Where is My Understanding of

Understanding by Design?Sally Creel, K-5 Science Supervisor

www.cicobb.typepad.com/es

Sandra Millsaps, K-5 Language Arts TSA

What it takes to be successful• “ “ Teaching needn’t be exceptional to Teaching needn’t be exceptional to

have a profound effect; continuous have a profound effect; continuous common sensecommon sense efforts to even efforts to even roughly conform to effective practice roughly conform to effective practice and essential standards will make a and essential standards will make a life – changing difference for life – changing difference for students across all socio – students across all socio – economic levels.” economic levels.”

-Schmoker-Schmoker

Word Sort• Work with your elbow partner to sort

this group of words into categories of your choice.

• There is no right answer.

• Volunteers will share their

work in 5 minutes.

So what is UbD?

• Understanding by Design is a way of thinking purposefully

about planning,

not a program.

– Curriculum template and design standards are a means to better promote local goals.

– The template provides an easy mechanism for exchange of ideas

– Focus is on collective efforts on quality teaching and learning but still embrace individual style, innovation, and creativity.

Understanding by Design is…

Backward planning is as easy as 1 - 2 - 3!

1 – Identify Desired Results

2 – Determine Acceptable

Evidence

3 – Plan Learning Experiences

Step 1

•Desired Desired ResultsResults

Backward PlanningFirst, decide what students must know

and be able to do

Sample GPS Standard

• S4L2 Students will identify factors that affect the survival or extinction of organisms such as adaptation, variation of behaviors (hibernation) and external features (camouflage and protection). b. Identify factors that may lead to the

extinction of some organisms.

You’ve got to go below the surface…

to uncover the really big

ideas!

Enduring Understanding: Students will understand that…

there are certain conditions that lead organisms to become endangered and or extinct.

Understandings

Unit Questions Lesson Questions

How do changes in the environment affect an organism?

How do external features of organisms help them to survive and reproduce? (e.g. camouflage, use of hibernation, protection, etc.).

How do organisms become

extinct? What would happen to a population if some of the plants or animals in the community became scarce, or if there were too many?

Know & Do

Knowledge – Students will know…

Skills – Students will be able to…

•Changes in the environment have an effect on the organism in that environment.

•The conditions that lead to extinction of some organisms.

•Survival / Extinction

•Adaptation

•External Features (i.e. Camouflage)

•Behaviors (i.e. Hibernation)

•Identify factors (behavioral and or external features) which have caused specific organisms to become endangered or extinct.

•Determine the impact of changes in habitat, adaptation, and or behavior of an organism.

Performance-Based Instruction Rubric

FromFrom ToTo

PlanPlanning based on selection of a topic, design of activities, administration of an assessment, offering a grade and feedback, then moving to the next topic

1 2 3 4 5 6

Planning that begins with selection of needed standards, identification of desired results, design of acceptable evidence of learning, planning learning experiences, and using data to differentiate instruction

Step 2

EvidenceEvidence

Backward PlanningSecond, decide how you will know that

your students know

Assessment as Learning• Develop and support metacognition:

“Learning is not just a matter of transferring ideas from someone

who is knowledgeable to someone who is not, but is an active process of cognitive restructuring that occurs when individuals interact with new

ideas.” - - Rethinking Classroom AssessmentRethinking Classroom Assessment

Partner Talk• What evidence is there of student

interaction with new ideas in your building?

• How do you know that teachers in your building know their students understand?

• What are the ways teachers assess students?

Old vs. NewTraditional

Assessment Process

•Choose a topic

•Instruction

•Test/Essay/Project

•Grade/Feedback

•Next Topic!

Standards-based Assessment Process

•Select Standard(s)

•Determine Acceptable Evidence (ongoing assessments & performance tasks)

•Determine instructional practices

•Use data from assessment to re-teach or move on

Balanced Assessment?

Are unit assessments with the following formats balanced?

