B1+UbD+Chapter+4


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Leigh Welch
This chapter in Understanding by Design continued to talk about being a responsive teacher, and one of the parts I found very interesting, taking responsibility for your student’s knowledge. This is the concept that if the student is not grasping the content, it is because the teacher is not teaching it well enough. The book says that most teachers go home with the feeling that they made a good lesson and that they tried their best to give the knowledge to the class, but that that is very different from taking responsibility for your student’s knowledge. The book talks about five essential ways to help in this process. (1) get to know your students, so you can teach them better, (2) keep track of the student’s progress, (3) find other ways to teach the material if one way is not working, (4) let students know that if something is not making sense then they can work on it with you until it does, and (5) provide support for students and model quality work. I agree with these five essential points for the most part. I do not know if keeping track of student’s progress should be so high on the list. I do feel like it is important, but I do not know if I would rank it above providing a support system for your students. Although, the book could have been just listing the five key goals, and I mistook them for being in order from most important to least important. If that is the case, than I am completely fine with the way these five essential qualities are displayed.

Paul Santamore
In chapter four the focus is once again on whom it should be, the students. The author continues to push the point that we as teachers must teach for understanding, because that is what creates long lasting impact upon the students. While developing my unit I have worked to find the enduring understandings, which is not easy, because I want my students to find the deep meanings within the unit so that they will be able to apply them in their lives. On page thirty-nine I found a quote that was quite interesting. It basically states that it is the teacher’s job to find multiple ways of instructing so that a variety of students within a diverse classroom can find the enduring understandings and ultimately put them to good use after they leave the classroom. What I took away from this chapter is something that I already strive to do as an educator, create lasting knowledge that will make a difference in students’ lives. One example that I thought was a stellar display of teaching is found on page number forty-three. It is an example of pre-assessment, which is a vital part of creating enduring understandings for students. The teacher took time to have the students relate what they were going to learn to their own real life experiences. What I took from this is that if a teacher can relate things back to the actual life of their students they have an outstanding chance to make what they are teaching last far beyond the end of the unit. A goal that I have created after reading chapter four is to use deep cutting forms of pre-assessment in order to find out how my kids will connect to the upcoming unit; therefore providing a base from which to start my teaching.

Carinne Haigis
As I read more of this particular book, I am starting to see many pieces and ideas that I can relate to some of the activities from class. In this particular chapter, when the authors write: “In a differentiated classroom, it is crucial for students to accept and ultimately understand both their commonalities and difference. The classroom has to be a place where each student feels safe…and also challenged…it is vitally important to treat one another with respect” (Tomlinson, McTighe 46), I was reminded of the first day of class when we learned about different learning styles. While reading this passage, I thought of the “puppies” who are a part of every classroom. Certain individuals need to learn in an environment where they feel safe, respected, and welcome. This sort of learning environment is crucial to their success as students, but, even though there are likely going to be some students who have a greater need for this sort of warm support than others, it is still important for the teacher to create a learning environment that is comfortable and welcoming for all. I believe that all students have a little bit of “puppy” inside of them and just because it isn’t their primary learning style, it does not mean that they do not need to feel like they belong in the classroom. For this reason, I am glad that we covered in class that people cannot and should not be cornered into one specific area (this goes for multiple intelligences as well as learning styles). By creating a differentiated classroom, a teacher is creating a place where every learning style can be appreciated and celebrated and all students can learn and broaden their horizons.

Mel Christensen
Differentiated Instruction is an exciting model because it allows for each student to be afforded what they need to learn. In my middle and high school experience I do not recall seeing a lot of differentiation in my classes. I am eager to learn more methods to effectively use Differentiated Instruction and see it at work in a classroom because it is difficult for me to picture how it would function in a classroom. I think it would take a lot of practice and experimentation to find ways to challenge students at their individual level while still making the assignments somehow equal. I also worry about how to create an environment where differentiation can be successful without causing tension or awkwardness between students working at different levels. The scenarios given in the chapter were helpful in visualizing how to create a classroom environment where students feel comfortable and can learn in a way that works for them. Working with students in small groups or conferencing with students about personal goals are both things I think would help me to engage with students who need help or need to be challenged. I want to ensure that all of my students are aware of the structure of my class, goals, expectations, and curriculum, but I want to vary my teaching methods and assignments so that there is some novelty to each class and students get to try different things and determine what helps them learn best. Students need variety within the structure of the classroom and curriculum.

