3. Planning for Differentiated Instruction

The Understanding by Design framework, and overall mindset, places focus on curriculum and teaching. Understanding by Design also capitalizes on the deepening of student understanding and transfer of learning. In this Understanding by Design unit with the book "The Invisible Boy" written by Trudy Ludwig, I ebraced the aspect of social skills and why they are important in a simulated 2nd grade class. When completing stage one, I described the skills in addition to the knowledge that the students will take away from the lesson. I talked about different ways for students to learn communication skills with others which at this age, it is important for them to learn. In stage two, I listed assessments that would be used for my unit. In the third stage of my Understanding by Design unit, I brought in 10 learning experiences online and then I synthesized those resources to exemplify how I would apply what I discovered to the classroom.

I personally believe that the Understanding by Design unit helped me make further progress with my understanding of the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards. My Understanding by Design unit is connected to the Illinois Professional Teaching Standard Knowledge Indicator 3A. Creating a UbD gave me the opportunity to utilize and implement a Common Core and Social Emotional Learning Standard as well as a English Language Arts Standard. My main focus of the UbD was implementing social skills to students. I also wanted to utilize a wide variety of learning experiences and assessments so I could differentiate the story and the standards in many ways.

Creating this unit while utilizing the Understanding by Design mindset taught me a lot of new things that I may not have known before and taught me a lot about myself as a future educator. Working on the templete was really helpful and different because it was something I have never done before and something I thought was so beneficial for an educator. While creating my Universal by Design, I was a bit confused at first. The template and the overall mindset was something that I have never worked with before in any lesson plan or unit plan. I had prior knowledge to differentiated instruction, but I was not familiar with backwards design. When it comes to the future, I will not be worried to make attempts within backwards design since it places differentiated instruction at the forefront. Overall, I am greatful to have recieved the opportunity to complete this assignment since it allowed me to work on a different perspective on differentiated instruction.