1. Planning for Learning: Planning with the End in Mind
Self-evaluation – identify where you are in Planning with the End in Mind
-alternate names: backwards design; planning for learning;
GS getting started; may or may not have heard the terms before
-heard of the terms, have tried to use it with a unit, project or course
3. OMY on my way-have used it several times to plan out a unit or course

2. Why should I plan with the end in mind??
Curriculum revisions are being written in this manner.
Research tells us this is good for students.
Speaks directly to student learning.
I save time by investing in planning better and more authentically!
I feel better about where I’m going, and how I’m assessing.
Spend less time judging, more time coaching
In the past, we have asked teachers to list out their planning steps. This often results in
This research is happening in our classrooms with our students.

3. Entry Points for Planning for Learning
Curriculum expectations
what big ideas are embedded?
what will students need to understand to really learn this, and keep this after they leave my course?
A unit/strand/course performance task
what will this skill enable students to do?
what will students need to understand to effectively apply this skill?
how can I prepare my students so they can demonstrate these skills?
Important topic, strand or unit
what big ideas either underlie this topic or emerge from studying it?
why is it is important?
what is the real-life context?

4. Entry Points for Planning for Learning
A key skill
what enduring abilities will students come to understand as a result of this inquiry activity?
how can we collect evidence of learning during and after the activity?
Favourite project or assignment
what Big Ideas will students come to understand as a result of this project or assignment?
what evidence of learning is needed?
Aim to hone in on the key skills, as opposed to starting with a favorite project or assignment.

5. The evolution of planning…
Challenges…
Responses…
Think
Look at the subject specific planning page (math, science or social studies), and think, share
Share
Solve

6. Overview Catholic Graduate Expectations Worth being familiar with
Important to
know and do
We’re making sure we focus on the enduring, instead of filling up with the worth being familiar with items. Universities want DEPTH over BREADTH of understanding.
There is clear logic but is not not rigidly linear
Process of trying out ideas, getting feedback, matching proposed ideas to the reality of the classroom
Each design or change impacts on other decisions leading to a new, perhaps unexpected result
You can imagine all sorts of wonderful possibilities but a new idea about learning activities may require a rethinking of the proposed assessment plan
“Enduring”
Understanding

7. Key Design Questions Stage 1: Identify Desired Results
What is worthy and requiring of understanding?
Stage 2: Determine acceptable evidence
What is evidence of understanding?
How will this be assessed?
Stage 3: Plan Learning Experiences
What learning experiences and teaching promote understanding, interest and excellence?
Stage 1 corresponds to the yellow (introduce the reference guide during the work session to start the process of planning their own)
Bring the slide back again.

8. How do you conjugate the verb avoir?

9. Can you tell me in French what you ate yesterday?
Add chemistry slide in again.

10. What is the result of this equation?
NH3 + Cl2

11. What happens when you mix ammonia and chlorine together?

12. Big ideas refers to core concepts, principles, theories
anchor for investigation or inquiry
function as ‘mental velcro’
transfers to other contexts or disciplines
the idea must be ‘uncovered’
“…it’s meaning discovered or constructed or inferred by the learners…”
orchestrated by the learning leader and experienced through well designed learning tasks

13. Backward Design Process Stage 1: What do I expect my students to learn?
Read through overall expectations, STSE, Inquiry Skills and Understanding Concepts and SIS
Agree on the fundamental concepts or ‘Big Ideas’ for the strand/unit
Identify desired results and enduring understanding
Essential questions?
What are the key knowledge and skills components?

14. Backward Design Process Stage 2: How will I know they are learning?
What key skills, communication and inquiry are you seeking to assess?
design and do lab?
research project?
presentation? (written, oral)
building project?
debate?
What is really important in your science course? (set aside content for this)
Determine acceptable evidence
Performance tasks, other enabling assessment tasks, self assessment
Helene

15. Backward Design Process Stage 3: How will I help my students learn
Backward Design Process Stage 3: How will I help my students learn? (instructional strategies and activities)
This is the traditional stage – What am I doing as a teacher?
Identify when and how you can gather feedback on how well students are learning
Prepare opportunities to adjust pace to respond
Planning, chunking and sequencing
Use a unit planner to begin mapping out a path for your course

16. Planning for Learning What are my students expected to learn?
How will I know my students are learning?
The CPT project with science teachers at Ottawa Catholic School Board…
How will I help my students learn?
How will I respond if my students are not
learning or ‘under’
learning?
How will I
determine
the level of my students’ learning and report on it?
How will I track learning?

17. New SNC 2D: Tissues & Systems
Concepts
Expectations
(the what?)
Main Ideas ?
STSE
(cancer, imaging, public health)
ethics, impact of issues
assess medical imaging technologies
SIS
cell division, growth & systems
plant and animal cells (mitosis, features, specialization, tissues)
systems (dissections)
cells, tissues, systems
plant & animal, cell cycle, mitosis, specialization, tissues, organs, systems
Communicate info to students in advance; start of course, give big picture, including details of CPT.
Where possible, involve them in the development of a rubric (they can develop the criteria…rubric/checklist/rating scale)
What do I want my students to learn? How will I know they are learning? How will I help them learn?