Understanding based curriculum CREATING UNITS FOR UNDERSTANDING NOVEMBER 7, 2014

Let’s get those Brains working! Abby can mow a particular lawn in 6 hours, but Betty can do it in only 4 hours. If Abby and Betty work together, how many minutes would it take them to mow the lawn? Assume Abby and Betty both have their own lawn mowers, and they won't get in the way of each other.

What is coherence? Define the meaning of the word coherence as it relates to teaching. 1.Think about the definition and write it down on the slide handout 2.Share your definition with an elbow partner 3.Share definitions with your group and decide on a group definition.

From the Glossary of Educational Reform COHERENT CURRICULUM (LAST UPDATED: ) The term coherent curriculum, or aligned curriculum, refers to an academic program that is (1) well organized and purposefully designed to facilitate learning, (2) free of academic gaps and needless repetitions, and (3) aligned across lessons, courses, subject areas, and grade levels (a curriculum, in the sense that the term is typically used by educators, encompasses everything that teachers teach to students in a school or course, including the instructional materials and techniques they use). The glossary of education reform. Retrieved from

In most cases, the term refers to the alignment of learning standards and teaching—i.e., how well and to what extent a school or teacher has matched the content that students are actually taught with the academic expectations described in learning standards—but it also refers to coherence among all the many elements that are entailed in educating students, including assessments, standardized tests, textbooks, assignments, lessons, and instructional techniques. The glossary of education reform. Retrieved from

An incoherent curriculum, for example, might be an academic program in which teachers have independently decided what students will learn without collaborating with other teachers, inconsistent learning expectations or consideration of what students learned in previous grades and will need to know in subsequent grades. unnecessary repeat of lessons from previous years or overlap with what is taught in other courses or the lessons that may not be appropriate for the students’ age or grade level. assignments and textbooks given to students may not prepare them for the assessments they will have to complete, and the tests given in a course may not evaluate whether students have met the academic expectations for a particular course or grade level. The glossary of education reform. Retrieved from

How do we achieve coherence? Vertical coherence: When a curriculum is vertically aligned or vertically coherent, what students learn in one lesson, course, or grade level prepares them for the next lesson, course, or grade level. Teaching is purposefully structured and logically sequenced so that students are learning the knowledge and skills that will progressively prepare them for more challenging, higher-level work. Horizontal coherence: When a curriculum is horizontally aligned or horizontally coherent, what students are learning in one ninth-grade biology course, for example, mirrors what other students are learning in a different ninth-grade biology course. In addition, the assessments, tests, and other methods teachers use to evaluate learning achievement and progress are based on what has actually been taught to students and on the learning standards that the students are expected to meet in a particular course, subject area, or grade level. The glossary of education reform. Retrieved from

Framework Guidelines Artifacts/Actions to illustrate proficiency Copyright 2014 © Illinois Education association

What does unit planning have to do with coherence? Effective curriculum development reflects a three-stage design process called “backward design.” This process helps to insure that curriculum plans are well aligned and focused on desired learnings. Backward curriculum design also helps avoid the twin problems of “textbook coverage” and “activity-oriented” teaching. The backward design process can be productively applied to planning a single unit, a year-long course, and an entire K-12 curriculum. Regular reviews of curriculum and assessment designs, based on design standards, are needed for quality control to avoid the most common design mistakes and disappointing results. Educators can “work smarter” in curriculum design by working collaboratively and sharing ideas via electronic networks (e.g., the ubdexchange.org web site). Understanding Based Curriculum, © 2012 Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggins

A quick review of backward design (Ubd) principles and process.

What is understanding? - Active Learning Practice for Schools, Harvard Graduate School of Education and Project Zero Flexible performance capability Knowledge is information recall, performing simple procedures Skills are routine performances on tap – spell, multiply, identify Understanding is the ability to think and act flexibly with what one knows

Four Central Questions About Teaching for Understanding 1.What shall we teach? 2.What is worth understanding? 3.How can students and teacher know what students understand and how students can develop deeper understanding? 4.How shall we teach for understanding? - Active Learning Practice for Schools, Harvard Graduate School of Education and Project Zero

1. What Shall We Teach? Topics They are central to one or more disciplines or domains. They are interesting to students. They are accessible to students (there are lots of resources available to help students pursue the topic), and they have multiple connections to students' experiences both in and out of school. And, perhaps most importantly, they are interesting to the teacher. Standards Standards specify established learning goals. A content standard provides a written description of what students should know and be able to do in a particular discipline or subject area. A performance standard specifies how well students need to perform in order to meet the standard.

2. What is worth understanding? What long-term transfer goals are sought? What meanings should students make in order to arrive at important understandings? What essential questions will students explore? Understanding Based Curriculum, © 2012 Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggins

3. How can students and teacher know what students understand and how students can develop deeper understanding? Performances of understanding are activities which require students to use what they know in new ways or situations to build their understanding of unit topics. In performances of understanding students reshape, expand on, extrapolate from, and apply what they already know. Such performances challenge students' misconceptions, stereotypes, and tendencies toward rigid thinking. (see readings on drive) - Active Learning Practice for Schools, Harvard Graduate School of Education and Project Zero

How shall we teach for understanding? What activities, experiences, and lessons will lead to achievement of the desired results and success at the assessments? How will the learning plan help students’ acquisition, meaning making, and transfer? How will the unit be sequenced and differentiated to optimize achievement for all learners? Understanding Based Curriculum, © 2012 Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggins