Understanding by Design, UbDUnderstanding by Design, UbD

- based on work by McTighe and Wiggins- based on work by McTighe and Wiggins

WooHoo!WooHoo!

Elementary SchoolFirst coordinated look at curriculum

mapping Pre-K to Grade 5Half a year of work on Mathematics

instruction, including mapped math units Pre-K to Grade 5 on Atlas

Half a year of work on Reading instruction, including mapped reading units Pre-K to Grade 5 on Atlas

Elementary Team Leaders75% of whom attended the AERO curriculum

mapping workshop

Elementary SchoolFirst coordinated look at curriculum

mapping Pre-K to Grade 5Half a year of work on Mathematics

instruction, including mapped math units Pre-K to Grade 5 on Atlas

Half a year of work on Reading instruction, including mapped reading units Pre-K to Grade 5 on Atlas

Elementary Team Leaders75% of whom attended the AERO curriculum

mapping workshop

Yeah!Yeah!

Middle and High SchoolFirst opportunity to review existing

unit plans with the aid of AtlasDepartment specific goals met ranging

from the completion of one whole unit on Atlas to the completion of all content and skills in all course maps

Subject Area Leaders50% of whom attended an AERO

curriculum workshop

Middle and High SchoolFirst opportunity to review existing

unit plans with the aid of AtlasDepartment specific goals met ranging

from the completion of one whole unit on Atlas to the completion of all content and skills in all course maps

Subject Area Leaders50% of whom attended an AERO

curriculum workshop

Wow!Wow!

School-wideA different perspective on the

importance of curriculum mappingFrom form-filling, checklist-ticking

curriculum work to individual and team ownership of curriculum mapping

A recognition of the benefits of having a systematic approach to mapping the curriculum with Atlas

School-wideA different perspective on the

importance of curriculum mappingFrom form-filling, checklist-ticking

curriculum work to individual and team ownership of curriculum mapping

A recognition of the benefits of having a systematic approach to mapping the curriculum with Atlas

What is UbD?What is UbD?

A tool to help “identify the overarching ideas and essential questions that provide important throughlines in the curriculum”

A three-stage approach to curriculum mapping by which units are planned with the “end in mind”

A tool to help “identify the overarching ideas and essential questions that provide important throughlines in the curriculum”

A three-stage approach to curriculum mapping by which units are planned with the “end in mind”

The 3 Stage PlanThe 3 Stage Plan

Stage 1 – Desired ResultsStage 2 – EvidenceStage 3 – The Learning Plan

Stage 1 – Desired ResultsStage 2 – EvidenceStage 3 – The Learning Plan

Stage 1 - Desired ResultsStage 1 - Desired Results

Established goalsEnduring understandingsEssential questionsContent and skills

Established goalsEnduring understandingsEssential questionsContent and skills

Stage 1Stage 1

To what extent does the design focus on the big ideas of targeted content?

Consider: Are…

To what extent does the design focus on the big ideas of targeted content?

Consider: Are…•The targeted understandings enduring, based on transferable, big ideas at the heart of the discipline and in need of uncoverage?

Stage 1Stage 1

To what extent does the design focus on the big ideas of targeted content?

Consider: Are…

To what extent does the design focus on the big ideas of targeted content?

Consider: Are…•The targeted understandings framed by questions that spark meaningful connections, provoke genuine inquiry and deep thought, and encourage transfer?

Stage 1Stage 1

To what extent does the design focus on the big ideas of targeted content?

Consider: Are…

To what extent does the design focus on the big ideas of targeted content?

Consider: Are…•The essential questions provocative, arguable, and likely to generate inquiry around the central ideas?

Stage 1Stage 1

To what extent does the design focus on the big ideas of targeted content?

Consider: Are…

To what extent does the design focus on the big ideas of targeted content?

Consider: Are…•Appropriate goals (e.g. content standards, benchmarks, curriculum objectives) identified?

Stage 1Stage 1

To what extent does the design focus on the big ideas of targeted content?

Consider: Are…

To what extent does the design focus on the big ideas of targeted content?

Consider: Are…•Valid and unit-relevant knowledge and skills identified?

Stage 2 – Evidence (assessment)

Stage 2 – Evidence (assessment)

Performance tasks and rubricsOther evidenceSelf-assessment

Performance tasks and rubricsOther evidenceSelf-assessment

Stage 2Stage 2

To what extent do the assessments provide fair, valid, reliable and sufficient measures of the desired results?

Consider: Are…

To what extent do the assessments provide fair, valid, reliable and sufficient measures of the desired results?

Consider: Are…•Students asked to exhibit their understanding through authentic performance tasks?

Stage 2Stage 2

To what extent do the assessments provide fair, valid, reliable and sufficient measures of the desired results?

Consider: Are…

To what extent do the assessments provide fair, valid, reliable and sufficient measures of the desired results?

Consider: Are…•Appropriate criterion-based scoring tools used to evaluate student products and performances?

Stage 2Stage 2

To what extent do the assessments provide fair, valid, reliable and sufficient measures of the desired results?

