end in mind means to To begin with the end in mind means to

start with a clear understanding of your start with a clear understanding of your

destination. It means to know where destination. It means to know where

you’re going so that you better you’re going so that you better

understand where you are now so that the understand where you are now so that the

steps you take are always in the right steps you take are always in the right

direction” (1)direction” (1)

- Stephen R. Covey, - Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly The 7 Habits of Highly

Effective PeopleEffective People

What is Understanding What is Understanding by Design? by Design?

An instructional An instructional planning frameworkplanning framework focused focused on unit design that assists in developing and on unit design that assists in developing and deepening understanding of important ideasdeepening understanding of important ideas

Essential Question: How do we make it more Essential Question: How do we make it more likely – likely – by our designby our design – that more students – that more students really really understandunderstand what they are asked to learn? what they are asked to learn?

UbD seeks to more thoroughly clarify the UbD seeks to more thoroughly clarify the concept of concept of “understanding”“understanding” while exploring while exploring principles or characteristics of effective principles or characteristics of effective “design”“design”

Essential QuestionsEssential Questions

What is the best way to design for both content What is the best way to design for both content mastery and understanding?mastery and understanding?

How can we accomplish the goal of understanding if How can we accomplish the goal of understanding if the textbooks we use dispense volumes of out-of-the textbooks we use dispense volumes of out-of-context knowledge?context knowledge?

How realistic is teaching for understanding in a How realistic is teaching for understanding in a world of content standards and high stakes tests?world of content standards and high stakes tests?

““Twin Sins of Twin Sins of Instructional Design”Instructional Design”

1. Activity Focused

Teaching

2. Coverage Focused

Teaching

What UbD is not…What UbD is not…

1.1. UbD is not a prescriptive program to be UbD is not a prescriptive program to be followed step by step. It is a conceptual followed step by step. It is a conceptual framework and provides ideas for design that framework and provides ideas for design that increase the likelihood of deep student increase the likelihood of deep student understandingunderstanding

2.2. UbD is not a philosophy of educationUbD is not a philosophy of education

3.3. UbD provides little in the way of teaching UbD provides little in the way of teaching strategies. It focuses more on “robust” planningstrategies. It focuses more on “robust” planning

4.4. UbD is not focused on individual lesson UbD is not focused on individual lesson planning. The focus is on the design of planning. The focus is on the design of curricular unitscurricular units

5.5. UbD is not intended to be a “catch all”. UbD is not intended to be a “catch all”.

Three Stages of DesignThree Stages of Design

Backward PlanningBackward Planning1.

Desired Results.

2. Assessment Evidence.

3.

Learning Plan.

Why “backward”? Why “backward”?

The stages are logical but they go against The stages are logical but they go against habitshabits

We’re used to jumping to lesson and activity We’re used to jumping to lesson and activity ideas - before clarifying our performance goals ideas - before clarifying our performance goals for studentsfor students

By thinking through the assessments upfront, By thinking through the assessments upfront, we ensure greater alignment of our goals and we ensure greater alignment of our goals and means, and that teaching is focused on desired means, and that teaching is focused on desired resultsresults

Stage 1 – Identify Stage 1 – Identify desired results.desired results.

Key: Focus on Big ideasKey: Focus on Big ideas Enduring Understandings:Enduring Understandings: What specific insights What specific insights

about big ideas do we want students to leave about big ideas do we want students to leave with?with?

What What essential questionsessential questions will frame the teaching will frame the teaching and learning, pointing toward key issues and and learning, pointing toward key issues and ideas, and suggest meaningful and provocative ideas, and suggest meaningful and provocative inquiry into content?inquiry into content?

What should students What should students know and be able to do?know and be able to do? What What content standardscontent standards are addressed explicitly are addressed explicitly

by the unit?by the unit?

U

K

Q

CS

Taking a Closer Look at Taking a Closer Look at Understandings: They Understandings: They

are...are... specific generalizations about the “big ideas.” specific generalizations about the “big ideas.”

They summarize the key meanings, inferences, They summarize the key meanings, inferences, and importance of the ‘content’and importance of the ‘content’

require “uncoverage” because they are not “facts” require “uncoverage” because they are not “facts” to the novice, but unobvious inferences drawn to the novice, but unobvious inferences drawn from facts - counter-intuitive & easily from facts - counter-intuitive & easily misunderstoodmisunderstood

deliberately framed as a full sentence “moral of deliberately framed as a full sentence “moral of the story”the story” – – “Students will understand THAT…”“Students will understand THAT…”

Just because the student Just because the student “knows it” …“knows it” …

Evidence of understanding is a Evidence of understanding is a greater challengegreater challenge than evidence that than evidence that the student knows a correct or valid the student knows a correct or valid answeranswer Understanding is inferred, not seenUnderstanding is inferred, not seen It can only be inferred if we see evidence It can only be inferred if we see evidence

that the student knows that the student knows whywhy (it works) (it works) so so what?what? (why it matters), (why it matters), howhow (to apply it) (to apply it) – not just knowing – not just knowing thatthat specific inference specific inference

The Big IdeasThe Big Ideas Defined: Refers to transferable concepts, Defined: Refers to transferable concepts,

principles, and theories that should serve as principles, and theories that should serve as the focal point or heart of the curricula, the focal point or heart of the curricula, instruction, assessment. There is an instruction, assessment. There is an interrelationship among the Enduring interrelationship among the Enduring Understanding and the Essential Questions. Understanding and the Essential Questions.

