B2+UbD+Chapter+1

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**Abstract**

As a whole our class said they learned about diversity and about how important it was in our future classroom. Ali explained that “a class must appreciate it’s diversity among students.” Diversity in the classroom offers a chance for the teacher to think outside of the box and test their ability to adapt which our class experienced when working with the iPads last week. It was a common understanding that Understanding by Design and Differentiated Instruction works together. Nicole explained that “It is the blend of both of these ideas that will create the best learning”. It was a general consensus in the end. We all agreed that diversity is a critical element for our classrooms and to achieve said diversity we would have to really be flexible, adaptable, and diverse in our lesson plans. Meng explained that she “benefited from reading the seven “axioms” and “corollaries”, especially the scenarios that demonstrate how those theories could be used in real classroom settings...” and she wasn’t the only one that felt this way. Phillip realized he would need to “need to be able to produce several assignments for [his] students at different levels for every lesson” to make sure there was diversity like the scenarios explained. A lot of the blog entries mentioned something along the lines of the scenarios providing good examples and then mentioned examples of their own. In the end we learned how effectively Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design worked together in classrooms.


 * Synthesis**

In the first chapter of Understanding by Design and Differentiated Instruction we are taught that UbD and DI are “mutually supportive” of one another and in fact need one another. [|Understanding by Design] focuses primarily on what we teach and what assessment evidence we need whereas [|Differentiated Instruction] focuses on whom we teach and where. This chapter stresses the importance of a healthy balance between the two. As Cameron mentioned “A strong curriculum that on paper is fantastic may result in disaster if the teacher does not adapt to meet the needs of his or her particular class.” It is important for each teacher to take into account the diversity of their class. A lot of different aspects of a student’s life could be used to set them apart from another student. The book lists factors such as: “culture, race, language, economics, gender, experience, motivation to achieve, disability, advanced ability, personal interest, learning preferences, and presence or absence of an adult support system.” (P.1) The book follows this explanation of how Understanding by Design and Differentiated Instruction work together by providing the reader with seven axioms and corollaries, followed by an informative scenario. These scenarios were able to help the reader better understand just how Understanding by Design and Differentiated Instruction worked together in different ways. After reading the scenarios the reader can see the various ways that can be used to accommodate a student whether it be altering an assignment or spending a little extra time with them before or after class. Though no learner is the same, all students can learn.

byJackie

Nicole C.
This chapter taught me a lot about the mindset behind Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design. In fact, I believe the most important thing it taught me was that they //are// mindsets – they are not formulas set in stone. Every classroom is different, and so the curriculum design and the varied ways of meeting each and every student’s needs must be constantly adapted to make sure effective learning is taking place. This idea will certainly impact my future classroom – I need to remember that having a marvelous curriculum //or// flexible, interest-based instruction won’t cut it; it is the blending of //both// of these ideas that will create the best learning for my students. There are many ways I can do this. For one, I will always offer options for instruction/assessment when I can, making sure that these options range from extremely supportive – for struggling students – to a healthy challenge – for advanced students. I will do my best to use backward design when planning a curriculum in order to encompass all of my students’ needs, as well as to leave some flexible room for making adjustments for individuals along the way. All in all, this chapter taught me that there is a lot to think about when designing a classroom unit, but the more you can take into consideration when you are planning, the better off your students will be.

Tyler R.
During this chapter I learned a lot about not only a deeper definition of both UBD and DI, but also about how the two can be paired together to form the most effective learning experience and teaching experience for both the student and teacher. The chapter focused on how classrooms have such a wide variety of students, whether it is culture, race, language, personal interest, and much more. However the chapter also focused on how not only do those things have an impact on how a teacher must plan his or her lessons, but also the different learning styles, interest, or just plain motivation as well. This makes for a very complicated task for the teacher of a class to create a lesson plan that will address all of these students’ needs. I also really liked what the chapter had to say about how a teacher needs to always be adapting and making changes; whom they teach, where they teach, what they teach, and how they teach it. I think it’s very important for a teacher to know that their lessons aren’t set in stone. The lessons can be and should be altered from outcomes they receive from their students as the years go by. Finally, I was able to understand what the differences between UBD and DI really are. Where UBD primarily focuses on a curriculum design model, DI tends to focus more on an instructional design model and I think it is very important to keep both of those in mind. The last thing I really like about this chapter was the part about consulting with colleagues. As a teacher I see myself doing this and the chapter mentions just how helpful it is.

