FIAE Chapter 3

In chapter three many things such as “begin with the end in mind” were retouched upon. It said that if a teacher gives the end of the unit test on day one of class and have the students fill it out that they would try and the teacher can get a good sense of what they have already known. It said that if a student then learns in another lesson that it is the answer to one of the questions that this is what you want as a teacher. Having the students want to know these things and remember them is what a teacher wants. The reading also mentioned places where teachers can get guidance on what is important in the unit. Use other colleagues, standards, curriculum guides, and even professional journals to increase your knowledge on what is important. Three types of assessment are in place for teachers to evaluate their students. Pre-assessments are for the teacher to learn the students readiness. Formative assessments are “checkpoints” for each topic you cover and they provide feedback to the teacher about if a student has grasped the knowledge. Summative assessment is the big test at the end of a unit that reflects what a student has learned throughout the unit. Although there was much more information in the reading, I found that these topics were the most informational.

FIAE Chapter 2

How does someone know when they have mastered a subject? Chapter two reveals that for someone to actually master the knowledge, they have to be able to use it in the “ real-world”. Because teachers can only grade a student based on an assessment that they created it is only an inference of what that student knows. This chapter reverts back to Understanding by Design’s six facets by Jay Mctighe and Grant Wiggins. When someone can use their understanding of a material and use it in a “spontaneous applications” they have mastered the knowledge. This chapter also talks about how first year and new teachers need to tap into outside resources to figure out what is important in a unit plan. Yet, it also says that veteran teachers need top use these resources as well. Opening up our mind to others opinions will make the learning open to other perspectives.

FIAE Chapter 1

This chapter focused primarily on differentiated instructions. Basically recalling all the information that we have already read in UBD/DI, it still opened my mind to what we as teachers need to do for our students. It is one thing to help a student if he/she is having trouble with something, but to amplify the way one teaches in a way that all the students can understand and master the information on their own it is much more efficient. Students come to every class with the one tool that they need… their brains! Each is different in many ways. Some need visuals and others need lectures. A teacher is there to be the transmitter of information and every student has their own station (brain) that receives different information. The key to success is to be open to all forms of teaching so that when college or the real world comes, then you are prepared to take on the information presented.

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.

MI Chapter 4

In the beginning of this chapter is clearly teaches you that you have to become equal or on the same level as the student. Don’t try and use big words when you have a class full of middle school kids. Some kids might even learn better is you add a symbol or picture next to the subject you are teaching. The MI pizza is a good example of this. I like the advice of telling a story to teach the students about MI. Having eight kids all be really good in a single learning style and maybe even put a swing on it like having them meet each other and adopt each others techniques.