Chapter+3.+What+Really+Matters+in+Learning,+(Content)

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 * 1. To what degree do you feel most teachers in your school or district regularly reflect on what knowledge is truly essential and enduring in their content? What would most effectively guide teachers in finding answers to this question? What likely impedes teachers' movement in this direction?**

Discussion: Since I am not a "teacher" this is difficult for me to answer so I may be wrong in what I "think" I see. Please feel free to disagree and set me straight. I see teachers getting their textbooks out and starting with Chapter 1 and going through the book. It is my understanding this is what the expectation from the "district" is. Our textbooks are supposed to be aligned with "state standards" so that is the approach. Am I wrong????? What I question though is are teachers looking at a specific standard they are wanting to teach and then making sure the textbook is illustrating that standard in the way they interpret the standard? This is how I would see backward design happening. I see it that the textbook that is the bible/ "standard" and since it is supposed to be aligned then all is okay. I thought the textbook was just "one" resource but I hear teachers stressing about not being able to complete their textbooks. Is it more important to look at the standards or complete the texrbook? or is by completing the textbook the answer to all standards??? I loved the example on page 34. The example was that one standard is to "know the capitals and states". This can be interpreted in many ways. To what extent or degree is this necessary? The example said this could be assessed through a matching or multiple-choice format. A teacher may interprete "know" as the student has to be able to "memorize" where every state and capital is located on a blank map and also spelled correctly. Who decides what "knowing " is?????? I think this example can be illustrated in every subject. If you indeed interpret "know" like the latter part, days and weeks can be spent teaching and reviewing for this as compared to perhaps the first. How are teachers to know what extent something has to be taught???? That is my question. The answer will help me understand the word "essential". Bonnie

Since we are such a text book driven district, you do see teachers worried about not covering the whole book. Yes, we have been told that we need to primarily use the textbook purchased. Was this because we had some teachers using the "old" series? I know in our building the old series are taken out of our rooms fairly quickly when a new one has been purchased. Now days most textbooks say they are alligned to standards. It is a big selling point. Unless you have a company making the series in Kansas, how can it be totally alligned to our standards? I was just thinking about our old math texts. It is close to our standards, but in some areas I have had to pull in other material. Is it wrong to bring in other materials? I don't think a textbook can really teach to all the learning styles and levels I have in a classroom. I may get in trouble for this, but when I teach multiplication I use other materials. The text book tends to be mostly paper-pencil and at first the kids are not ready for that. I use activities that help the kids understand multiplication and then we move into learning and memorizing the facts. I think we need to first look at the standards and then search for the materials that will best help us teach the specific standard. Textbooks are great, but they can't be the only source we use. The internet has made it possible for us to locate other wonderful sources to use along with the text. Amy

Discussion:
 * 2. The authors make a case that backward design helps teachers avoid the twin sins of activity-based planning and planning for coverage. In what ways does backward design help educators avoid those pitfalls? What benefits should students derive from backward design?**

I see how I get hung up on the activity and making sure it is hands on and I what I think is interesting, but sometimes I wonder if they are lacking in the long-term substance the book talked about. I think the authors are remindind us to keep the Goal in mind at all times and not get hung up on the daily "activity" that supports the Goal. Just because a student doesn't get the daily activity doesn't necessarily mean he can't achieve the Goal. Bonnie

I agree with Bonnie that it is easy to get hung up on the activity and loose sight of the goal. By using backward design, teachers would get away from the "chronological march through the textbook" in attempt to teach the standards. I can see where this approach would feel awkward, because I would have to change my way of thinking. I liked the planning template on p. 30 to use in this process. Amy


 * 3. Where is backward design naturally in use in your school? What changes in planning practices (by individual teachers and teams) are suggested by backward design?**

Discussion: I am not sure, but I see the backward design used even as part of the SIT process. Often we got lost in the problem and not keying in on the goal. If we set a clear defined goal and then plan activities to support that end result then perhaps more positive changes would happen. Bonnie

4**. What is the role of content standards in UbD? In what ways does that role differ from the role of standards in classrooms that don't use a UbD-type approach to planning curriculum?**

Discussion: I'll take a stab at this question. (It doesn't surprise me that it's remained blank.) Even though Content Standards show up at the very beginning of Stage 1 in Figure 3.3, I believe we tend to place them more in the middle part of the UbD framework. We don't use content standards to guide our essential questions and understandings, nearly to the extent that we use them for knowledge and skill and their related assessments. I think we should use them for the essential questions and understandings, it's just that we tend to start with the standards and move directly to learning plan and assessment and miss the larger picture. Dave

5**. Can we teach to standards and still be responsive to learners (standards without standardization)? Why might teachers perceive a conflict between standards-based teaching and differentiation? Based on information in this chapter (capsuled in Figure 3.3), why are standards and differentiation compatible and not in conflict?**

Discussion: I like the emphasis on the fact that the GOAL is not differentiated but the performance tasks and learning plan is. I am be wrong again, but I wonder if the conflict comes from within us when every kid can't door response in the EXACT manner. The word "FAIRNESS" comes to mind. I hear people say, well that kid got to say it not write it so it is not the SAME/Fair. The other way was a lot harder so that can't get the same grade as student A. I wonder if sometimes we worry more about making everything the same that we lose focus on the GOAL. I see us getting into the mind set, that even though we know in our minds that all students learn differently, but when it comes to grading or assessing it, if every kid can't do it the same way or "our" way then they are penalized for it. The bottom of page 34 gave a great illustration of how it could be done, but how I don't see happening in our district. If it does, then we would have to code it, highlight it, file it, and announce it to the world to make sure everyone knows they were different. Someone tell me what you think???? Bonnie

I totally agree with you Bonnie!!! We should be concerned that the student understands the goal and is able to prove to us that he/she knows the material. It shouldn't matter if some kids need more assisstance than others, if it is a way for them to prove to the teacher that they understand the goal. The goal for all of us this summer was to have this book read and to share our thoughts on this site. Does it matter if someone had to have help typing or help with the reading of the chapters? Maybe some do not feel comfortable using this site, so they write down their thoughts. Not everyone in the district is at the same level when it comes to the use of technology, but that does not mean they did not read the book. We will still have wonderful discussions about this book from people who did and did not wiki. I like what this chapter said about how we offer students differents ways to respond, but use the same criteria in judging the response. If a child can show his understanding of a topic, it doesn't matter if he did something different than the others in class. I need to really improve my thinking with this and look for other ways students can show what they know. I would not be changing the standard, just offering ways for students to show an understanding of the standard. Amy

Thanks Amy for answering me. I appreciated that. Good responses. Bonnie

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