When I was first introduced to teaching, “backward design” was en vogue. Planning with the destination in mind is a logical framework; however, on its own, backward design is incomplete. Effective instruction also requires teachers to make learning and expectations clear, explicit, and appropriate.
CLEAR:
According to Chip and Dan Heath, authors of Switch, it is important to know both “where you’re headed, and...why the journey is worthwhile” (Heath, 82). The authors explain that it is “essential...to marry your long-term goal with short-term critical moves” (Heath, 93).
Effective planning, instruction, and communication require a crystal clear vision of what students will know, understand, and be able to do at the end of the year. It also requires a clear understanding of the units that serve as the way-points between the now and the end of the year -- the “short-term critical moves.” Finally, there must be a plan for implementing creative experiences (practice, assessments, feedback) that will allow students to reach both short- and long-term goals.
The last step in this process is to share it with students - often and in a variety of ways.
EXPLICIT:
Students need educators to make learning and expectations explicit -- to avoid the “expert blind spot” that leaves kids in the dust, confused and disengaged. Teachers are explicit when they create “mental models,” such as exemplars and “destination postcards” (Heath), that help kids visualize a destination or expectations.
Teachers are also explicit when they create specific learning targets and intentional scales. Specific learning targets are well-designed and frequently integrated into a lesson. Students internalize targets by evaluating exemplars (good and bad) using targets. Finally, intentional scales that “marry your long-term goal with short-term critical moves” create discrete steps that allow students to experience movement (achievement) and gain mastery.
APPROPRIATE:
Students arrive in classrooms with a wide range of prior knowledge, skills, and school experiences. One of the challenges teachers face is developing learning targets and scales that: keep the destination in mind; allow students to experience movement (achievement); and are appropriately rigorous.
Over the past year I’ve experimented targets and scales, sometimes making them instructive (as with analysis) and other times making them very simple. Most recently, I’ve been experimenting with an identify (1), explain (2), apply (3), connect (4) type of scale model. The jury is still out on that method and it’s accurate to say that I don’t feel very confident about my current scales, but I feel good about the conversations that I've been having about them as a member of the humanities team and Core.
EVIDENCE:
Included below are unit KUDs, unit learning targets, and scales. The unit KUDs are the way-points that we meet in order to arrive at our final destination at the end of the course. The learning targets are a specific expectation or description of a step that students must meet in order to be able to develop specific skills over the course of a year. Finally, unit scales that create opportunities for growth and give students opportunities to experience movement are also attached below.
CLEAR:
According to Chip and Dan Heath, authors of Switch, it is important to know both “where you’re headed, and...why the journey is worthwhile” (Heath, 82). The authors explain that it is “essential...to marry your long-term goal with short-term critical moves” (Heath, 93).
Effective planning, instruction, and communication require a crystal clear vision of what students will know, understand, and be able to do at the end of the year. It also requires a clear understanding of the units that serve as the way-points between the now and the end of the year -- the “short-term critical moves.” Finally, there must be a plan for implementing creative experiences (practice, assessments, feedback) that will allow students to reach both short- and long-term goals.
The last step in this process is to share it with students - often and in a variety of ways.
EXPLICIT:
Students need educators to make learning and expectations explicit -- to avoid the “expert blind spot” that leaves kids in the dust, confused and disengaged. Teachers are explicit when they create “mental models,” such as exemplars and “destination postcards” (Heath), that help kids visualize a destination or expectations.
Teachers are also explicit when they create specific learning targets and intentional scales. Specific learning targets are well-designed and frequently integrated into a lesson. Students internalize targets by evaluating exemplars (good and bad) using targets. Finally, intentional scales that “marry your long-term goal with short-term critical moves” create discrete steps that allow students to experience movement (achievement) and gain mastery.
APPROPRIATE:
Students arrive in classrooms with a wide range of prior knowledge, skills, and school experiences. One of the challenges teachers face is developing learning targets and scales that: keep the destination in mind; allow students to experience movement (achievement); and are appropriately rigorous.
Over the past year I’ve experimented targets and scales, sometimes making them instructive (as with analysis) and other times making them very simple. Most recently, I’ve been experimenting with an identify (1), explain (2), apply (3), connect (4) type of scale model. The jury is still out on that method and it’s accurate to say that I don’t feel very confident about my current scales, but I feel good about the conversations that I've been having about them as a member of the humanities team and Core.
EVIDENCE:
Included below are unit KUDs, unit learning targets, and scales. The unit KUDs are the way-points that we meet in order to arrive at our final destination at the end of the course. The learning targets are a specific expectation or description of a step that students must meet in order to be able to develop specific skills over the course of a year. Finally, unit scales that create opportunities for growth and give students opportunities to experience movement are also attached below.
1. A description of what you have included
2. Links to the evidence
2. Links to the evidence