Here are my notes from Understanding By Design lecture (Dr Susan Clayton) @ MUIS Academy, Sat 5 Mar 2011 :
3 Learning Points
a. UBD is a way of thinking about L-A-T (Learning Goals, Assessment Tasks, Teaching & Learning in class). This is a structure with Model - Template - Design Tools - Criteria. In summary, UBD is the umbrella for which all other reforms/ideas (eg. Collaborative Learning, PBL, Differentiated Instruction) fall under.
b. Signs of Understanding something : 1. We can teach it. 2. We can demonstrate/prove it. 3. We can answer questions, with multiple examples given. 4. We can finish what we start.
c. Signs of Not Understanding something : 1. Actions (Not participating, Quiet - Give Up, Ask Wrong Questions, Give Wrong Answers) 2. Feelings (Frustration, Fearful, Confused)
d. Formative Assessments should be an on-going process in the classroom daily.
Summative Assessments should be regularly used for students to apply what they have learned into practice, if we can use a sports analogy : to use the practice drills learned, when playing a game.
e. Fun does not always equal Learning... We need to be careful in using the fun element, instead drive it more towards integrating Fun in Achievement, Fun in Engagement, Fun in Learning Process.
f. Lesson Plans should move away from being disconnected & activity-centric which looks fun.
Instead, LP should clearly indicate the "Big Idea" (Noun, Broad & Abstract, 1-2 words, Universal in application, e.g. Relationships/Systems/Change, Timeless, Transferable across disciplines) learning objective, and the learning framework should support this big idea. Also good to collaborate with fellow teachers who are expert in various fields, to connect learning points across disciplines. From this big idea, we can zoom into the Discrete Focus (i.e. Skill/Fact/Topic) and the Skills & Ideas Focus (e.g. Explore/Examine the relationships/systems). We can use Enduring Understandings (e.g. Environment shapes Societies) as the motivation to craft the Learning Goal (e.g. Describe the dress, food & shelter of people living in deserts).
2 Ideas to Implement
a. I can increase in using more Student Artifacts, eg. Butcher Paper on the walls, Student Presentations of their solutions. This will help me to visually assess the evidence of student learning.
b. I can ask the Essential Questions that are open-ended, debatable & factual, to help me design my Lesson Plan so as to get students to perform tasks towards working on their answers.
1 Suggestion
a. This UBD system is actually a very big model. We as teachers need more Professional Development Time & personal time to think about this and integrate this in our teaching practice.