UbDDI+B2+Chapter+6



toc

Dani
Chapter 6 of UbD/DI is about finding ways to successfully differentiate in the classroom. At first is seems impossible to differentiate each lesson to every student’s specific needs but the chapter suggests looking at it differently. Instead of tailoring each lesson to each student it is better to look at patterns of learning or find groups of students that seem to be relatively in the same place or who learn in similar ways. This will be very usefully in my classroom when I am trying to find ways to teach all of my students in a way that makes sense to them. This seems like the best way to differentiate. It is much easier to look for patterns than try to tailor every lesson to every individual.
 * Chapter 6**

Cam
This particular chapter highlights the fact that teachers need to take in account of understanding-based curriculum and differentiated teaching. Teachers also need to take into consideration multiples of questions. In the backwards design teachers, teachers need to structure their curriculum around four beliefs. One being that it is highly expected that all students be given the chance to process information at a high level. Another belief is that students should be given the chance to develop a foundation of skills, and then be able to engage those skills in class. Thirdly, the students’ understanding of the curriculum should be equal to the amount of guidance the teacher gives. The last belief is before students even start learning in your class, they should understand the learning goals. This might be difficult for teachers because we have to play our cards in right in order to find success in our class. In doing so, teachers have tools like time, space, resources, groupings, strategies, and partnerships. To meet the needs of the class as a whole, it is highly recommended that teachers use a universal design. This universal design is effective when the teacher categorizes the needs of the students. This chapter impacted me as a teacher because it made me step outside the box and view the real profession as a teacher. An analogy that I thought of was that teaching is like playing the drums. You have to keep a beat, while playing on the other parts of the drums. The beat is your curriculum goals and playing the other parts are your students’ differentiated learning styles. As a teacher, you have to multitask rapidly. The impact that this chapter had on me links to the impact on my students. If I understand that I need to be in two places at once in my class, then I could construct peer groups and individual time for my students. Therefore, I can help students through their peers as I am not there, and help individuals at the same time.
 * Chapter 6; Responsive Teaching with UbD in Academically Diverse Classrooms **

Jason
The biggest part of this chapter is the understanding that teachers must make sure that they teach the same material in the same way to the whole class; what I mean by that is that a teacher cannot teach one way to the students who understand the material and then teach the “low performing students” (Tomlinson 84) in a different way. The thing that struck me the most was the idea that if you work hard enough with UbD/DI then you will eventually get into a routine – I am just glad that I am initially being taught this method instead of being a veteran teacher who had to change his or her ways. As far as my classroom is concerned, the chapter did a lot to alleviate my fears of needing to have a million different lessons and assessments to teach everyone. The book points out that most of the ideas will benefit the whole class not just the students who need the extra practice or instruction.
 * UbD/DI Chapter 6: Responsive Teaching with UbD in Academically Diverse Classrooms **

Lindsey
The focal point of this chapter is based around the idea that all students must be given an equal basis for learning. This means that we must expect the same things from all students, regardless of their current skill level. While drills clearly serve a purpose for students having a difficult time learning a concept, they must always be able to recognize the end result while they are practicing. Just as the coaching analogy pointed out, athletes will practice relentlessly if they understand that the drills will enable them to succeed in the long run, but what is the incentive if they do not understand the sought after long term effect? The student should always understand the objective of the lesson so that they may work towards mastery. Just as previous chapters have suggested allowing students access to the test at the beginning of a unit, the student should be given mentor texts and a clear explanation of what they should take away from the lesson. Along these lines, a teacher must not only ensure that a lesson is meaningful, he or she must also recognize that the lesson means nothing if the student does not gain personal meaning. I really enjoy this chapter because it does not deny that providing a differentiated classroom is difficult, but instead provides countless examples of how to make it manageable and effective. The charts throughout the chapter displayed countless ways through which teachers may integrate differentiated instruction, and showed that although the transition may be slow, it is happening effectively.

Ted
Chapter Six of UbD/DI was mostly a series of tables offering instructional and management strategies. Mortimer Adler’s division of the teacher’s three key instructional roles (direct instructor, facilitator, and coach) makes a lot of sense, and the table that offers the students counterroles to each of the teacher’s roles. Since we’re doing all of this Stage 1 and Stage 2 stuff, I thought it was a really interesting idea to share the information on our sheets with the students – after all, making education a series of surprises for students doesn’t seem to make that much sense now that I think about it. The idea of flexibly using classroom elements as a way to address student needs was interesting too, especially on the topic of space. I was really struck with the efficiency of clustering learning needs together and addressing them as groups. It looks like a lot of work, but using these elements in my classroom will be really helpful.

Marcy
This chapter was about how to teach to a group of academically diverse students. All students need practice thinking at high levels and real life applications. A lot of the time, teachers are caught up teaching the basic skills and never allow the students to use those skills in a real life situation. A way to help implement this idea is to share the goal of the unit with your students. Classroom elements such as time, space, resources, student groupings, and others when used in a flexible way will help your quest as a teacher to differentiate. Another suggestion to ease the differentiating process in your classroom is to group the needs of different learners in to categories to be addressed more efficiently. Also stable classroom management is key to differentiated learning, as the teacher will be spending more time with individuals and small groups. The end note of this chapter was that today is the day to start differentiating in the classroom. This impacts me as a teacher to model the different functions of being a teacher, direct instructor, facilitator, and coach. I will start teaching in a differentiated style that way I will not have to change over later in my career. This will impact my student by increasing the depth of their learning and will have a positive impact on their success later in life.