Allison Reynolds
Teachers can so frustrating sometimes. As I read through this chapter, it described how teachers can settle for the presentation of information, or how they say they use backward planning but don’t actually use it. Reading this section only made me more frustrated but also more motivated to make a change. These are the types of attitudes and teachings that I won’t let myself bring into the classroom. One of the sections talked about making a respectful community within the classroom. This is something I really look for in a classroom, whether I am at a desk or at the front. I assume it is the puppy in me, but I want my students to feel comfortable and confident in the classroom. So many of them have different learning styles, hobbies, and levels of skill. By simply being respectful to my students and their strengths, my students will do the same. I really like the idea of making sure each student can contribute something important to the group. Something I might do is have a puzzle where each person has a clue or piece, or place groups together with different interests and make each person important. Just by having an activity where the differences are made aware and used can make students feel like they belong in a class. I hope that certain methods like that will also make students aware of each other’s learning styles, which is something else the book discussed. I also hope to work with students on their success. When I read the section on accepting responsibility for the success of a student, I completely agreed. I want to stay in touch with students while they learn in order to help them grow. It grows that respectful relationship between me and my students.

Bianca Stoutamyer
As I continue to read this book I find that I am learning more and more about the way I learn as a student and the ways I want to teach as a teacher. Something that I think is interesting is all of the nine attitudes and skills typify teachers who help all learners. All nine of these skills or attitudes are very similar yet different. Whether it is establishing clarity in the classroom right from the beginning to classroom management routines these nine attitudes and skill share a common goal helping all of the learners. It is hard to tell as of yet which attitudes and skills I will use the most but one I think is important to me as a teacher would be flexible teaching routines. I know from experience that no student acts the same or learns the same and being flexible in how I approach lessons and activities will help me teach to all of the types of learners in my classroom. I also liked the example given about graphic organizers being given to the students who believe they need them to organize important ideas and to help them stay focused during a lecture. Though lecture is inevitable in a classroom it doesn’t mean your students will stay focused and actually take anything from it, I believe that the graphic organizers will help them look for and see the main points in a lecture or discussion. The last thing I particularly liked was Mrs. Callison keeping a notebook with sticky notes about what her students have told her or what she has noticed about them. This would be a huge help to me because I tend to forget or mix up information if I do not stay organized.

Kellie Sanborn
I found this chapter very inspiring. I think that the authors were far too correct when they said that “it is easy to develop habits that lure us away from the reality that we are better teachers when we accept responsibility for the success of each student,” (44). I can recall many teachers in my high school who would use the same lesson plans every year without differentiating them to each student, relying on the fact that they were good at what they did, whether it be lecturing or making handouts or powerpoint presentations. This chapter gave a lot of really wonderful examples of how I will be able to go about differentiating my lessons and what my differentiated classroom should look like. It is crucial to get to know each student’s learning style and be sure that everyone is constantly increasing their knowledge and understanding, whether they are at, above, or below grade level. I especially enjoyed the example of Ms. Lampas (56-57) because I think that her use of grouping based on skill level seems as though it would allow for all students to be able to learn from one another and also gave them each personal opportunities to work with her on their writing skills. In middle school, I was almost constantly frustrated by my classes because I was above grade level in nearly every subject and I wasn’t given opportunities to learn at a higher level, but made to practice the things that I already knew over and over. The one thing that was done for me to excel was putting me in the “gifted and talented” program, which was, in reality, just additional work, not replacement work. I appreciate that this chapter addressed issues such as this by suggesting more sophisticated versions of the same work, rather than just giving additional assignments to the students who already understand the concepts

Ashton Carmichael
Taking responsibility for each student’s learning sounds like it would just be implied. However, I can fully see how the teachers who feel that “I taught it well so they should have gotten it” would interpret this idea. From a student view, I remember seeing at least one person in the class who does not get the material while every other student does. The teacher does not want to leave the student behind, but needs to move forward. Justifying their actions as every other student got the information does not mean anything for the student who did not. There must have been some glitch in the presentation of the material to this student that the teacher is not taking responsibility of. As a teacher, I will be directly impacted by students who are not understanding the material. I will be responsible for differentiating my lesson plans to incorporate the way each student learns best. I will need to find alternate ways of teaching methods if I notice that what I am saying is going over the head of my students. I will need to accurately describe what I am looking for in each lesson so that when they are assessed they are not blind-sided. I have to be aware of student differences and try to make sure these differences do not cause hostility in the classroom. I will have to think on my toes. If I have, what I think is a great lesson, and then, as I am teaching, I see twenty blank stares, I am going to need to have another plan on backup. Each student is going to learn differently, so just having a different way of teaching material on reserve will be beneficial for me and the student. The curriculum is for the student, so it should be student friendly.