Cameron B.
Chapter 1: This chapter emphasizes the importance of integrating differentiated instruction and understanding by design. The two need each other in order to function. A teacher has to meet four elements in order to be effective. The elements are whom they teach, what they are teaching, where they are teaching, and how they are teaching it. A teacher cannot be strong at one side or the other. The two methods need to coincide. A strong curriculum that on paper is fantastic may result in disaster if the teacher does not adapt to meet the needs of his or her particular class. Some students could have learning disabilities or far exceed the curriculum plans. That is something that teachers need to be ready for in order to have an effective classroom. The examples in the book based on the history class clearly show how the teacher was prepared and adapted to meet students’ needs. He would design a curriculum for the class. Do an assessment to see what the students understanding of the content was prior to teaching it, and then manipulated the plans to accommodate for the various levels the students perform at. Whether it being different homework assignments or setting up groups that have similar abilities in the class to allow for the best learning experiences possible. This is valuable information to teachers. Knowing that a curriculum that has been planned out won’t be perfect for each class is a must. I will need the ability to adapt my curriculum while still being able to allow the students to learn and comprehend the information needed in my class.

Joe S.
Chapter 1 introduces understanding by design and differentiated instruction. The chapter displays a scenario in which a history teacher uses a differentiated design to teach his students, accounting for a number of differences including skill level, disabilities, SES, and interests. To account for so many differences, as well as levels of understanding of the actual lesson material, the authors describe understanding by design and differentiated instruction as “a way of thinking, not a program.” This is the best way to label this teaching program, because its dynamic nature necessitates constant improvisation and adaptation. The overall impression Chapter 1 gives is that differentiated lessons are a lot of work. There are many different components to consider, stemming from the introduction of concepts and “essential ideas,” and branching out into differentiated assignments within the one overarching theme. These include using a variety of resources and materials to accommodate different levels of reading and understanding, for example using online resources to assist students in need of reading support, or providing essential vocabulary sheets for secondary language students. On the other side, the authors suggest offering different levels of difficulty for assignments to provide a challenge for accelerated learners. Several lessons stuck out to me in this chapter. One was the importance of considering students’ interests, SES, and experiences when introducing an idea, and determining whether these areas can be incorporated into the lesson, which enhances the learning experience for the students. The other was the procedure of creating a lesson plan, especially one designed to be differentiated. The preparation it requires, constant evaluation, and improvements are things I never considered.

Phillip C.
Learning the difference and importance of Understanding by Design and Differentiated Instruction, as well as their necessary interaction, constituted the main idea of this chapter. I liked how they explained that an effective teacher pays attention to four elements at all time. They are focused on whom they teach, where they teach, what they teach, and how they teach it. Understanding by Design can help teachers in the formation of their curriculum, ensuring that it is a powerful one. It focuses on what is taught and the actual instruction. Differentiated Instruction helps teachers ensure that all students, regardless of background or current situation, are accommodated and given an effective learning environment. This naturally focuses on who is taught as well as where and how the class is taught. The part of the chapter I found most interesting and useful was the explanation and examples of how these models are dependent on each other. It makes a lot of sense that this is the case. The world’s best curriculum can become the world’s worst depending how it is taught. The examples of Mr. Axelt’s class in the reading opened my eyes to this. I remember having a few classes with alternate assignments for students at different levels when I was in school, but not a lot. Mr. Axelt had a very diverse class and thus several ways of teaching, grouping students, assessing knowledge, and managing his class time. This made sure that the essential knowledge defined in his curriculum could be gained by all students while no one was left idle or left behind. I think the biggest thing I will take away from this chapter is that; Realizing I will need to be able to produce several assignments for my students at different levels for every lesson.

Ali P.
In this chapter it seems that each of the axioms represent a different trait a teacher and classroom will need in order to succeed in teaching. I learned that a class must appreciate its diversity among its students. And use the diversity with in the lessons. This reminds me of the multiple intelligences we have been learning about. No two students will have the same intelligence and it is up to the teacher to accommodate that. Students crave application within their content. Especially in high school, you will hear students asking why something matters or why they need to know it. It is up to the teacher to apply their lessons to real life and encourage their students to care. In the end it will be the students job to learn and the teachers job to encourage the student to learn. Even the best teachers will not be able to teach if their students do not care. Teachers also need to have a clear expectation of their students and always have flexibility to change. The chapter mentioned a pre assessment used on the first day of class to figure out where the students stand. There is no possible way for a test to tell a teacher how much a students knows before coming into class. It is up to the teacher to take the little information that it does give, and create a basis for their lesson. The teacher needs to be flexible in this planning in order to drive and capture all of the students.

