DI/ UbD Chapter 3

Abstract:
Recently content standards have been established across America to guide teaching and curriculum; however there are several problem areas that arise from these standards. Too often, there is too much content to cover in not enough time. Content overload forces teachers recognize what is essential and enduring for the students. Backwards planning helps a teacher avoid lessons that fail to make any progress, or that do nothing but throw facts at a student, by implementing the following three steps: 1. Identify your desired results, 2. Determine acceptable evidence of understanding, and 3. Plan learning experiences and instruction. This design gives teachers a method to go from point A, the standards, to point B, the lessons, while still allowing for flexibly for the needs of all the students.

Reflection:
We will be using the backwards design method repeatedly throughout our practicum block. Learning this method now, and mastering it, will make it easier to plan lessons in the future by helping us understand where we are going with our lessons and how we are going to get there. Backward planning has a logical sequence and guide for planning the units, while maintaining a flexibility that allows for students’ individuality. With the backwards approach the greatest challenge will not be the planning of the lessons, but more of the actual teaching of them, which is where the challenge should reside.