UBD/DI Chapter 8

Chapter eight talks about how teachers should never compare students to one another. It says that each student ha a different level of understanding and that comparing students is not a balanced way of grading. They suggest to grade the students based on personal achievement. Weighted grades help the student as well as the teacher understand what tasks or assessments are more important. Although as a teacher you think everything is important, a student can understand that the heavier weight of a grade means they have to work harder. Grading now seems a little difficult after finding a few facts out. The main idea that this chapter also suggests is that grades are for the students to get feedback. The teachers number one priority is to show the students if they have mastered or even understood the information.

UBD/DI Chapter 9

Chapter nine discusses the steps that teachers go through when they are working on guiding principles of backwards design. When teachers work is guided by these principles they determine what students should know, what they understand, and what they are able to do. Teachers find evidence on the subject that will clearly show the students what is expected. They use the principles to guide there lessons and address needs from the students if there are any. I liked that the chapter also had a unit plan about health. This could be a great source I could use when designing a unit for nutrition. This chapter also reminded teachers to assess their students to see what they know before entering into a new unit. This will create an overview of who knows what and what you need to emphasize on when teaching. At the end of the chapter ideas are presented about the learning environment, the curriculum and the teacher that are useful to know.

UBD/DI Chapter 7

Teachers all over the globe understand that there is just not enough time to teach everything that they want to or that they need to. They focus on trying to force the content standards on the students hoping that they will grasp them. A better way that this chapter advises teachers to go about covering their material is not to cover it, but to uncover it. Using essential questions to open up discussion about math, art, science, dance, and ext. can conquer the content standards of the subject. Over time, these essential questions deepen the understanding of a subject and we as teachers expect more sophisticated answers to them. This chapter finishes up with a discussion of how to pull the essential questions together using the “WHERETO” framework. Each letter uncovering an important aspect of managing a classroom.

UBD/DI Chapter 6

This chapter reverts back to talking about the three stages of backwards design and how it can focus teachers to teach the principles. Some of the elements used in a flexible classroom are time, space, student grouping, resources, and partnership. Using these in the classroom can benefit a student if used in the right way. Managing time in a classroom is always on the students mind as well as the teachers. This chapter also displays tables that have Q and A about the different elements. Teachers are in the classroom to break old habits of teaching and create useful and creative techniques. Some old habits are okay, but if a person can change their personal life then a teacher can change their professional life.

UBD/DI Chapter 5

“Feedback is the breakfast of champions” said Vince Lombardi. Feedback is one of the greatest tools to assess and understand what your students know. Having evidence that a student has attained the right information and is able to use it in the real-world is what teaching is about. This chapter focused on three assessment principles and how they can benefit a teacher as well as a student. The first principle talks about how using multiple tests and assessments rather then a single test is a better way to provide a complete picture of the students learning. The second focuses on what students should know by know, what they should be able to do with the knowledge, and how students should act. These three indicators help the teacher better understand the students abilities in the class. Students who are able to demonstrate the six facets are on their way to a successful life. The last assessment principle says that you need to assess the students gradually and over the time they are learning the information, not at the end of the unit. Assessments are in place for the teachers as well as the students. The teacher gets feedback about how they teach and ways they can improve and the students get feedback about how well they understand the material.

UBD Chapter 4

The main idea that I pulled from the chapter after reading is that the students parents believe and trust their kids in your hands. With that in mind, teachers need to be aware of each student and understand that they need to guide the student in the right direction. Sometimes teachers have the mindset of being open to all students learning styles and still do not apply those styles to the classroom. That is why having a curriculum board and other support structures, such as colleagues, to assist you in your adventure as a teacher. Teachers need to be at the students disposal so the student can learn continually.

UBD Chapter 3

This chapter told me everything I already have read in Seven Habits of a Highly Effective Teen. Freshman year of high school we had to take a class of learning how to learn. The planning backwards advice does help. It gives you that incentive to work harder for the final result. By first seeing what you want in the end you can establish goals and create a path to accomplish the goals. This chapter also talked about how some standards are to open or to focused on one thing. I feel that standards are there basically for an outline of what needs to be accomplished and if you try your best for each student to accomplish these goals then you did your job to the fullest.

UBD&DI Chapter 2

In this chapter four students were all having different problems faced by many typical students worldwide today. They struggled with school whether it was because of something to do with home or a learning disability. I believe that this chapter was meant for whomever reads it to understand that everyone has there own personal problems and needs. Teaching is about assisting a student or even colleagues that might need your help. No matter what the problem. This chapter also states that teachers should not focus on individualization because that would be way to overwhelming for that particular teacher. Instead learn or ask the class what ways they like to learn and apply those to your classroom.

UBD&DI Chapter 1

I learned that the best way to teach is to use both UBD and DI together in a classroom. UBD is basically there for the students. It goal is to help students better understand particular teachings. DI is there for another reason. DI works individually with the kids making sure they can learn from the teachers planning’s and curriculum. I have learned that to be the best teacher you have to open up your mind for any type of situation. Whether the individual needs to be taught a different way or whether you need to work with them privately, The individuals are the one’s in mind.