UbDDI+Chapter+3



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Rachel. B
In the very first page of this chapter a particular sentence stood out to me and it goes as follows, "This problem of content "overload" requires teachers to make choices constantly regarding what content to emphasize as well as what not to teach.” I hadn’t previous put a great deal of thought into the fact that teachers are faced with one great obstacle and that is what to teach and teach strongly, out of everything, and what not to teach. Teachers do not want to overload their students, as I don’t want to mine, but how much is enough? The text book is full of great information, so you want to use that a lot, but you need to do this, and that in addition, and a project here and so on and so on. You know that overload is bound to happen or maybe not? Somewhere along the line, I may end up doing that to my students, on accident. But it will happen with good intentions---to meet the standards. This chapter made me think about the difficulties in teaching and the many factors surrounding what you teach. The requirements may not leave you a whole lot of wiggle room, because students are asked to succeed on the standardized tests, and that’s why it’s important to follow the backwards design.

Jen T.
This chapter tackles that never ending question of “what’s important to teach?” I had no idea that some of teaching standards were so ridiculous, such as that one about the Indus River Valley and the Huang-He of China, but if you Google it, you’ll find that a lot of teachers decided not to mess around with skipping that particular content standard. The backward-design seems to only make sense to me. I would never teach a lesson without knowing ultimately what I want my students to get from it. I can see how going about the planning backwards would be more helpful though. Those templates look eerily familiar.

Rachel F.
The beginning of this chapter was definitely a part that I could recognize. It talked about the over-load of content and how so many schools approach the curriculum with the intent of getting as much in as possible. I've learned that it is more important to focus deeply on less topics rather than just skim through a ton of new ideas. Also, I remember how so many teachers completely base their units around the textbook. They only worried about getting everything covered in the book and not if we actually understood the material. Another part that I thought was very interesting was the backward design. Instead of starting out a unit without the end in sight, it emphasizes that you first identify the goals you have for the unit and the students. This part of the chapter really impacted me because I don't think I would have thought to teach this way. Normally I might just go along with the flow and do things as they come. However, with the backward design, I will be able to teach topics in a designated sequence in order to reach my goal for the end of the course. I will have an idea of what my students should know and be able to accomplish before I even start the lesson. My classroom will benefit greatly from this type of teaching because they will not have to worry about sudden changes in the lessons or anything being rushed. I will know exactly what is to be understood so I can make sure that enough time is designated to a certain topic.

Sara
The concept of “Backward Design” is great. It takes the rather vast and daunting expanse of standards set by states and allows teachers to present the big ideas. It does not attempt to cram in all the information set deemed essential by the state, but allows the teacher to individualize the concepts and break the points into manageable units. I really like the concept of setting goals and working from the goals to the actual teaching material. It allows the teacher to see what they want to accomplish with the material. It is nice because it is not one big standardized lesson, but the concept of backward design allows teachers to modify their plans for different student’s needs. I hope to be able to adapt the methods in the book to work in my own classroom.

Karin
From this chapter, I learned about the huge amount of standards that any given state requires for a “proper” education. The amount of time it would take to complete the standards would require an extra nine years in the education system, which would be ridiculous. I learned that the idea of backward design is crucial to incorporating learning standards into the classroom. This will have a great impact on my classroom and lesson planning because it will be a primary method for unit planning. I will need to master this method to be able to teach my students effectively.

Courtney T.
Chapter 3 brought up the fact that there is going to be a lot of material to cover and it is important to determine what is going to be covered and to what extent. I know that is something that I am going to have to deal with myself as a teacher. Also the whole idea of creating a course backwards I find to be a great idea and would like to use the concept when creating my own courses. It is important to think of what you want your students to know at the end of the class and go from there. As a teacher I am going to have to think about what my students will know in reading and writing at the end of the year. Also the chapter explained how important it is to stick to same criteria for every student, but the way they show their knowledge of the criteria can be in different ways. I want to offer my students different options such as posters and essays to show present their ideas on a topic because all students learn differently.

