Integrated Curriculum, Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design

Connecting Content

and Kids

UbD and DI: An Essential Partnership

Integrating Differentiated Instruction + Understanding by Design:

Connecting Content and Kids

by Carol Ann Tomlinson and Jay McTighe

“In effective classrooms, teachers consistently attend to at least four elements: 1. whom they teach (students), 2. where they teach (learning environment), 3. what they teach (content), and 4. how they teach (instruction).

If teachers lose sight of any one of the elements andcease investing effort in it, the whole fabric of theirwork is damaged and the quality of learning impaired.”

Read Chapter One http://shop.ascd.org/productdisplay.cfm?productid=105004

Teaching is an Integrated Process

1. The primary goal of quality curriculum design is to develop and deepen student understanding.

2. Evidence of student understanding is revealed when students apply (transfer) knowledge in authentic contexts.

3. Effective curriculum development following the principles of backward design helps avoid the twin problems of textbook coverage and activity-oriented teaching in which no clear priorities and purposes are apparent.

4. Regular reviews of curriculum and assessment designs, based on design standards, provide quality control and inform needed adjustments. Regular reviews of “results” (i.e., student achievement) should be followed by needed adjustments to curriculum and instruction.

5. Teachers provide opportunities for students to explore, interpret, apply, shift perspectives, empathize, and self-assess. These six facets provide conceptual lenses through which student understanding is assessed.

6. Teachers, students, and districts benefit by “working smarter” and using technology and other vehicles to collaboratively design, share, and critique units of study.

7. UbD is not a program, but a way of thinking, not a program. with the goal of promoting better student understanding.

The Big Ideas of UbDUbD Big Idea What’s the Point If not…

Backward DesignPlans need to be well aligned to be effective

Aimless activity and coverage

Transfer as GoalIt is the essence of understanding and the point of schooling

Students fail to apply; poor learning

Understanding via Big Idea

That’s how transfer happens, makes learning more connected

Learning is fragmented; more difficult, less engaging

Meaningful learningThat’s what is most engaging and inviting

You lose many kids over time

UbD is not a program, but a way of thinking, with the goal of promoting better student understanding.

What Really Matters in Teaching?

Students

Categories of

Student Variance

Contributors to the Category

Biology

GenderNeurological “wiring” for learningAbilitiesDisabilitiesDevelopment

Degree of Privilege

Economic statusRaceCultureSupport systemLanguageExperience

Positioning for learning

Adult modelsTrustSelf-conceptMotivationTemperamentInterpersonal skills

Preference/

Learning Styles

InterestsLearning preferencesPreferences for individuals

Categories of Student Variance with Contributors that have some Implications for Learning

How do we get our students to Learn? To

Think?KNOWING UNDERSTANDING

What Really Matters in Learning

Content

Integration: An ESU Contribution

Relationship between and among disciplines and bodies of knowledge

Reading, writing and creating are ways to organize thinking and knowing

Children learn better and more deeply if learning is connected

Integration provides multiple entry points for diverse learners

Integration supports authentic work, personal engagement and understanding

Important Questions for Planning

How can we promote UNDERSTANDING more by design than by good fortune?

How do you know when they “GOT IT”? What is and isn’t evidence of UNDERSTANDING?

How do we move beyond designing merely interesting activities or textbook coverage? How do we teach for UNDERSTANDING?

Six Facets of Understanding

How do we know what

we really understand?

When we truly understand we can:

Explain – Provide theories, ‘the why’

Interpret – Meaning, stories, translations

Apply – Use and adapt what we know in diverse contexts

Perspective – Other points of view, critical stance; zoom in/out

Empathize – “Walk in the shoes of…”

Self-Knowledge – Wisdom, “knowing thyself”, aware of prejudice

Where do we begin the Unit?

Step 1 - IDENTIFY DESIRED RESULTS BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND! DO IT FIRST; DO IT WELL

Step 2 - DETERMINE ACCEPTABLE EVIDENCE CLARIFIES WHAT LEARNING LOOKS LIKE IN THIS UNIT OF

INSTRUCTION FOR ALL STUDENTS

Step 3 - PLAN DIFFERENTIATED EXPERIENCES AND INSTRUCTION DETERMINES THE LEVEL OF STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND

DEPTH OF UNDERSTANDING

Step 4 - SET THE STAGE FOR LEARNING PROVIDES THE SUPPORT & RESOURCES FOR LEARNING IN

THROUGHOUT THE UNIT

DesignTemplate

UBD Integrated Unit – Design Template

Stage 1 – Desired Results

Established Goals:What relevant goals (e.g. content standards, program objectives) will this design address?

Big Idea – What Big Idea is inherent in these goals?

Understandings: Essential Questions:Students will understand that: • What provocative questions will foster inquiry,ß What specific understandings about understanding, and transfer of learning?them are desired?ß What misunderstandings are predictable?

Students will know: Students will be able to:ß What key knowledge and skills will students acquire as a result of this unit?ß What should they eventually be able to do as a result of such knowledge and skill?

