What’s the Big Idea?? Big Ideas, Benchmarks, Enduring Understandings, Essential Questions…What’s the Difference?

Face the Facts Fact: We can never “cover” all of the benchmarks that we have written, let alone lead students to mastery in the time we have with students Fact: We prioritize independently, by grade level, by content, by building, and by district, but the prioritization is not formalized

Process Nutshell Prioritize Learning Construct Learning Plan Execute: Instruction/Formative Assessments Intervene

Prioritize Learning Common Formative Assessment Data Analysis Benchmark Alignment Big Idea Focus Enduring Understanding Selection

Construct Learning Plan Essential Question Construction Summative Assessment Construction Classroom Formative Assessment Construction Instruction/Activities Planning

InterveneExecute

Big Ideas vs. Enduring Understandings Big Ideas Creativity Productive Academic Collaboration Critical Thinking Problem Solving Civic Responsibility 21 st Century Learning Enduring Understandings Technology generates creativity. Technology enriches productive academic collaboration. Technology advances critical thinking through research. Technology advances authentic problem solving. Technology demands responsible use. Technical skill is critical for 21 st century learners.

Enduring Understandings Prioritized learning outcomes for students Broader in scope than benchmark acquisition Fewer in number than benchmarks Powerful representation of student knowledge and skills This does NOT stop until there is sufficient evidence that the knowledge or skill has been mastered

Essential Questions  Stimulate student curiousity  Demand consideration of alternatives, weighing of evidence, supporting of opinions, and justification of conculsions  Spark meaningful connections  Guide learning throughout a unit, course, or grade level  Require a rich educational experience  “Author and Me” types of questions

Big IdeaEssential QuestionEnduring Understanding Creativity NO: Does technology generate creativity? Maybe: What is the difference between “using” the computer and “enjoying” the computer? Technology generates creativity. Productive Academic Collaboration Maybe: What is the difference between “using” the computer and “enjoying” the computer? Maybe: How does the phrase “two heads are better than one apply to this project? Technology enriches productive academic collaboration. Critical Thinking NO: What steps of the research process make a student think critically? Maybe: What steps can a student take if they need to know something? Technology advances critical thinking through research. Problem Solving Maybe: What steps can a student take if they need to know something? Technology advances authentic problem solving. Civic Responsibility Maybe: What does it mean to be tempted by something? Technology demands responsible use. 21 st Century Learning Maybe: If we were racing to find the answer, would you rather have access to books or to a computer? Technical skill is critical for 21 st century learners.