Stephanie P.
There is always a challenge when presenting content: there is too much information for the allotted time. Therefore, teachers seem to be "overloaded" with the content and must pick and choose what to spend their time teaching their students. There is one option to fix the problem and they are called "content standards" (pages 24-25). They are points that are meant to help guide the teacher in deciding what parts of the curriculum to teach. The problem with these is that some are too broad and some too narrow. UbD and DI then go on to state that when it comes to learning results, the "big ideas" are what should be presented. Planning backward was also laid out, stating that the teacher must first think of what they want as an end result and then backtrack to figure out how they can get all of the students to end at the same place. The part that I found interesting was under the heading "Frequently Asked Questions About Backward Design" (pages 32-33). I thought the idea of adding the UbD website ([|http://ubdexchange.org]), was a great idea. I also thought there were many good ideas to be found. I will be able to use this in my classroom because I will be able to refer to this information and the website to see other made curriculums and that in turn will help me to build mine.
 * Chapter 3: "What Really Matters in Learning? (Content)"**

Stephanie L.
It is impossible to teach your students about everything that has to do with your content area. So it is the teacher's job to decide what is important and how to teach it. Although text books work well as a resource, they also only provide students with a wide range of information and never goes enough in-depth. The teacher needs to find a different and exciting way to present the important information. The book also discussed the backwards planning model. The example of the template really helped me to understand what exactly goes into the "Understandings" and "Essential Questions". The book also mentioned the importance of having a variety of assessments. Different concepts should be assessed in different ways. This also gives all students a chance to do well, especially if a student is terrified when it comes to taking tests but succeeds when doing an art project of some kind.

Megan
This chapter talked about working backwards and how using this method is an important aspect of teaching. Working backwards simply makes sense. It is a logical train of though. You can’t just jump into a lesson and hope for the best. You need to know how your students are going to get the main ideas not hope they’ll get them. Also, the chapter mentioned how there is so much content to cover and not enough time to do it all in. I know that creating the goals ahead of time will help me to narrow down what is important for me to teach.

Geoff
Chapter 3 in DI/UbD looks familiar! This chapter talks about the backward design model as a way to deal with standards-based education and “content overload.” So far in class, we have worked on stage 1 on the model, “Identify desired results.” So far in this process, we have worked on enduring understandings (in the form of three big or underlying themes) and essential questions. Tomlinson and McTighe point out that this part of the process is about setting priorities and gaining a sense of priority. While obviously very early in the process, I feel as though I am gaining a sense of these already, although I still have a ways to go as I go back over all of my resources on the Progressive Era. The next two stages becoming increasingly focused. While stage one is the Curriculum portion of the model, stage two is the assessment portion, and deals with what will be considered “acceptable evidence. The third stage is the instruction portion, dealing with how we plan instruction and other experiences. I really like this model so far, and I think it will prove very useful in helping me organize my own thought processes as well as planning units for my classes.

Jordan
Chapter 3 What Really Matters in Learning? (Content) From this chapter, I learned what the backward design model really is. I guess it makes some sense, but I would think that thinking about and planning assessment would come after planning instruction and activities. Wouldn’t you plan your assessments around the activities, projects, and homework? It does make sense to me to start the model by thinking about your goals and what you really want you students to learn during a specific unit. You have to know what you want your students to gain and what you want to teach before you can think about assessing or planning activities and instruction.

John Thomas
I found the questions and answers about the backwards design template somewhat helpful, and the following descriptions gave me an idea what I am in store for in stages 2 and 3 of making a unit. One of the most important points that I brought out of this was that when forming your goals and essential questions, students' learning styles should not be factored in. The concentration on learning styles comes when you decide how to teach the students. In the description of stage 2, however, one is encouraged to find a balance between completely individualized teaching strategies and simply teaching with a one-size-fits-all attitude. Any of these approaches will require a great deal of creativity, but I think I'm up for it.

Jen P.
I learned that, though it is used as an important resource, the textbook in a classroom should not be the relic that the syllabus and goals of the class revolves around. Therefore, whether I get to choose my textbook right off when I become a teacher or if I have to wait ten years, I will be careful to teach content, not just the text book. I also learned that, though I may be excited most for the individual lesson planning, I must always have the major goals in mind. I discovered in this chapter more about the UbD format, about which I was previously very confused. I have a better understanding of it and possibly how to implement it in my classroom.

Tracey Hollingsworth
Chapter 3 – What Really Matters in Learning? – Content

A common problem that teachers face is too much content and not enough time given. Content overload leads to a surfeit of information that is “a mile wide and an inch deep”. However, by planning backward, goals are clearly defined; there are more appropriate assessments, and more purposeful teaching. The blending of Understanding by Design and Differentiated Instruction allows the focal point to be on essential knowledge, understanding, and skills. Using the [|UBD website], is a great source of reference for any teacher, novice or proficient, and a source of reference that I plan to use.