Three Stages of DesignThree Stages of Design

Backward PlanningBackward Planning1.

Desired Results.

2. Assessment

Evidence

3.

Learning Plan.

For Reliability & For Reliability & Sufficiency:Sufficiency:

Use a Variety of Use a Variety of AssessmentsAssessments

Varied types, over time:Varied types, over time: authentic tasks and projectsauthentic tasks and projects academic exam questions, academic exam questions,

prompts, and problemsprompts, and problems quizzes and test itemsquizzes and test items informal checks for understanding informal checks for understanding student self-assessmentsstudent self-assessments

Assessment Types

Worth beingfamiliar with (40 days)

Important to know and do (40 months)

Enduring Understanding

(40 years)

Performance tasks and projects •open-ended •complex •authentic--40 month and 40 year

Traditional quizzes and tests •paper/pencil •selected-response •constructed-response--40 month and 40 day

Knowledge

What do you want students to know and be able to do………

AND REMEMBER?

Three Stages of DesignThree Stages of Design

Backward PlanningBackward Planning1.

Desired Results.

2. Assessment Evidence.

3.

Learning Plan.

Stage 3 big idea:Stage 3 big idea:

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A Performance Task is A Performance Task is Authentic if it…Authentic if it…

Is realistic.Is realistic. Requires judgment and innovation.Requires judgment and innovation. Asks a student to “do” the subject.Asks a student to “do” the subject. Replicates or simulates the contexts in Replicates or simulates the contexts in

which adults are tested in the workplace.which adults are tested in the workplace. Assess a student’s ability to efficiently and Assess a student’s ability to efficiently and

effectively use a repertoire of knowledge and effectively use a repertoire of knowledge and skills to negotiate a complex task.skills to negotiate a complex task.

Allows appropriate opportunities to Allows appropriate opportunities to rehearse, practice, and consult resources; rehearse, practice, and consult resources; obtain feedback on performances; and refine obtain feedback on performances; and refine performances and products.performances and products.

Reflecting upon the Reflecting upon the elementary, middle and high elementary, middle and high

school video clips…school video clips…

How does the teacher uncover How does the teacher uncover content with questions, feedback, content with questions, feedback, discussion, the identification of discussion, the identification of issues, concepts, and core ideas to issues, concepts, and core ideas to help students apply and transfer help students apply and transfer knowledge?knowledge?

Uncoverage Uncoverage

The process of going into The process of going into depth with content. The depth with content. The

opposite of coverage.opposite of coverage.

Understanding requires Understanding requires UncoverageUncoverage

Uncoverage = focused questions, Uncoverage = focused questions, feedback, diagonostic assessment feedback, diagonostic assessment (formative and summative)(formative and summative)

Uncoverage = the identification of the Uncoverage = the identification of the issues, assumptions and gray areas within issues, assumptions and gray areas within student understandingstudent understanding

Uncoverage = the awareness of core Uncoverage = the awareness of core ideas that promote application and ideas that promote application and transfer in order to avoid forgetfulness transfer in order to avoid forgetfulness and misconceptions.and misconceptions.

Uncoverage and Uncoverage and UnderstandingUnderstanding

With clear goals in mind, purposeful planning With clear goals in mind, purposeful planning and thoughtful inquiry, teachers can discover and thoughtful inquiry, teachers can discover that students have deeper learning and can that students have deeper learning and can apply what they know to other situations.apply what they know to other situations.

Teachers can also discover that students have Teachers can also discover that students have misconceptions and misunderstandings.misconceptions and misunderstandings.

The misunderstandings present opportunities The misunderstandings present opportunities for both teachers and students.for both teachers and students.

ReflectionReflection What were your initial impressions What were your initial impressions

of Heather and on what did you base of Heather and on what did you base those impressions?those impressions?

Why did Heather change some of Why did Heather change some of

her ideas but not others? her ideas but not others?

How might using a “misconceptions How might using a “misconceptions analysis” approach to instruction analysis” approach to instruction helpful to teachers? helpful to teachers?

Questions to Ponder when Questions to Ponder when misunderstandings are misunderstandings are

discovered.discovered.

Do you have experience Do you have experience with misunderstandings?with misunderstandings?

Reflections/Next StepsReflections/Next Steps

Book Study (PLC)Book Study (PLC)

On-going reinforcement of components On-going reinforcement of components through HCPS Instructional Modelthrough HCPS Instructional Model

On-going PD to include hands-on planning On-going PD to include hands-on planning workshopsworkshops

Curriculum Development/Implementation Curriculum Development/Implementation Teams and Focus GroupsTeams and Focus Groups