"To begin with the end in mind
means to start with a clear understanding of your destination."
-Stephen R. Covey (UbD, 7)
means to start with a clear understanding of your destination."
-Stephen R. Covey (UbD, 7)
I absolutely love this quote!
It eloquently portrays the fundamental meaning behind the pedagogical approach of Backward Design. To me the quote clearly states, plain and simple, an extremely logical approach to lesson planning. In today's educational climate, where state and national standards guide the knowledge and skills students must achieve, educators often get caught up in the curriculum and its content as a means of assessing knowledge. Backwards Design instead begins by asking the question...
"What should students know, understand and be able to do
Content-specific knowledge is used as a means of teaching students enduring understandings of larger concepts and skills that have lasting value in new situations and the real world. Instead of merely receiving knowledge, students can participate in constructing meaning.
In Backwards Design, educators are encouraged to decide what evidence demonstrates that students have successfully mastered an understanding of the concept or skill being taught. It states that this should be done before planning the instructional activity or lesson. Teachers must ask themselves...
The teacher must also decide what knowledge is most worthy and in need of understanding. Having the end goal in mind allows teachers to focus their lesson(s) around obtaining their intended results and to reflect on how understanding goes beyond the use of specific knowledge. (15) Planning learning experiences and instruction around student involvement gives them insight into how knowledge is generated, tested, and used.
"What enduring understanding do I want my students
to take away from this lesson?"
The teacher must also decide what knowledge is most worthy and in need of understanding. Having the end goal in mind allows teachers to focus their lesson(s) around obtaining their intended results and to reflect on how understanding goes beyond the use of specific knowledge. (15) Planning learning experiences and instruction around student involvement gives them insight into how knowledge is generated, tested, and used.
Backward Design also calls for a continuum of assessments through quizzing for prior knowledge, a series of informal checks for understanding, and performance tasks and projects. This allows students to demonstrate understanding through a collection of evidence rather then a singular test or quiz. These assessments are designed prior to the lessons and serve as teaching targets. (17)
"Student performance improves through
ongoing inquiry and rethinking."
During my time as an Education major, specifically during SED 406, I had an extremely difficult time separating content knowledge from skill and concept building. I could not grasp how to develop my lessons in order to teach deeper, Enduring Understanding. The concept of Backward Design opened my eyes to how effective curriculum and instructional design can be in achieving desired student learning and understanding.
