Session #2 - "Backwards Design"

Learning Outcomes:

CLO 5252.1 Identify and implement the California Board of Education Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies along with the California History-Social Studies Content Standards (TPE 1b, 8, 9, 12 & 13).

CLO 5252.2 Plan and write lessons and activities for all learners to maximize their ability to meet and/or exceed the CCSS (TPE 1b, 2, 4, 5, 6c, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12 & 13).

CLO 5252.3 Demonstrate an understanding of oral, written, and visual literacy and the ability to promote and instruct on oral, written, and visual literacy in the teaching of social studies and history (TPE 1b, 2, 4, 5, 7, 10).

CLO 5252.4 Demonstrate competence in creating unit plans and instructional programs in Common Core English/Language Arts and Social Studies content areas (TPE 1b, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6c, 7, 9, 10, 11).

CLO 5252.5 Create and implement lessons, assignments, assessments, and other learning tools that provide challenging educational experiences and opportunities for all learners (TPE 1b, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6c, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 & 13).

CLO 5252.6 Provide grade-level learning experiences that create the necessary groundwork for student learning success in subsequent courses (TPE 1b, 4, 5, 6c, 7, 8, 9, 10).

Information:

Reading: Drake & Nelson 5 “Lesson and Unit Planning” and skim Zevin 7 “Planning a Unit from Start to Finish”

What makes an effective lesson objective? What is your objective for the lesson? What do you want your students to carry away with them? See the components of Backwards Planning. Teachers often think along these lines, "I've got this wonderful idea - we'll have a debate!" They'll research, plan, form teams of speakers and we'll debate whether the dropping of the Hiroshima bomb was truly necessary. (A real activity I've done in my classes for years.) This is not backwards design. Why? We started with the activities (the fun) not with the learning objectives.

• Study BackwardsPlanning

• The schema - Look where planning activities occurs on this scheme. It is LATE in the process, not first. First you must address what objectives or standards your lesson with teach. It's backwards because you plan for your outcomes first. To use an example, it's like coaching a sport. Your drills (activities) are not really the matter of most importance. It's what you want them to do at game time. See Backwards Design Video.

Creating your lessons using Backwards Design - see video

Teacher Performance Expectations (TPEs) - As you know, our students' learning is rightfully dictated by Common Core State Standards. Teachers have standards too. These standards or "expectations" are known as the California TPEs. You need to familiarize yourself with what is expected of you. They are also attached below. You will need to refer to the TPEs when you create your LMU lesson plans.

REAL = Respect, Educate, Advocate, and Lead - LMU's School of Education's mission involves more than the teaching of academic standards. Teachers from LMU have this mission in common: our purpose to be the encouragement of life-long learning and academic excellence, the education of the whole person, and the promotion of service and justice for all. See this link. You will need to refer to REAL when you create your LMU lesson plans.

Production:

1. Due - Introductory Video - Introduce yourself, where, who and what you teach. Tell why you are in this program. What's your aim? Post your video in YouTube and link to it from your website.

2. Reading Log: For each chapter you read in Zevin and in Drake & Nelson, select at least ONE topic that stood out and tell HOW you will use it in your teaching.

Next Steps:

Next Tuesday (Week 3) we have an online session. (There is no make up for this if you miss.) At the time of the online class, go to https://lmusoe.zoom.us/j/7972079735 to join the class. Meeting ID: 797-207-9735 An app will download and you need to run the program. There is an iPhone and iPad app if you wish to use these devices instead of a computer. Chromebooks will not work.

Familiarize yourself with the LMU beginning teacher Lesson Plan format (attached below). You will turn in 5 Lesson Plans using this format. Ok. Ok. I'll admit, I do not personally use the LMU format. Why? Obviously, it's too cumbersome and detailed. So why am I not using it, but your are? Simply, I've been designing lessons for over 25 years. Much of what is require of you to write out has been internalized by veteran teachers. We already know which materials, which procedures, which standards, which assessments, etc. As beginning teachers, you will begin to internalize these processes as well. These are the fundamentals which beginning teachers must learn and internalize before they can become effective course and lesson designers. This format is required of all LMU credential candidates.

Using the Lesson Plan Template below, plan a lesson using the Backwards Design Method. Due Week 5

(Suggestion: you will be creating 5 LMU lesson plans this term. Why not have them all work within your future unit presentation, which is the culminating project for this class?)