Backward design begins with the end in mind: What enduring understandings do I want my students to develop? How will my students evidence their understanding when the unit is completed? How will I ensure that students have the skills and understand the concepts required on the summative assessment? To answer these questions is essential to have a clear purpose to plan and apply. Then we have to map out the steps to get to our goal.
The logic of backward design suggests a planning sequence for curriculum. This sequence has the following stages:
1. Deciding on the objective.
2. Creating a rubric or grading standard.
3. Planning the instruction.
4. Teaching the lesson.
Clearly, there are many advantages of developing a course from this approach but it is also a great challenge thus I realize that I have to revise my teaching practices to design an effective learning - teaching process (What to teach, how to teach). Definitely not easy!
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Hi Mca!
ReplyDeleteYes, begin by the end even sounds weird, but by doing so we can improve the quaity of our teaching a great deal.
It even sounds logicall, we have to know what we want before doing something, why education should be different?
Clear goals are the key for success, all the rest goes smoothly.
Thanks!
Vicky
Dear Macarena:
ReplyDeleteBackward design is an effective method to accomplish the pursuit of understanding. In fact, this design seems to be ideal. If our aim as teachers is to use it in our own practices, the first thing that needs to be done is to share the design with our colleagues. The first step has to be taken for ourselves but it is important that other teachers start using it too. Second, we have to reflect and compare the backward design with our teaching in order to know what we have to change and what we don’t. After all, I am sure that many teachers have contributed something valuable to Chilean education.
Dear Maca,
ReplyDeleteAs you say, the logic of backward design suggests the following planning sequence for curriculum:
1. Deciding on the objective.
2. Creating a rubric or grading standard.
3. Planning the instruction.
4. Teaching the lesson.
My question now is how on earth are all these stages going to be accomplished when you have 3 or 4 pedagogical hours devoted to planning, marking, make tests, etc.?
It sounds great in paper, and actually very inspiring, yet not very probable in today's working conditions.
You're right Maca, it's not easy to decide what to teach and how to teach it. Since we have to take into account so many things, and we need time to analyse the different aspects we are going to consider. Unfortunately most people don't understand that teaching is a serious and professional job, that needs time to be carried out. That's why so many teachers do what they can in their classrooms, and not what they should do in terms of planning and performance.
ReplyDeleteDisappointing, isn't it?
Hello Macarena,
ReplyDeleteCertainly a hard task to do as you said.
But you, and lots of professional teachers who make this education machinery works in this country, are willing to collaborate and learn from others in order to do a good job.
All this having in mind that not always we are the most popular people in society and our job is definitely underestimated by everybody including ourselves.
Hi Maca!
ReplyDelete"What to teach, how to teach). Definitely not easy!"... well, I guess this is not an easy job either, and that is why everyday it becomes more and more necessary to read about ways to improve our daily work, and how to get the rest of our colleagues involved in the process of making things better. However, all this new knowledge and understanding of things implies a huge responsibility, since we hava taken that pill that took us into the real thing, we cannot go back anymore. Now our task is to wake up the rest.
Finally we can say that we have seen the light, now we know where our practices should go, lets walk on that way, going step by step to get to the final end, effective students`learning. we have the knowledge, now it is time to put it into practice.
ReplyDeleteMaca:
ReplyDeleteAlthough this chapter destroys our beliefs, it is also quite motivating because it brings ideas, tips and real ways to deal with a unit, course, education in general, etc. Now the challenge falls upon our shoulders. It is us the ones who decoded the message and have to take it into practice. How? Well, we now the theory so I think this would be considered an Epic journey from theory to practice or from ignorance to understanding. Anyway, there is nothing we can do this semester for it is over. Everything starts again next term. With a renewal of ideas, after having processed all this theory; ready to action. We have the summer to think...
Prepare, next year is going to be a real challenge to your thoughts and actions...
Macarena,
ReplyDeleteI truly believe this new appraoch to curriculum design dramatically changes teachers' beliefs. Many teachers can respect and acknowledge the value of Backward Design, but many of us can be a bit reluctant about putting it into practice. It is certainly easier to adhere to our first belief of focusing our attention to the activities and contents. Only then we can see how we could possibly asses the acquisition of these contents. No wonder, we got lost in this disoriented journey. The sooner we get rid of this vicious model the faster we can see real changes in education.
porfavor dejar correo electronico , saludos
ReplyDelete