Andrew C
In this chapter I once again got a very detailed outline with scenarios of how UbD and DI work together within the classroom. I know the importance of using different instructional and assessment methods to tailor to all students. Chapter one made me realize how important it is to take every student into account when creating a lesson plan. As many of the students from Fires In the Bathroom said it is hard when teachers just make one lesson plan and expect everyone to be able to do it. As a teacher we really have to take everything into consideration. Axiom four made a very good point on the importance of assessing the students. This axiom did not just stress the importance of different types of assessments but it also showed why teachers need to then take the results to these assessments and change or adjust the curriculum as necessary. I thought that was a great point, because I think that a lot of teachers test their students throughout the curriculum but then do not do anything with these results. The whole reason behind assessing throughout a curriculum is to have the knowledge to adjust the lesson plans and such to tailor what the students need more or less instruction on. I will be sure to thoroughly test my students in many ways and also to use those results to help them get a better grasp on the curriculum. I also really liked the last two axioms because they showed how we teachers could improve our teaching styles and lesson plans. I definitely plan to use my colleagues, as a resource when I am a teacher because having more input is always a good thing.

Brittany R.
The first chapter cleared up a lot that I was confused from in Chapter 9. Thankfully, the chapter went into grave detail about what Understanding by Design and Differentiated Instruction were. I gathered from Chapter 1 that Understanding by Design, or UbD, was based more on the curriculum as a whole and how one is able to reach all students. The book states that UbD mostly focuses on the subject matter and how the teacher is going to share that information with the learner(s). Differentiated Instruction, or DI, is more focused on the procedures to guarantee that all students receive the material in a way that is beneficial to them. All students are promised to be different, as will their learning styles, so a teacher must be prepared to approach all the different students in a way that is pleasing to the individual. The axioms and corollaries showed examples on how the two different aspects of teaching can connect to one another. At the same time, I thought it was very affective talking about Mr. Axelt’s ways of teaching his class and some of the problems that most teachers run into in an everyday setting. I felt they touched on many things that we have been learning about in all of our classes. Pre-assessment and technology were large points in the Axioms and I felt that relevant to the subject matter we are learning about now. Another large point was adaptation, which I feel is a huge quality that a teacher must posses. Like I said, it is guaranteed that all students will be different in some way, shape or form, so being flexible is a must.

Jackie B.
When I began this chapter I was thoroughly confused about how UbD and DI correlated with each other. As I began to read more and more I began to kind of get the big picture. As I was reading through the scenarios I couldn’t help but question some of the methods the teacher “Mr. Axelt” used. He mentioned meeting with students and helping them and working them through their questions but I feel like it would be more effective to have students work together to work through the questions without relying on the teacher. Those students who had a good idea of what they were doing, could be paired with those students who did not really understand the whole concept of the U.S. Constitution. By doing this the information would be reinforced on the kids teaching their peers, and it might help to hear it explained in a different way than the teacher was trying to explain it. I know personally when I was younger it always helped to hear the information I didn’t understand come from someone my age explain it slightly differently in a way I might further understand. I thought that having the kids meet in small groups and discussing the different perspectives that was demonstrated in scenario five was a good idea. I look upon highly in the kids teaching each other and working together so I am a fan of group work and will encourage it in my classes. Overall I think the UbD and Di are cool concepts and I’ll be able to appreciate it even more once I finally understand it to it’s fullest.

Meng H.
Chapter 1 in //Intergrating Differentiated Instruction & Understanding by Design// introduced differentiated instruction and understanding by design and the connection between them. Differentiated instruction focuses on instructions suitable for a diverse student body. Understanding by design focuses on curriculum design and assessment in order for the students to reach a desired academic goal. DI and UbD are different models and systems but can’t exist solely for a successful class. Both quality curriculum and instruction are needed for a proficient learning environment. “They are not only compatible but complementary,” and they should to be employed together (Tomlinson and Mctighe 3). There are seven “axioms” and “corollaries” to show that the two models enhance and support each other. It is also essential that the two models be evaluated throughout the process so that the teacher can make adjustments to meet students’ needs and pace.

