UbD/DI Chapter 5

This chapter reinforced what I already know about designing units backwards to ensure that the end results are the main focus and not the activities to arrive there.  It talked about the different methods of assessments, which I don’t think most students realize exist.  Most of us are used to the typical tests, quizzes, and projects, but there are so many more that aren’t necessarily assigned or given that help teachers to determine the next course of action. I think that a lot of students don’t realize that they are being assessed throughout the course of study and assume that the end test or project is their only chance to prove that they know what they’re doing, and while this is unfortunately the case with some teachers, there are other teachers who use formative assessments to assist the summative assessment.  Then, if a student does not do well on the summative assessment, the teacher is able to look back at formative assessments and see if there is something along the way that the student struggled with or if it is another matter altogether.  I really like the idea of pre-assessments, formative assessments, and summative assessments, and I think that if they can be used together correctly they can be really beneficial to the teacher and the students.  Certain aspects of my subject area will be difficult to find all three of the assessment types for, but I think that I can be creative and find ways to assess my students from beginning to finish.

FIAE Chapter 3

This chapter really showed me a lot about why it is important to plan units backwards.  A lot of evidence was provided in favor of starting at the end when designing a unit.  Knowing the ultimate goal endpoint helps to plan the rest of the unit because you know what you want your students to come away with afterwards.  Letting the students know what they are working toward throughout the unit will help them to become involved and engaged in what they are learning, which is important for their success.  I also learned how important it is to break down the skills students need to acquire to ensure that they grasp the concepts.  I really like the idea of beginning a unit by telling the students what we will be focusing on throughout it, and I think that it is entirely possible to do in English, while it might be a little more difficult in other subjects.  Not only will I design units backwards and inform my students of the end results, I will break down the skills they need in order to be successful in my classroom.

FIAE Chapter 2

In this chapter, I learned about the definition of mastery, examples evidencing mastery, and different ways students can show mastery of a skill or concept.  Many of the ways teachers test for that mastery are not indicative of the student’s mastery level but their ability to complete a task.  Teachers need to find methods of testing students that will show whether the students understand the skill or concept and not just find ways to test them over the material.  This will help me to find ways to assess my students and to make sure that they are showing mastery of the content.  Simply asking students to answer a problem or circle a literary device does not show that the student has mastered the skill.  Also, determining what is important for students to master plays a role in how the students provide evidence of their mastery.  The assessment method must be fitting and appropriate for the content, otherwise it is an unnecessary assessment.  I will keep this in mind when I plan units and assessments for my students and make sure that they are able to prove mastery of the content.

FIAE Chapter 1

This chapter taught me that there are many ways to differentiate instruction that aren't necessarily as complex as other ways.  This chapter instilled a differentiated mind-set that prepares one to think more about differentiating methods for students.  There are lots of subtle ways of differentiating instruction that may not seem as though they would help students, but allowing students to select their own seating, or moving closer to them to keep them focused on the lesson can be all the help they need. Knowing that there are much simpler ways to differentiate instruction will help me to implement various techniques into my teaching methods.  This will also help my classroom because it will be set up in a way so that students are able to select seats to accommodate their learning styles and needs. My teaching will focus on finding ways for all students to learn the material, whether it be through several different methods or one method.  I will use as many different ways to differentiate instruction as possible in my classroom.

MI Chapter 4

In this chapter I learned about different ways to introduce the MI theory to a wide variety of students in a variety of ways. There were ways to teach it to students in first grade and ways to teach it to students in high school without changing any of the concepts. I particularly liked the idea of the MI “Pizza” that the author suggested, but I would use it with students of all ages, while I think most people would tend to equate it with students in elementary school.  Sometimes the most basic explanations are needed  to help even the most advanced students, and this way of introducing it also includes using a visual to portray the eight intelligences. I also liked the activities that involved having each student spend a certain amount of time at a station or working on an activity related to one of the intelligences as a way to begin to understand the purpose of the eight intelligences. My favorite example was the Human Intelligence Hunt. I think this would be an excellent activity to do with students on the first day of class as a way to get to know each other, then again halfway during the year but with different questions or activities, and again at the end of the year, to see how students progressed through the intelligences during the course of the year.

MI Chapter 3

This chapter taught me about the importance of knowing how the intelligences factor into a student’s life.  Knowing that a student prefers reading something over acting it out helps the teacher to be able to adequately assess a student’s progress during instruction.  Instead of not learning, it’s possible that the student cannot express what he or she learned in the medium required and simply needs another option to demonstrate what he or she learned.  I also learned that it is beneficial to keep recorded observations of what intelligences students exhibit to use for multiple purposes within the classroom. I like this idea of keeping a collection of notes for each student and I do see how it is relevant for teachers.  With large high school classes, it is not as feasible, but still entirely possible, and I think I would like to try some variation of this, perhaps even during practicum.  I also would like to use the various methods of assessment in my classroom to help me design lessons that better accommodate students throughout the intelligence span.

UbD/DI Chapter 4

This chapter showed me that there are different needs and requirements a teacher should perform in order to maximize student learning in the classroom.  The way this chapter was structured makes it seem like teachers need to be really good at a lot of different things, sort of a “jack-of-all-trades,” but I think the key to this is understanding the concepts behind each idea.  I like that the scenarios actually give examples for how each teacher used one of the concepts in his or her own classroom.  Instead of giving a generalized explanation, there are concrete examples that someone can use as a basis for his or her instruction.  I like how one of the teachers spent time working with each student, regardless of the ability level of the student. I will definitely use this in my classroom, especially during writing workshops when many students could use the one on one instruction.