Consider: Are…

To what extent do the assessments provide fair, valid, reliable and sufficient measures of the desired results?

Consider: Are…•A variety of appropriate assessment formats used to provide additional evidence of learning?

Stage 2Stage 2

To what extent do the assessments provide fair, valid, reliable and sufficient measures of the desired results?

Consider: Are…

To what extent do the assessments provide fair, valid, reliable and sufficient measures of the desired results?

Consider: Are…•The assessments used as feedback for students and teachers, as well as for evaluation?

Stage 2Stage 2

To what extent do the assessments provide fair, valid, reliable and sufficient measures of the desired results?

Consider: Are…

To what extent do the assessments provide fair, valid, reliable and sufficient measures of the desired results?

Consider: Are…•Students encouraged to self-assess?

Stage 3 – The Learning Plan

Stage 3 – The Learning Plan

WHERETO

WHERETO

Stage 3Stage 3

To what extent is the learning plan effective and engaging?

Consider: Will the students…

To what extent is the learning plan effective and engaging?

Consider: Will the students…•Know where they’re going (the learning goals), why the material is important (reason for learning the content), and what is required of them (unit goal, performance requirements and evaluative criteria)?

W

Stage 3Stage 3

To what extent is the learning plan effective and engaging?

Consider: Will the students…

To what extent is the learning plan effective and engaging?

Consider: Will the students…•Be hooked – engaged in digging into the big ideas (e.g. through inquiry, research, problem solving, and experimentation)?

H

Stage 3Stage 3

To what extent is the learning plan effective and engaging?

Consider: Will the students…

To what extent is the learning plan effective and engaging?

Consider: Will the students…•Have adequate opportunities to explore and experience big ideas and receive instruction to equip them for the required performances?

E

Stage 3Stage 3

To what extent is the learning plan effective and engaging?

Consider: Will the students…

To what extent is the learning plan effective and engaging?

Consider: Will the students…•Have sufficient opportunities to rethink, rehearse, revise and refine their work based upon timely feedback?

R

Stage 3Stage 3

To what extent is the learning plan effective and engaging?

Consider: Will the students…

To what extent is the learning plan effective and engaging?

Consider: Will the students…•Have an opportunity to evaluate their work, reflect on their learning and set goals?

E

Stage 3Stage 3

To what extent is the learning plan effective and engaging?

Consider: Is the learning plan…

To what extent is the learning plan effective and engaging?

Consider: Is the learning plan…•Tailored and flexible to address the interests and learning styles of all students?

T

Stage 3Stage 3

To what extent is the learning plan effective and engaging?

Consider: Is the learning plan…

To what extent is the learning plan effective and engaging?

Consider: Is the learning plan…•Organized and sequenced to maximize engagement and effectiveness?O

At the end of Stage 3…At the end of Stage 3…

Overall Design ReviewPeer reviewSelf reflectionTeam analysisIndicators of success

Overall Design ReviewPeer reviewSelf reflectionTeam analysisIndicators of success

Overall DesignOverall Design

To what extent is the entire unit coherent, with the elements of all three stages aligned?

To what extent is the entire unit coherent, with the elements of all three stages aligned?

TimeframeTimeframe

Completion of Stage 1 – by the end of 08-09

Work and progress on Stage 2 – start in 08-09, continue in 09-10

Work and progress on Stage 3 – start in 08-09 (?), continue through 10-11

Overall design review – start in 09-10 (?), continue until !

Completion of Stage 1 – by the end of 08-09

Work and progress on Stage 2 – start in 08-09, continue in 09-10

Work and progress on Stage 3 – start in 08-09 (?), continue through 10-11

Overall design review – start in 09-10 (?), continue until !

Immediate BenefitsImmediate Benefits

Already more alignment from Pre-K to grade 12

More structured curricular guidelines in place for new teachers

More conversations between subject areas about interdisciplinary work

Deliberate reflection of practice resulting in more thoughtful decisions about instruction

Already more alignment from Pre-K to grade 12

More structured curricular guidelines in place for new teachers

More conversations between subject areas about interdisciplinary work

Deliberate reflection of practice resulting in more thoughtful decisions about instruction

Long(er)-term BenefitsLong(er)-term Benefits

Curriculum aligned to content-standards, which translates into a guaranteed curriculum for our students, Pre-K to 12

Ability to analyze the types of assessments given across grades and make decisions based on that data

Ability to look for overlapping content and skills to more deliberately make connections between content areas or to cut content

Curriculum aligned to content-standards, which translates into a guaranteed curriculum for our students, Pre-K to 12

Ability to analyze the types of assessments given across grades and make decisions based on that data

Ability to look for overlapping content and skills to more deliberately make connections between content areas or to cut content

Next StepsNext Steps

Staff development provided by in-house trainers and external consultants

In sections and in teams, work on our curriculum mapping process in stages

Set toll-gates and checkpoints based on team and sectional goals

Staff development provided by in-house trainers and external consultants

In sections and in teams, work on our curriculum mapping process in stages

Set toll-gates and checkpoints based on team and sectional goals

Q/AQ/A

Are there any clarifying questions?

Are there any clarifying questions?