Enduring Understanding Generalization that states the essence of the desired results for a single orintegrated topics.

Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence

Performance Tasks: Other Evidence:ß Through what authentic performance tasks • Through what other evidence (e.g. quizzes,will students demonstrate the desired tests, academic prompts, observations,understandings? Homework, journals) will students demonstrateß By what criteria will performance of achievement of the desired results?understanding by judged? • How will students reflect upon and self-assess their learning?

Stage 3 – Learning Plan

Cycle of Learning Activities:What learning experiences and research-based instruction will enable students to achieve the desiredresults? How will the learning be tailored to the different needs, interests and abilities of learners?

Awareness:

Exploration:

Elaboration:

Utilization:

Stage 4 – Learning Environment

Design: Resources:How will the classroom be organized to What supplies and/or support is needed tomaximize initial and sustained engagement fully realize the desired results?as well as effective learning?

Should not be differentiated

May be differentiated

Should be differentiated

Stage 1: Identifying Desired Results

What is worthy and requiring of understanding?

Big IdeaEXPLORATION

Enduring Understanding

Essential Questions

Learning Goals & Standards

STAGE ONE: What is worthy of knowing?

Stage 1: Key Design Elements

How can we unpack the goals (e.g. content standards, district goals) to derive big ideas?

What “big ideas” do we want students to come to understand?

What essential questions and understandings will stimulate and promote inquiry?

What knowledge and skills need to be acquired given the understandings and related content standards?

Big Ideas: What are they? Is it a Big Idea?

– A core idea or process at the “heart” of the discipline?

– Enduring – has lasting value?– Connecting Idea – Will it help link discrete

facts/skills, disciplines?– Require “uncoverage” (it is often abstract

or a misunderstood idea)– Transferable to other topics?

Select a BIG IDEA(s) - An abstract and transferable concept, theme or process at the hear of a subject or topic

Abundance or capacity Acceptance or rejection Adaptation Aging or maturity Balance Challenge Change or continuity Character Communities Conflict Connections Conservation Cooperation Correlation Courage Creativity Culture Cycles

Mood Order patterns Perspective Production or

consumption Proof Survival Relationships Repetition Rhythm Structures Survival Sustainability Systems Democracy Tyranny Wealth OTHERS?

Defense or protection Democracy Discovery Diversity Environments Equilibrium Evolution Exploration Fabrication Fairness Harmony Honor Interactions Interdependence Invention Justice Liberty Loyalty Migration

From Big Ideas to Understandings and Essential Questions

Understandings What specific insights will

students take away about the meaning of “content” via big ideas?

Understandings summarize the desired insights we want students to realize

Understandings make sense of facts, skill, and ideas: they tell us what our knowledge means, connect the dots

Essential Questions Important, provocative

question that recur throughout our lives

Core ideas and inquiries within the discipline

Helps students effectively inquire and make sense of the big idea(s) and requires students to make decisions about answers

Engages a specific and diverse of learners

Knowledge Skills Vocabulary/terminology Definitions Key factual information Critical details Important events and

people Sequence/timeline

Basic skills- e.g. decoding, drawing

Communication skills – e.g. listening, speaking, writing

Research/inquiry/ investigation skills

Thinking skills – e.g. comparing, problem solving, decision making

Study skills – e.g. note taking Interpersonal, Group skills

Stage 2: Determine Acceptable Evidence

What is Evidence of Understanding?

STAGE 2: Determine Acceptable Evidence

Think like an Assessor!What is the purpose for assessment?

• Diagnostic, Formative, or Summative

Refer back to Stage 1: Enduring Understandings, Essential Questions, learning goals?

Who are your learners?

What methods and scoring tools will show understanding?• Consider a wide range of assessment methods and

scoring tools. • Anchor assessment with performance tasks or

projects; use traditional assessments to round out the picture

Assessment filters? Valid, reliable, sufficient, feasible, authentic work, student friendly

Stage 2: Collecting Acceptable & Sufficient Evidence (p. 148)

Formal observation orinterviews of students

Public performances

Core PerformanceTask

Targeted Understanding

Written, oral, orvisual(displayed)products inresponse toprompts

Student self-assessments,logs, and peerreviews

Studentexhibits ormodels

Shortanswerquizzes andtests

Collect Acceptable & Sufficient

Evidence

May be differentiated

Summative Project: Create an Authentic “performances of understanding”

G - a real-world goal R - a meaningful role for the student A - authentic, or simulated real-world audience(s) S - a conceptualized situation that involve real-world application P - student generated culminating products and performances S - consensus driven performance standards (criteria) for judging success

STAGE 2: Thinking Process WHAT IS EVIDENCE OF UNDERSTANDING?

1. Determine the Performance task or Project = Summative Assessment Method

2. Isolate key criteria for assessing summative performance or project – Create a Rubric for Summative Project! - May be differentiated

3. Select supportive Assessments:

Formative Assessments - while learning

Diagnostic Assessments - before learning

4. Isolate criteria and develop tools for supportive assessments methods - May be differentiated

ASSESSMENT PLANNINGKEEP IN MIND . . .

