Analysis Of Jay Mctighe 's Backwards Design Model

In all three of these artifacts, I have developed relevant, integrative, challenging, and exploratory units of study. The “Preserving the Past” unit incorporates all four core subjects as well as a service learning opportunity. My interdisciplinary unit on geography connects Language Arts with Social Studies with visual art mixed in, and the Greek mythology ELA unit was taught in conjunction with a Social Studies class (1). The Civil War unit and NC geography unit I have created incorporate Common Core standards as well as NC Essential standards. Lesson plans and assessments in all of these units were created using backwards design in which I started by looking at the standards and objectives students would be expected to reach and based my assessment based on those objectives (2,10).

Today’s education system is challenged with creating and incorporating the most effective and meaningful methodological and conceptual curriculum designs to date. One of the key challenges is to design curriculums that facilitate understanding, retention, and generalization (Bulgren, Deshler, & Lenz, 2007, p. 121-122). However, there is no single way to overcome these challenges due to the variances and complexities within each content area. These, along with the demands of meeting high stakes testing, and the endless revolving door of performance standards, places teachers in a constant state of turmoil as they seek to create coexistence between student achievement and rigorous and challenging standards. One strategy being implemented

It is important for my students to understand and value learning goals in the classroom. At the start of every chapter students will be supplied an outline of what they are going to encounter in the upcoming weeks.

“Backward Design” is the name of a technique used by teachers when designing curriculum. The concept

Prior taking this RETELL class I thought differentiating meant “dummying down” work. I struggled with the concept of differentiating strategies because I thought it help students to be all they can be. Taking the class have given a clear understanding the meaning and the usage of differentiating teaching, matter of fact, some the strategies I use in class are similar to some of the strategies taught in the RETELL class. I realized that Differentiated instruction is about using teaching strategies that connect with individual student's learning strategies. The ultimate goal is to provide a learning environment that will maximize the potential for student success. The important thing to remember is to hold on to the effective teaching strategies that lead students to positive learning outcomes and to make adjustments when necessary. It's about being flexible and open to change. It's also about taking risks and trying teaching and learning strategies that you would have otherwise ignored. It's about managing instructional time in a way that meets the standards and also provides motivating, challenging, and meaningful experiences for school age

According to UNESCO (2004), teachers around the world are exerting efforts in trying out innovative teaching strategies. There were dedicated and committed teachers who make a difference to the students’ lives and even providing important learning opportunities in their communities. To meet the students’ diverse learning needs, teachers cater variety of learning opportunities and experiences. In an interview of Carol Ann Tomlinson, an American author and educator known for her works with techniques of differentiation in education, she described differentiation as shaking up the classroom to be more appropriate for the learners. Regarding the methods of instruction, there should be a variety of techniques for collecting and presenting the lesson considering the students’ needs, abilities, interests, and backgrounds of experience.

I want improve upon my understanding and ability to create purposeful, contextually-relevant lesson and unit plans which are Backwards Designed, well scaffolded, and have meaningful formative and summative assessments (Goal 5).

Universal Design in Education Matthew Trotti Grand Canyon University: SPD 500 8/25/15 Abstract Universal Design is all around us, not just in some of the products that we use but also in education. According to one article “Universal design in education is a framework of instruction that aims to be inclusive of different learning preferences and learners” (Black, D. R., Weinberg, L. A., & Brodwin, M. G, 2015). There are so many different approaches that a teacher can use in the classroom involving universal design.

By using the Backward Design approach, my assessment practices have also been positively affected. Now that I know exactly how I am assessing my students before I teach a unit, I am able to address misunderstandings in advance and provide students with rubrics and assessment materials before they start a project or assignment, so they know exactly what is expected of them. I have found that students perform better and are more engaged when they know my expectations in advance. I have also discovered that students are more conscientious about their grade or performance when they are able to look at my assessment tool and ask questions or check off the tasks they have completed.

I anticipate backwards design will be successful because it allows me to analyze the standards and match our materials to them. It will allow me to have a scope and sequence that will outline the content that will be taught in every lesson and it allow me to expose the students to different activities to meet the different standards. By using backwards curriculum design I will keep the standards in mind when designing assessments and planning lessons and will not expose the students to unnecessary material that is not relevant for first grade. This design has strengths that make ideal for this setting. It allows teachers to keep the goals in mind when teaching and assessing students. This helps students achieve their academic goals and teachers

Within my setting, the Backwards model can be useful in the beginning of my teaching career. With the school providing the curriculum, I can make sure that the appropriate material is used in the classroom. By eliminating unnecessary material, the curriculum will meet all requirements that are given by the administration. The goal is set, then I can begin to plan

Teaching with purpose to have a desired outcome is one perspective to examine Dr. Robert Marzano’s book The Art and Science of Teaching. The instructional situation that I am familiar with is elementary. As I examine Marzano’s ten instructional design questions, that represent a logical planning sequence for effective instructional design, I will use elementary lenses.

When teachers develop differentiated instruction strategies for students they provide several different avenues for the student to achieve the same learning goal regardless of which path they choose. Student choice in which avenue they ultimately select creates a sense of ownership with the students and actively engages them in the lesson. The different avenues all lead to the same learning goal just as many roads might lead to one destination. Differentiated thinking empowers teachers to be responsive rather than reactive to the unique and individual personalities,

After examining the Understanding by Design framework by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, I have learned how to develop a unit by working backwards. The development of a unit is multi-layered in its focus on curriculum, instruction, and assessment. In planning I need to first assess what the big ideas are that I want my students to learn and why they are so important. In our study of Mesopotamia, we look at how our world began with the first civilization and the achievements that led to advances throughout history. The big ideas framed as understandings that I want my students to know are that the locations of civilizations and city-states in relation to specific landforms affects development and technology achievements can benefit society in a variety of areas. Then I look at what essential questions are raised and what I want students to know and be able to do. The framework looks to deepen student understanding and transfer that understanding of knowledge and skill into a performance task and other evidence of formative and summative assessments.

As classrooms are complex and at times unpredictable, unit planning is important to ensure a roadmap for focused teaching and learning with flexible engaging lessons. This unit was tailored for a rural setting to meet Australian Curriculum requirements using the backwards design model (Wiggins & McTighe 2005). Desired outcomes were planned in consultation with the Australian Curriculum, then acceptable evidence of learning and assessment determined. Learning experiences were then designed to utilise engaging and genuine real-world activities to relate shape and area to students’ lives outside school. Finally, the instruction was scaffolded to the students’ numeracy skills and zone of proximal development [ZPD]. The unit fits with my own personal pedagogical philosophy of a student-centred classroom, where students learn through in a positive classroom with social constructivism.