Understanding By Design

Grant Wiggins and Jay McTigueInterpreted by Dr. Rich Hawkins and Dr. Deb DeLucaPresented By:Laura Mastrogiovanni

Backward Design

Chapter One

Teachers are designers…or are they?

Compare and contrast the MM’s of teachers as designers vs. other design professions (architecture, engineering, graphic artists)?

The effectiveness of an architects design is client-centered. Effectiveness of a design corresponds to whether they have accomplished the explicit goals of their clients

Teachers are designers…or are they?

The effectiveness of a teacher’s design is too often teacher-centered. Effectiveness of a design (curriculum, assessment, learning structures) often corresponds to whether they have: Covered the required content Accomplished their goals Kept pace with their colleagues Scored a normal distribution on summative

assessments If we were to accept the aforementioned

statement as current reality, how might the aforementioned statement be modified?

Teachers are designers…or are they?

Compare and contrast the MM’s of teachers as designers vs. other design professions (architecture, engineering, graphic artists)?

The effectiveness of an architects design is client-centered. Effectiveness of a design corresponds to whether they have accomplished the explicit goals of their clients.

Standards Shape an Architect’s Work

What standards inform an architects work?Building CodesZoning CodesCustomer BudgetNeighborhood AestheticsSpecific Use

Standards Shape a Teacher’s Work

What standards inform a teacher’s work?Building Culture and NormsTenured v. Non-tenuredPersonal Autonomy Collective Bargaining AgreementPersonal ABBA’s Degree of SupervisionPre-post service Education

Standards Shape a Teacher’s Work

What standards inform a teacher’s work?NCLB IDEAState StandardsDistrict StandardsDepartment StandardsContent Standards (NCTM, MENC, etc.)

Factors That Influence Design

FacilitiesResourcesDiverse Student InterestsSocial/Emotional CapacityClass SizeDemographics

NOTE: These are influences, NOT EXCUSES!!!!!!!

NOOOOO EXCUSES!

“ …all the methods and materials we use are shaped by a clear conception of the vision of desired results (p.14)”.

“we must state with clarity what the student should understand and be able to do as a result of any plan and irrespective of any constraints we face (p.14)”.

“Find a way or make a way” - RJH

“If you don’t know exactly where you are going, then any road will get you there.”

If we continually focus on what we like to teach and the activities and resources we’ll use, without clarifying the desired results of our teaching, then how will we know whether our designs are arbitrary or appropriate?

Can you cite a time when you or your colleagues fell into this trap?

How do we…

Know our designs are arbitrary or appropriate? Separate interesting from essential learning’s? Know if it is just cute or does it count? Balance good instruction with the need to pass

“the test.” Balance Inputs and Outputs? Balance formative and Summative assessments? Inform instruction? Shift from content-driven or activities design to

results-driven design? (e.g. see p. 15) Shift from fact-based knowledge to

metacognition?

Crykees, we’ve got some work to do!

How do we eliminate hope as our primary strategy?

Design with the “end-in-mind.” Remember Vision, Mission, Guiding Ideas?

Answer the “why” and “so what” questions students want answered.

Focused curriculum planning Be explicit Transparent Priorities (no secrets!)

Remember Madelyn Hunter’s Anticipatory Sets? Prepare Curriculum like Floyd Football prepares for

every game Everyone has a SV, an innovative, customized game plan and

the TMT’s to make it happen!)

Let’s Review…

Reactivate your episodic memory

Framework for Strategic Leadership

Deep Learning

Cycle

Domain of Strategic

Architecture

ABBA’s

Skills and Capabilities (ppk)

Awareness and Sensitivities

Guiding Ideas

Innovations in Infrastructures

T, M, & Tools

Evidence

Relationships

Practices

PDSA

U.B.D. - Look Familiar?

Culture (internal)

Societal Forces(External)

CurriculumDesign

ABBA’s

Skills and Capabilities (ppk)

Awareness and Sensitivities

End in Mind

Innovations in Infrastructures

T, M, & Tools

Assessment

Relationships

Practices

PDSA

Three Stages of Backward Design

Stage 1: Identify desired resultsStage 2: Determine Acceptable EvidenceStage 3: Plan Learning Experiences and

Instruction

1.2.

3 3

Is the Velcro working yet?

Stage 1: Identify desired results

Consider our vision and goalsExamine established content standards

(national, state, district)Performance Expectations

CurriculumTeachingAssessments

Clarify content priorities

p.18

Stage 2: Determine Acceptable Evidence

How will we know if students have achieved the desired results?

