1. Using Understanding by Design
Beth Steinen
GED 550
Final Project
May 6, 2009
As I was working on this I realized that this could be used in a professional development workshop as an introduction to UbD.

2. Objective: 
to create a unit plan in the Understanding by Design model, utilizing 21st century skills and authentic assessments, both formative and summative

4. Brainstorm instruction & activities Come up with an assessment
What we usually do…
Identify content
Aligned with standards? Usually not.
Brainstorm instruction & activities
Do they align with content and/or standards?
Come up with an assessment
Usually doesn’t align with standards or activities
Usually
Show old curriculum.
McTighe and Wiggins, 2006

5. Why the shift in thinking?
The mastering of the content is not the primary goal; that is only the means. The ability to effectively and creatively use the content is the goal.
There is no need anymore for kids to memorize dates and facts. What is important is if they can use the information they learn in a productive way.
McTighe and Wiggins, 2006

6. What is UbD?
A curriculum model which focuses on creating curriculum, rather than “covering curriculum.” It moves backwards from understanding to assessment, rather than vice versa.

7. How do we use UbD? McTighe and Wiggins, 2006 Stage One
Identify desired results
What should they know, do, understand?
Stage Two
Determine acceptable evidence
Assessments must match learning goals
Stage Three
Develop learning activities and instruction
Utilize 21st century skills
McTighe and Wiggins, 2006

8. 21st Century Skills #1 Core subjects 21st Century Themes
English, reading or language arts
World languages
Arts
Mathematics
Economics
Science
Geography
History
Government and Civics
21st Century Themes
Global awareness
Economic literacy
Civic literacy
Health literacy
All instruction and assessment should incorporate these skills.

9. 21st Century Skills #2 Learning and Innovation Skills
Creativity and Innovation
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Communication and Collaboration

10. 21st Century Skills #3 Information, Media, and Technology Skills
Information Literacy
Media Literacy
ICT Literacy
Technology is not the only 21st skill.

11. #4 Life and Career Skills
21st Century Skills
#4 Life and Career Skills

12. Performance Tasks
… are for a grade, reflecting all of the information learning in the unit.
…should require reflection, self-assessment, and self-adjustment, with reasoning or rationale made as evident as possible.
… should include the 6 facets of understanding
McTighe andWiggins, 2005, p. 167
Backwards by Design… what are your summative assessments?

13. 6 Facets of Understanding
Can explain
Can interpret
Can apply
Have perspective
Can empathize
Have self-understanding
Can explain: provide thorough, supported, and justifiable accounts of phenomena, facts, and data.
Can interpret: tell meaningful stories; offer apt translations; provide a revealing historical or personal dimension to ideas and events; make it personal or accessible through images, anecdotes, analogies, and models.
Can apply: effectively use and adapt what we know in diverse contexts.
Have perspective: see and hear points of view through critical eyes and ears; see the big picture.
Can empathize: find value in what others might find odd, alien, or implausible; perceive sensitively on the basis of prior direct experience.
Have self-knowledge: perceive the personal style, prejudices, projections, and habits of mind that both shape and impede our own understanding; we are aware of what we do not understand and why understanding is so hard.
Wiggins and McTighe, 2005, p44-47 

14. What learning experiences and instruction will enable students to achieve the desired results?
How will the design…
W = Help the students know Where the unit is going and What is expected? Help the teacher know Where the students are coming from (prior knowledge, interests)?
H = Hook all students and Hold their interest?
E = Equip students, help them Experience the key ideas and Explore the issues?
R = Provide opportunities to Rethink and Revise their understandings and work?
E = Allow students to Evaluate their work and its implications?
T = Be Tailored (personalized) to the different needs, interests and abilities of learners?
O = Be Organized to maximize initial and sustained engagement as well as effective learning? McTighe and Wiggins, 2004
What questions should drive activities?

15. Differentiated Instruction and UbD
All students (except those with IEPs indicating otherwise, which is the case for other the givens that follow) should
…work with the big ideas and essential skills of a topic.
…work at high levels of thought and on authentic tasks.
…have consistent support for growing in understanding and skill.
…have opportunity to make personal meaning of important ideas.
…have full knowledge of learning goals and indicators of success.
Student understanding should be teachers’ highest priority.
Assessments, summative and formative, should guide teachers’ thinking and instructional planning.
Tomlinson and McTighe, 2006
DI and UbD work beautifully together and should be integrated.

16. Standards Clarification Project
The intent of the state was to clarify the main priorities from the current standards. In doing so, they have focused on “big ideas,” “enduring understandings,” and “enduring questions.” The new standards follow McTighe and Wiggins’ Understanding by Design framework.
New Jersey Standards Clarification Project, 2008
The state hired Grant Wiggins to help with the clarification project. In doing so, they were able to draw out what really mattered from the hodge podge that are the current standards.

17. A Successful Curriculum…
Reflects a coherent design -- big ideas and essential questions guide the design of assessments and teaching and learning activities.
Makes clear distinctions between big ideas and essential questions, and the knowledge and skills necessary for learning the ideas and answering the questions.
Uses multiple forms of assessment to accommodate students who need to express their understanding in various ways.
Uses the six facets of understanding in -- the design provides opportunities for students to explain, interpret, apply, shift perspective, empathize, and self-assess.

18. A Successful Curriculum, cont.
Assesses understanding with authentic performance tasks where students use their understanding while applying their new knowledge and skills.
Uses clear criteria and performance standards for evaluations of student work.
Insists students revisit and rethink important ideas to deepen their understanding.
Uses a variety of resources. The textbook does not act as a course outline.
McTighe and Wiggins, 2005

19. Issues with Current Curriculum
Standards listed are too old and not aligned up with current standards
Forward design
No enduring understandings
No assessments, formative or summative
Student proficiencies (what should students know and be able to do) are not all relevant and some are missing
#1 psychology topics (not allowed to teach)
#2-3 limited sociology topics
#4 international political issues are not social issues
#5-6 can be combined
No assessments… how does a teach know if objectives have been met?
#2-3 limited sociology topics… there are so many more proficiencies to be taught

20. Interesting resources
On “Enduring Understandings”
On “Put[ting] Understanding first”
On “What is a Big Idea? “
On “Assessment”
On “Hyper Media”

21. References
“Introduction.” New Jersey Standards Clarification Project, Phase One. NJ Department of Education, 2008
McTighe, Jay and Grant Wiggins. “UbD: A Professional Development Worksbook.” ASCD, 2004
McTighe, Jay and Grant Wiggins. “Understanding by Design, 2nd Edition.” ASCD, 2005
“Partnership for 21st Century Skills” accessed May 2, 2009 < centuryskills.org>
Tomlinson, Carol and Jay McTighe. “Integrating Differentiated Instruction and UbD.” ASCD, 2006