Chapter 3: DI/UbD

Abstract: Chapter 3 in the book DI/UbD touched on many different components of good teaching. In the beginning of the chapter, the book provoked the thought about teaching too much curriculum in not enough time; thus, not covering material in depth. This causes students to have an array of knowledge; however, most of it only trims the surface. The next part of the chapter that the book talked about heavily was the backwards design model. The backwards design model consisted of three main stages each depicted in this chapter. Stage 1: Identify desired results that he or she wants to achieve. A way to do this is to identify goals and examine standards and the curriculum expectations. The next stage focuses on knowing whether or not the students have reached the desired results. You can do this by examining results and evidence of knowledge the student has provided. Lastly, the third and final stage of the backwards design model, talks about developing lesson plans for the class. This last step helps teachers narrow down their curriculum into big ideas allowing for a realistic curriculum that is meaningful and engaging. The backwards design module is a great way for teachers to form appropriate lesson plans.

Response: The class seemed to overall respond positively to this chapter. The biggest response was towards the backwards design model. It is an overall consensus that the backwards design model is a great format for forming a lesson plan. Everyone loved the idea of figuring out what you’re going to teach and then developing appropriate and authentic lesson plans that coincide with the material you’re teaching. Another part of this chapter many people responded to was the notion of the “mile wide an inch deep” in curriculum the United States have. Many people have come to the conclusion that that is not a good way to teach our students. We need to touch on the big ideas and then delve into those deeply. Overall, this chapter was a great learning tool and many people feel as though they will incorporate the backwards design model into their teaching.