What will we accept as evidence of student understanding and mastery?

Evidence influences content and activities, not the inverse

Think like an assessor (archeologist)

Stage 3: Plan Learning Experiences and Instruction

Several key questions: What enabling knowledge (facts, concepts,

principles) and skills( processes, procedures, strategies) will students need in order to perform effectively and achieve the desired results?

What activities will equip students with the needed knowledge and skills?

What will need to be taught and coached, and how should it be best taught, in light of performance goals?

What materials and resources are best suited to accomplish these goals?

Stage 3: Plan Learning Experiences and Instruction

Specifics of instructional planning can only be accomplished after we identify the desired results and the assessments!

Why do we call this backwards?Because you are not free thinkers, probably

wimps, who are like lambs led to slaughter and will do things that the culture rewards rather, thus feathering your own bed, rather than use your common sense to benefit your students!

BTW, I say this without malice or blame.

The Logic of Backward Design

Applies regardless of learning goalsE.g.:

Starting from state content standards, curriculum planners need to determine the appropriate assessment evidence stated or implied in the standard. Likewise, a staff developer should determine what evidence will indicate that adults have learned the intended knowledge or skill before planning the various workshop activities.

The Rubber Meets the Road with ASSESSMENT

Three different teachers may all be working toward the same content standards, but if the assessments vary considerably, how are we to know which students have achieved what?

How common is this scenario in your school?

What are the unintended consequences of this phenomena?

p.19

Learning w/o UBD

Shared Vision?Desired Goals?

Is this your department or grade level?

Learning w/o UBD

Shared Vision?Desired Goals?

This is the result of “coverage” and “activity-based” learning.

“hands on” without “minds on”

Oh Sh*&)(^&%$#@&)!

Coverage teaching is “Teaching by Mentioning It”

Coverage teaching typically relies on a test or textbook

Coverage Assessment is waiting until June and then hoping, praying and

saying multiple novenas

Learning With Vision (U.B.D.)

Shared VisionDesired Goals

The Ideal. Remember Ch. 9 in PLC?Results-based learning with an engaged

mind

Reinforces the habits of mind necessary to minimize or avoid committing the “twin sins.”

Starts with the “Big Picture” and drills down to greater and greater

Multiple Templates One PageTwo PagesSix Pages

Backwards Design Templates (software)

Big Picture

Details

UBD 1 pg.Template “Gestalt”

Provides an overview of UBDEnables a quick alignment check

Assessments (Stage 2)Learning Activities (Stage 3)

Can be used as a review for existing lessons

Provides and initial design framework

One page Template –Stage One

Asks designers what they want their students to understand and to frame these understandings as questions

Identify Understandings and Essential Questions to establish a greater context into which a unit is nested

One page Template –Stage Two

Asks designers to consider a variety of assessment methods for gathering evidence of the desired learnings

Designers need to think in terms of collective evidence, not a single a performance task

One page Template –Stage Three

Asks designers to list major learning activities and performance tasks

When filled in, “WHERETO” should be evident to all What, Who, Where, When Hook and Hold Equip, Experience, and Explore Rethink and Revise Evaluate Tailored to learners abilities, needs, and interests

(differentiate) Organized

UBD Design Standards (p. 28)

Design templates are to curriculum designers as are scoring rubrics to students

Specify the qualities of effective units (see Figure 1.4) according to UBD

Standards contribute to design in three ways Reference Point Self-Assessment and peer reviews of draft

designs Quality control of completed designs

UBD Scope of Intelligent Tools

Templates (graphic organizers)Design StandardsDesign Tools

Innovations in Infrastructure

UBD Tools (TMT’s)

Designed around an array of scaffolds – PromptsOrganizers Idea SheetsExamples

See the Workbook

These tools help create “alignment,” consistency and promote common understanding

Theories, Methods and Tools

Read UBD in Action with Bob James

How might this differ from the planning process you use for instruction? What are your significant learning's, aha’s, or

wonderings? What are the implications for using UBD for:

You, as a teacher You, as a leader Your school Your district

Based on your current reality, in what area or discipline would UBD yield the highest leverage? Why?

p.29

The UBD Design Matrix (Figure 1.5)

Read left to right, one row at a time, to see how the three stages of design might look in practice

What does this yield?Greater coherence (alignment) among

desired results, key performances (assessments), and teaching and learning experiences, resulting in better student performance – the purpose of design!