Jason B
Sometimes, when a teacher has been teaching for a while, they tend to lose sight of what is important – the students. For example, a teacher may create a lesson plan that really worked for one particular class, so they decide that it must work for every class. In my opinion, it would be okay to try the plan in other classes, but the teacher should make a note of the student’s success in terms of the level of understanding of the material. I also believe that the teacher should switch up the routine every once in awhile though! It would be boring to teach the same thing in the same way, over and over again. If a teacher is bored, they are less likely to get engaged in the material, making it less likely that the students will get engaged into the material. Which could mean that the students are not getting the maximum benefit from the lesson. I strongly believe that it is the job of the teacher to accept the responsibility of the students learning success. Some ways to learn how to teach a student include, but are not limited to: getting to know the students, map the progress of the students, create alternative ways of teaching the students, and providing support systems for the students. These methods will give the student the environment that will provide them with the maximum learning potential. It is also important for teachers to make sure that students are effective in the own success. = =

Kaite Bukauskas
A key action that can be taken by a teacher with the intention of student success would be the effort to pick up on learner variance in a classroom from the beginning of the semester. A classroom that lacks a personal connection between student and teacher may lead to a teacher who is not familiar with the learning profiles of his or her students until the semester is over, in which the opportunity to offer Differentiated Instruction would have passed. Teachers can present information to students in a variety of ways while checking in and getting to know the student’s learning preferences in an attempt to reach out to a variety of learning profiles. By being attentive to the response of the students we can learn to understand the ways in which they learn most efficiently and, if needed, alter the strategies in which the curriculum is being presented. This chapter states that a common mistake is made when a classroom manager identifies strengths and weaknesses in a classroom and chooses to address the situation by offering the ‘slower’ students less work and the ‘faster’ students more advanced work without attempting to get the group at a common place in their work through Differentiated Instruction. This can be a very isolating experience for students and does not offer them a fair opportunity to expand their ability and knowledge. Teachers can present information to students in a variety of ways while checking in and getting to know the student’s learning preferences.

Chris Whitney
Chapter 4 of UbD/DI explains how important it is to have goals, or an understanding that students should learn before a certain unit is complete. Being confident in what the outcome should be, will make the teacher more confident while teaching the lesson. If the curriculum is created well enough, it should not matter if students need to work alone or with a partner or with different materials as long as the end result of learning the concept is achieved by each student. Even though teachers would like every kid to be able to prosper from the same lesson plan it is also the teacher who knows this is not possible. One of the best parts of a curriculum should be the part that allows different methods or assignments to enter so that students learn the concept better as that is essentially the final goal of an educator. A good teacher also realizes that they must take responsibility for the students learning. As stated before, no matter how good a lesson plan, if not all the students are learning, then it is not effective. Teachers need to adapt to students needs. Also, providing a safe environment for students to grow and devlop is essential to making sure they learn. If a student feels comfortable in the classroom then they will be able to take risks and push their level of comfort and really get the most out of the class.

Megan Hoffman
One of the very first things this chapter covers is content clarity. In social studies, it is vital to have a clear curriculum because if one thing is potentially skewed, it confuses the whole lesson. History is very much a story, if little red riding hood encountered a bunny instead of a wolf, I’m pretty sure the story would have ended much differently. This chapter also delves into the other half of this book title. Even the best planning in the world can’t overcome the challenges of a diverse classroom. In comes the idea of differentiated instruction, or how to cater to the needs of students in a diverse learning environment. A way that the book makes the concept of differentiated instruction easy is by boiling it down into nine different attitudes and skills that the teacher should know in order to help every type of learner. They are; clarity of curricular essentials, accepting responsibility for learner success, developing respectful communities, awareness of what works for each child, proper classroom management routines, partnering with students in their own success, flexible teaching, using many instructional strategies, and reflecting on individual progress while focusing on curricular goals and personal growth. I liked how this chapter focused on a humanistic approach to teaching, because without that element, what makes us any different than computers? I know that in my classroom, each child will be treated with respect and also be treated as an individual. One of my favorite ways to start with this is to just simply memorize their names.