Purpose: Diagnostic, Formative, SummativeStudent Outcomes/Learning GoalsLearner Characteristics

Assessment MethodsCase Study ChartsChecklist DemonstrationsEssay Exams &QuizzesExhibitions Graphic OrganizersGroup ProjectGuided ResponseInterviews Journal or LogOpen Response PerformanceObservation Problem-solvingProduct ProjectPortfolio RubricResearch Paper Short Answer

Scoring ToolsChart

Checklist

Graphic Organizer

Rubrics

Scales

Exam/Quiz Key

Observation with criteria

Stage 3: Plan Differentiated Experiences & Instruction

What learning experiences and instruction

promote engagement, understanding

and achievement for ALL students?

Stage 3: Plan Differentiated Experiences & Instruction

1. Use the learning cycle to sequence experiences within and across disciplines

Awareness • Exploration • Elaboration • Utilization

2. Select a variety of highly effective strategies from research-based repertoire of teaching strategies

n Differentiate instruction to accommodate for advanced learners, learners and struggling learners

n Check connection to Stage 1: enduring understanding and essential questions, learning goals.

The Learning Cycle

Awareness

Exploration

Elaboration

Utilization

UbD Instructional Plan

AwarenessRead/Write

Social Studies

ScienceVisual Art

Modifications

Exploration

Elaboration

Utilizaiton

Research-based I nstructional Str ategies f or I ncreasing Student Achievement

• Identifying Similaritiesand Differences

• Summarizing andNotetaking

• Reinforcing Effort andProviding Recognition

• NonlinguisticRepresentations

• Cooperative Learning

• Setting Objectives andProviding Feedback

• Generating and TestingHypotheses

• Cues, Contexts, andAdvance Organizers

• Homework and Practice

Strategy Category Teaching Ideas and Activities

• Venn Diagram, Compare/Contrast Charts,Analogies, Metaphors, T-Charts

• Data Disks, Concept Squares, QuIP, ReciprocalTeaching, Graphic Organizers, StructuredOutlines

• Say Something, Think-Pair-Share, DramaticEnactment, Rubrics, Self-assessments, Praise,Contracts

• Graphic Organizers, Mind mapping, Drawing,Collage, Dance, Sculpture, Drawing Journals,3-D Models, Dioramas, Visual Imagery,Kinesthetic Activities

• Think-Pair-Share, Jigsaw, Group Projects,Centers, Numbered Heads Together, LiteratureCircles

• Class Generated Rubrics, FormativeAssessments, Tickets Out, Dialogue Journals,Self-assessments

• Science Experiments and Data Collection,Predictions Before, During and After Reading,Double Entry Journals, Research Projects

• K-W-L, Advance Organizers and Outlines, TextStructure Information, Double Entry Journals,Graphic Organizers (before, during, and afterreading)

• Tasks and activities that match what has beentaught, authentic reading, writing, creating, andthinking activities – allow for interpretation andelaboration of what has been taught

SELECT

ResearchBased InstructionalStrategies

Stage 3: Instruction - MODIFICATIONS & ENHANCEMENTS

Where can this occur? Curricular – Instructional – Ecological Level

Consider the following:CONTENT: What you want the students to learn

PROCESS: The way students make sense of the content

PRODUCT: The outcome at the end of instruction

Determine what type of modification is appropriate and when it will occur.

When?What?

Teacherdirectedinstructiondemonstration

GuidedPractice

IndependentPractice

FinalAssessmentMeasure

Level ofcognition

Informationinput

Level ofparticipation

Content

PerformanceStandards*

Time

Structure

Materials /Equipment

* These are not national, state, and/or local standard. IDEA requires “progress withinthe general education curriculum”.

INSTRUCTION

Must be Differentiated for Diverse Learners

Stage 4: Set the Stage for Learning

How will the learning environment support, stimulate, inspire and validate student learning?

Stage 4: Set the Stage for Learning

Plan an Integrated Learning Center

Draw the center design and add appropriate modifications or assistive technologies

Identify where and how will you communicate and share student learning with others including process and products

List the resources, artifacts, and materials you need to successfully teach this unit.

Identify which artists and/or works of art support visual literacy and connections to other disciplines.

Determine the children’s literature needed to support the curriculum content and verbal literacy - leveled books.

Select other materials, games, artifacts you may need to support learning of all students.

Where to Begin Your Unit? Step 1 - IDENTIFY DESIRED RESULTS

KEY STEP FOR THE ENTIRE UNIT - BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND!

DO IT FIRST; DO IT WELL

Step 2 - DETERMINE ACCEPTABLE EVIDENCE CLARIFIES WHAT LEARNING LOOKS LIKE IN THIS UNIT OF

INSTRUCTION

Step 3 - PLAN EXPERIENCES AND INSTRUCTION DETERMINES THE LEVEL OF STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND

DEPTH OF UNDERSTANDING

Step 4 - SET THE STAGE FOR LEARNING PROVIDES THE SUPPORT & RESOURCES FOR LEARNING IN

THIS UNIT