Andrew D
This chapter is about responsive teaching in diverse student populations, with an understanding based differentiated curriculum. There are four core beliefs teachers should follow in order to teach in this way. First, all students need to make meaning of information and think at high-levels. Students then need to learn the basics and apply them in meaningful ways. Third, students need to attempt to find the meaning before teacher guidance. Lastly, students need to know the learning goals in order to successfully demonstrate proficiency of these goals. The three stages of backward design help teachers in addressing this core belief. Also, teachers in a differentiated classroom need have both planned instruction and improvisational instruction. The figures in this chapter impacted me because they are great examples of how to address student needs and they will be great resources to look back at in the future. This will impact my classroom because I now know even more about responsive and differentiated teaching. This is the most effective way to teach all of your students and is the way of teaching I hope to become very good at.

Ben
I learned from this chapter that teachers need to have curricular givens, and use the different elements flexibly to help students succeed. Teachers have to manage and be efficient, so selecting strategies that responds to the needs of the students is essential. These are all key to making sure you have the right game plan for teaching. With teachers using instructional strategies like didactic, facilitative/constructive methods, and coaching, students are able to take information, examine it, and redefine skills for a deeper understanding of material. Flexing the traditional structure of class is also a major area in this game plan. Allowing students different times for certain tasks to be completed, creating quiet areas, collecting textbooks of different reading levels gives, and more ideas like these, gives the flexibility a student needs to work at his or her own pace. This will make my students more successful in the classroom and the real world.

Lizzie
This chapter helps to shed light on what teachers need to do in order to successfully use and integrate differentiated instruction in the classroom. Teachers must allow for many varying factors when they are planning and teaching lessons. The have to allow for the different needs of their students, their different learning styles, find a common ground among the students, and find similar learning styles or inclination towards things among students. It may be difficult to cater to every single student, with every intelligence, all at once. This is why teachers must try to find a common ground between tailoring to each student and teaching one way to all. Using this idea, teachers may be able to get into a pattern in order to effectively teacher all of the time to their ever changing and unique students. I also believe that just as a teacher must learn to work //with// his or her students the students need to work with each other as well as the teacher. They need to adapt to the teacher’s way of teaching so that they can mesh with each other effectively. Teachers need to be able to ensure that teaching in this light their lessons are not simply molded for one purpose, for the student, but are molded for the material and to help let the students grow on their own. One key point this chapter seems to be drilling into my mind is flexibility. Teachers and students must be able to mold and shape themselves to not only the material, the classroom setting, but each other as well. Another key point I feel is being drilled into my mind is response. Being able to respond not just physically and mentally but emotionally as well can only help to foster my knowledge and skills. Learning all of these tools now as a student trying to change into the mindset of a teaching will only benefit me in the long run. Knowing and learning continuously will help me not just for myself but for my students for all my years of teaching to come.

Andrew F.
The part that appealed to me in this chapter the most was the quotation relating to improvisational jazz music (go figure.) For a number of reasons I feel like as educators we have to start looking at each class we are in as improvisation, every day each student feels and acts a bit different depending on their own personal lives. The challenge of a good musician (or educator) is taking the notes of the other players (the students) and no matter what is thrown at them to react and make beautiful music. I clung to this statement personally because im taking a music improvisation class on campus once a week, and I've been learning that you have to think on your feet in both of my fields (music and education.)

The lesson I have taken from this chapter is that no matter how much you practice something, there will always be some element of unpredictability that you can't "prepare" for. We as educators must take this curve ball and use it to our advantage rather than looking at it as a hardship or something with a negative conitation. Life is about the unexpected and this is something we will all have to deal with within a classroom, and it is our jobs to take these challenges and use it to motovate both ourselves and the learners within our classroom.

Jenna
Chapter six of __Integrating Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design__ discussed how teachers should educate academically diverse students. The chapter also explained four core beliefs about curriculum and diverse student populations: (1) all students should consistently experience curriculum that requires them to make meaning of the information and think at high levels, (2) all students need the opportunity to learn the basics before having the opportunity to apply them in meaningful ways, (3) there is a need for balance between the students construction of meaning and teacher guidance, and (4) all students need to know the learning goals of a unit or lesson for successfully demonstrating proficiency with the goals. There are too many instances in which teachers can get wrapped up in teaching the students the "basics". When a teacher gets caught up in the basic skills, they are never giving the students the opportunity to use the skills in applying them to real world situations. When students are not applying the knowledge of using the skills in the real world, there is an uneven balance. The teacher is guiding the student to the point where the students can never fully construct meaning for themselves. A way to help students avoid this situation is for teachers to educate all of their students on the learning goals of the unit. In differentiating, a teacher can use class elements (time, space, resources, and student groupings) in a flexible way to reach all of their students. This chapter was extremely helpful to me because I can take on the role in the classroom as the direct instructor, facilitator, and coach. If I start using differentiation as my method of teaching, then I will not have to change over down the road. My students will attain a deeper knowledge of the curriculum and use that knowledge to become successful.

Nicholas
**Chapter 6:** While reading this chapter I was able to learn that, “teachers who established ‘orderly and enabling’ learning environments were most likely to teach for meaning and understanding”. To my understanding this means that as a teacher you are far more likely to have students learn for meaning and understanding if you are able to facilitate an environment that is careful, correct, and organized, as well as, allowing facilitation. As I look to become a future teacher I am able to make the connection that an effective teacher is able to create an environment that is organized and facilitates learning. When managing a classroom there are some areas that need a little extra attention. For example, managing time, controlling noise, movement in the classroom, flexible use of classroom space, and organizing and distributing materials and resources. This chapter also hit a point that I read from chapter five in ‘Fair Isn’t Always Equal”. When responding to a student need you have to take into consideration the student’s readiness, interest, learning profile, and multiple categories. As I had mentioned before it is very difficult to teach a student when you have yet to assess their needs.