Differentiated instruction means that there is nothing that couldn’t be modified. The academic goals, textbooks, supplemental materials, homework, assessment, student group pairings, etc. could all be modified or adjusted based on the student’s pace, skills and ability.

I benefited from reading the seven “axioms” and “corollaries”, especially the scenarios that demonstrate how those theories could be used in real classroom settings. The constant assessments and adjustments make the instruction truly tailored for the individual students. From there I can see that there are a lot of challenges a teacher will encounter, and that requires patience, flexibility, and creativity. All the scenarios demonstrated a flourishing learning environment for the students, and I wish that I would be able to use these tips in practicum.

**Jackson F.**
For teachers to be effective in the classroom four basic elements will need to be met; these elements include: whom they teach, where they teach, what they teach, and how they teach. If one of these elements goes missing the quality of the learning may suffer. By using the Understanding by Design and Differentiated Instruction models the four elements can be achieved thus making it possible for quality learning to happen. Understanding by Design is a great model for educators whom focus on creating a strong curriculum. The model addresses more about what is being taught and how it is being taught. This model emphasizes how we teach, in order for students to understand. What this model lacks is the ability to be flexible for numerous types of learners. Differentiated Instruction models’ primary goal is for teachers to develop processes and procedures to ensure that a variety of individuals learn effectively. This model takes in account of who the teachers are teaching; because every child is different many learning styles may need to be addressed to ensure effective learning is taking place. Although both these models have great qualities neither of them could stand alone, this why the models work together. By taking the curricular based model and the instructional based model it provides the most effective way for students to learn. By learning about these models the impact it will have in my classroom will be significant. I understand that the content in which I want to teach will not mean anything unless take in account of the different types of students I may run into along the way. I also understand that every learning style may not be accommodated if it makes my curriculum suffer. I will need to find the right balance between the two models.

Clayton P.
This chapter deals with the underlying theme implied in the title of the book: combining Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design in the classroom. Differentiated Instruction (DI) refers to who, where, and how we teach. It requires that teachers modify their lessons to accommodate the needs of students in the classroom and the environment in which they are teaching the lesson, all while delivering the lesson in a manner which he or she can appropriately convey. Understanding by Design (UbD) refers to the teacher’s knowledge of the course material and knowing how to properly assess the students’ knowledge of it. The author then demonstrates the effectiveness of the integration of both UbD and DI with a series of axioms and corollaries which then leads to the author giving scenarios of how these particular axioms and corollaries appear in the classroom. This is a useful part of the chapter because it clearly illustrates an example of effective classroom instruction on the part of the teacher. It is these axioms and corollaries which may come into play when I am in the field. Through this chapter, I not only learned what UbD and DI were, but I learned what their purpose was and how they can be used effectively to plan lessons. I learned how they can be used in tandem; not only to provide accurate and plentiful knowledge of subject matter, but also how to convey that knowledge in a way that is suitable for any sort of environment.

Emily H.
The first chapter in introducing the primary ideas and essentials that form differentiated instruction and understanding by design. Understanding by design’s goals are to guide the application of the curriculum and delineating the sound principles. The way we teach is the main focus of understanding by design. Differentiated instruction’s goal is to make sure the teacher is focusing on the learning needs of their students. This is to ensure that each student has what he or she needs to learn effectively. Both understanding by design and differentiated instruction go along hand in hand, making the best possible environment for students to learn. There are 7 axioms that are used to describe and show how both methods can work together. I found that some of the axioms are helpful to keep in mind for my classroom. For example axiom 7 reminds you that understanding by design is just a way of thinking, not a program. It helps you think in a different way and to promote your students to better understand the subject. In a social studies classroom this can be used to help explain different events in different ways. One way could be through a first hand experience, a picture, or an historian’s view on the event. This would integrate the differentiated instruction because each of the activities will play to certain strengths that the students would have. Axiom 6 was another point I found interesting about the use of technology to work smarter. Technology has become second nature to most students, so as teacher it is easier for them to work with technology. In a social studies classroom technology can be used by finding websites that have virtual tours, a video of events or reading articles on the Internet. Overall I believe that understand both methods will be beneficial to my classroom.