• Multiple Choice

• True / False

• Matching

• Fill in the blank

Types of AssessmentSelected Response

Constructed Response

Performance Assessment

Informal Assessment

•Multiple Choice

•True-False

•Matching

•Fill-in-the-blank (words, phrases)

•Essay

•Illustration

•Matrix

•Short answer (sentences, paragraphs)

•Diagram

•Web

•Concept Map

•Flowchart

•Graph

•Table

•Presentation

•Movement

•Science lab

•Athletic skill

•Dramatization

•Enactment

•Project

•Debate

•Model

•Exhibition

•Recital

•Oral questioning

•Observation

•Interview

•Conference

•Process description

•Checklist

•Rating scale

•Journal sharing

•Peer review

•Thinking aloud a process

•Student self-assessment

Possible Assessments for S4L2b

Selected Response

Constructed Response

Performance Assessment

Informal Assessment

Which of the following Georgia organisms are endangered? Circle all that apply.

a. longleaf pine

b. eastern indigo

snake

c. gopher tortoise

d. brown thrasher

Frayer Model graphic organizer of an organism, with description, characteristics, example, &

drawing.

Students will select one plant and one animal, illustrate each, and identify factors that affect the survival or extinction of the organisms such as adaptation, variation of behaviors (hibernation) and external features (camouflage and protection).

Class discussion: Devise a plan to protect or publicize the protection of endangered organism in your area.

Why do we assess?• Designed to produce defensible and

accurate descriptions of student competence in relation to defined goals

• Measure current level of what they know, do, and understand

• Typically come at or near the end of a learning cycle (Don’t forget formative!)

-A. Zmuda

Performance-Based Instruction Rubric

FromFrom ToTo

Communicate

Student work evaluated solely by the teacher

1 2 3 4 5 6

Accountability for student performance extends beyond the classroom and is intended to promote/further the student’s learning

Step 3

Learning Learning ExperiencesExperiences

In Backward PlanningThird, the teacher decides on the differentiated learning opportunities for the students based on

steps 1 & 2.

Performance-Based Instruction RubricFromFrom ToTo

Do & UseWhole-class, teacher directed (e.g., lecturing)

1 2 3 4 5 6

Experiential, standards-based, hands-on/minds-on learning

Student passivity: sitting, listening, receiving, and absorbing information

1 2 3 4 5 6

Active learning: students doing, talking

and collaborating

Presentational, one-way transmission of information from

teacher to student 1 2 3 4 5 6

Diverse roles for teachers, including coaching, demonstrating, and modeling

We are focusing on the learning and not the

teaching.

Learning Principles

• 1. The goal of all learning is fluent and flexible transfer – effective use of knowledge and skill.

• 2. Transfer depends upon understanding the big ideas that connect otherwise – isolated facts, skills, and experiences.

• 3. An understanding is a learner realization about the power of an idea. Formal learning at its best engineers such understandings by design rather than by good fortune.

Learning Principles

• 4. Learners need clear priorities, an understanding of how goals are best achieved, and helpful feedback in order to produce quality work.

• 5. Persistent learning requires seeing he value of what we are asked to learn, and being provided with the right blend of challenge and support in learning it.

- A. Zmuda

Logic Behind Backward Design

The stages are logical but they go against habits

• We’re used to jumping to lesson and activity ideas – before clarifying our performance goals for students.

• By thinking through the assessments upfront, we ensure greater alignment of our goals and means, and that teaching is focused on desired results.

Learning Communities

• We are at a point in time where teams are recognized as a critical component of every enterprise – the predominant unit for decision making and getting things done…. Working in teams is the norm in a learning organization.

- - Senge, et. Al. Senge, et. Al. The Fifth Discipline FieldbookThe Fifth Discipline Fieldbook

Learning Communities• The best way to achieve challenging

goals is through teamwork. Where single individuals may despair of accomplishing a monumental task, teams nurture, support, and inspire each other.

- Noel Tichy, - Noel Tichy, The Leadership EngineThe Leadership Engine

EQ: Where is My Understanding of

Understanding by Design?

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Assessment for Learning

Assessm

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