New Trends & Practices Using Backwards Mapping to Design - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

New Trends & Practices

Using Backwards Mapping to Design Curriculum

Objectives

At the end of this session, you will know:

• 1. The 3 stages of Backwards Design
• 2. Characteristics of “BIG Ideas”

and Essential Questions

• 3. Use appropriate assessment for

evidence of learning

• 4. The steps for Gradual Release

Instruction

What is Backwards Design?

Using the approach of Jay McTighe & Grant Wiggins “ Understanding by Design” , designing backwards requires first taking the outcomes

• f learning obj ectives then

creating instructional activities that will support students in attaining these obj ectives.

What should students know, understand, and be able to do? What is worthy of understanding? What enduring understandings are desired? What should students know, understand, and be able to do? What is worthy of understanding? What enduring understandings are desired?

• Consider goals
• Examine content standards (Ministry, International, University)
• Review curriculum expectations
• Teacher/student interests

Identify desired results

The 3-Step Backward Design Process

How will we know if students have achieved the desired results and met the standards? What will we accept as evidence of student understanding and proficiency?

• Consider a range of assessment methods - informal and formal
• Think like assessors before designing specific units and lessons to determine how/why

students have attained desired understandings.

Determine acceptable evidence

What enabling knowledge and skills will students need to perform effectively and achieve 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 best be taught in light of

performance goals?

• What materials and resources are best suited to accomplish these goals?
• Is the overall design coherent and effective?

Plan learning experiences and instruction

What are BIG ideas?

A powerful intellectual tool, from which we can derive more specific and helpful understandings and facts. BIG ideas have the power to raise questions and generate learning. They are a way of helping learners make sense of isolated content see connections.

(Wiggins, G. 2010. What is a Big Idea? http://www.authenticeducation.org/ae_bigideas/article.lasso?artid=99 )

A question made out of the BIG

• idea. They are not answerable in

a brief sentence...their aim is to stimulate thought, to provoke inquiry, and to spark more

• questions. (Wiggins & McTighe)

Essential Question

Creating the Essential Question

It’s created from 3 possible concepts:

• 1. Important question that recur throughout life.

a.

When determining the author’s purpose, has his privileged background affected the meaning of the text?

• 2. Points to the big ideas subject knowledge.

a.

How well can fiction reveal truth?

• 3. Helps students make sense of complicated ideas.

a.

How do writers best hook and hold their audiences?

The Backward Design Process

Backwards design encourages a change of

• mindset. When thinking of the end result first,

assessment should be included in this process. Before planning instruction, think of what type of evidence students should complete to demonstrate understanding and mastery of

• standards. Then design meaningful activities using

instructional strategies appropriate to students’ learning style, abilities, and interests.

Evidence of Learning

“Evidence of achievement is the learner’s work that demonstrates achievement….it needs to be recorded in ways that can be verified by another subject specialist or moderator” For observed performance “...assessors need to provide a checklist or an annotated file note with a standard-specific description of the evidence viewed to justify the judgements made.”( NZQA, ND) Using Backwards Design, the outcomes of learning should be identified first. Then decide which form of assessment will best allow students to demonstrate their understanding of the standard.

Evidence of Learning

Evidence to show that students have reached their “learning destination” can include: tests, written assignments, projects, video, audio recordings, presentations, etc. (See handout “Forms of Assessment”) Use the “Gradual Release” method to show the expectations to be successful.* Don’t think of assessment as the “more the merrier”. Students don’t necessarily learn more when you assess them more.

Standards, objectives, or goals Enduring Understandings: The BIG idea of what students will learn. EQ: To stimulate and challenge students and encourage inquiry. What students will know & the Success Criteria. Evidence of Learning include performance tasks, formative

• r summative assessment, and

self-reflection. Learning experiences that will take place to achieve desired

• utcomes.

Gradual Release of Instruction

This is an instructional methodology that encourages teachers to release information to students in a step-by-step process. The Gradual Release method encourages teachers to not assume “all the responsibility for performing a task….to a situation in which the students assume all

• f the responsibility”

(Duke & Pearson, 2004, p. 211)

Focused Lesson: Establish purpose based on learning outcomes, model thinking & language required to be successful. Guided Instruction: Strategically use questions, prompts, & scaffolding to facilitate student understanding. Productive Group Work: Students work collaboratively by consolidating their learning to create a product related to the topic. Independent Learning: Students independently apply what they have learned through assessment.

Watch the following video to see how Gradual Release is used in the classroom. Improving Practice Using Gradual Release

Gradual Release in the classroom

Improving Practice Using Gradual Release

Take 5 minutes to answer the following questions based on the video.

• 1. How would using the, Gradual Release model change the way

you plan your lessons?

• 2. In a 45 minute lesson, how long should focused instruction take

place?

• 3. How do the post-its hold students accountable and push them to

think about their own cognition?

• 4. Beyond shifting the cognitive load onto students, what other

benefits are there of structuring lessons this way?

Session II Planning using UbD

Close Reading

Close reading involves focusing on a section or an entire text to analyze structure and interpret meaning. It is recommended to read the text 3 times with students...1 for content, 2 for how the text works, 3 for text evaluation.

• Begin with a highlighter to

annotate text.

• Look for patterns in the text

(repetition, similarities, contradictions, etc.)

• Ask questions about noticed

patterns...especially how & why

Close Reading: Point of View

Now it’s Your Turn!

Using the UbD planning template and the Alpha Book selection of your choice, plan a lesson using Backwards Design & Gradual Release focusing on close reading & assessment.

Grade 3

Discussion/Questions/Comments