DI+UbD+Chapter+1+Block+2

[|Synthesis - UbD/DI C1 B2]

I found this chapter very interesting because it lays a huge overview of how to the two elements into the classroom environment. I really think that bringing the differentiated instruction is one of the most important things that I will do in my classroom because I realize everyone is human and will have different needs when they come into class. This chapter offers some really good parts in the scenarios about grouping and bringing in different kinds of resources at different levels for kids that I think would be value to bring into the classroom. || It doesn’t do teachers any good to understand multiple intelligence if we can’t evaluate and find out how the majority of our students learn. Tests must be administered to assess multiple intelligence. However, these tests are not used to identify whether a student is a slow learner or an advanced learner; they are only used to find out what the best way is for a student to process and understand information. The tests ask questions about how a person would respond in certain situations. For instance, a question might ask a student if they enjoy listening to music while working on homework. If the student answers yes on a majority of the questions phrased around music they would probably fall under the category of musical intelligence. Why is it important to figure out a student’s multiple intelligence? After finding out what multiple intelligences a student possesses then it becomes essential to develop not only the areas that they are doing well in, but the other areas of multiple intelligences that a student do not score high on. The book talks about three different categories that help to develop multiple intelligence; they include biological factors, personal factors, and cultural or historical factors. Biological factors usually incorporate genetics that are passed down from generation to generation, or brain damage that has occurred. Personal factors include those individuals who have an effect on a person’s life. Lastly, cultural or historical factors relate to the environment in which a person is raised. These factors also play a part in crystallizing and paralyzing experiences. Crystallizing experiences are those moments in life when an action is positively encouraged, which allows a person to fully develop his or her multiple intelligence. Therefore, a paralyzing experience usually occurs when a child is scolded or receives negative feedback dealing with a certain situation. Other factors that influence both of these experiences include: having access to certain resources, familial factors, and situational factors. Depending on where a person lives or how much money the family makes can limit the amount of access to resources they have; such as a guitar instructor, or a sports coach. When parents or other authority figures pressure the student or child into become something they don’t want to this is familial factors. Situational factors relate to family death or situations that can over take dreams and ambitions. As a young girl I took music lessons five days a week for nine years; I was a good player, maybe a little slow when it came time to sight read music, but I could create beautiful melodies. My parents supported me year after year in my music education classes, but then suddenly when I began talking about music school, and wanting to attend a university where I could continue playing in an orchestra, they began putting down this idea. Maybe it was because they understood that to make it in this world as a musician would be extremely difficult, and they probably didn’t want to see me struggle. My band instructor continued to reaffirm the fact that I probably shouldn’t go to a music school, as well, because I couldn’t exactly sight read at the level of most other kids my age. I gave up music four years ago when I began attending UMF, and I always wonder if I would have been good enough to make it in a music school. What if my band director had taken the time to develop the multiple intelligence section that made me rather slow at sight reading? I think that teachers and parents need to understand just how powerful positive encouragement can be. Great people in history have arose because they had someone in their life expose them to something they were talented in, but as easy as it is to build someone up it is also just as easy to bring them down. Paralyzing experiences, such as the incident that occurred with me, can potentially ruin a students or child’s ability to further his or her multiple intelligence development because they will shy away from activities where they have received negative feedback. Tomlinson, Carol Ann and Jay McTighe. __Intergrating Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design.__ Alexandria: ASCD Publication, 2006.  The first chapter of the UbD/DI book introduces the concepts of Understanding by Design and Differentiated Instruction and how someone cannot have one without the other. This first chapter provides readers with information as to what Understanding by Design (UbD) and Differentiated Instruction (DI) are and how they are effectively used in the classroom. UbD is described as a “model that acknowledges the centrality of standards but that also demonstrates how meaning and understanding can both emanate from and frame content standards so that young people develop powers of mind as well as accumulate an information base” (pg 1). This means that UbD is a model that will help teachers teach students all the information they need to know but also do it in such a way that the students are able to develop their own opinions on the facts and have their own way of thinking about them. DI is described as the framework for addressing the different styles of learning as an important factor of planning lesions. Throughout the rest of the chapter, UbD and DI are shown through definitions and real life situations, how a teacher cannot have one without the other. ||  This was a very informative chapter to read. It presented the information on hand in a very easy to understand way. It provides readers with clear cut definitions of what UbD and DI mean and how they fit together. These definitions are very well written and give readers a good idea of what they are. The goals of UbD and DI also help in clarifying what the two models are and what they are meant to deal with. Readers can also clearly see the logic behind combining UbD and DI together. UbD and DI essentially help develop a much better curriculum and instruction. The real life examples given throughout the chapter are extremely helpful in understanding how UbD and DI are used in a real classroom. These examples provide readers with the best understanding of how they should use these models to form their curriculum and how they should instruct their classes. The way the examples were setup, with the Axiom as the UbD and the Corollaries as the DI, helped show how both of these models fit together and form one model. I found the scenarios particularly helpful in this chapter. It was informational and helpful to read about each axiom and the accompanying corollaries, but to have a “real” classroom example for each made them much easier to understand. Through the reading I have been able to gain a better understanding of DI and DbD, as well as how they work together to create a functioning classroom. I have been able to see just how much a curriculum can change from its original state, multiple axioms mention adapting a curriculum to an individual student or entire class.
 * **Names** || **Abstract** || **Reflection** ||
 * Barnes Mckell || Chapter one discussed the partnership between Understanding by Design and Differentiated Instruction. The book used seven axioms to link the two designs. Axiom 1 gave the primary goal of authentic curriculum: “is to develop and deepen student understanding” (4). Axiom 2 talked about providing methods of learning which revealed evidence of learning by the student. The third axiom was about providing effective curriculum. You may need to tweak the curriculum for students who struggle to learn and those students who are advanced, so effective could be different for different students. Axiom 4 described reviews and assessment of the curriculum through students. After assessing and reviewing the results there may be needed adjustments to the curriculum as well as the teaching style. Axiom 5 can be connected to axiom 4; it is about providing opportunities for students to explore the curriculum as well as assess themselves but with scaffolding. Axiom 6 talked about making use of the curriculum by “working smarter” and using technology. Essentially, it is about getting the most of the curriculum by working efficiently as well as diligently. The last axiom the chapter provided was axiom 7 and that was about Understand by Design, meaning adapting to the students needs by perhaps changing a way of teaching to better the students understanding. || I really enjoyed chapter one because it provided scenarios for each of the axioms. Not only did it provide scenarios but it also stuck with the same situation allowing me to make connections between each axiom. This chapter provided useful information and it gave me a basic understanding of the links between Understanding by Design and Differentiated Instruction. I was able to relate to each scenario and gain ideas of different teaching techniques to use in my classroom. On top of the different techniques I learned, I also learned the importance of meeting the needs of the students. Meaning, as teachers we need to sometimes make adjustments in order to give a better understanding to our students. ||
 * Brennick Christopher || The start of the UbD and DI book looks at the why we have to look at these two sets principals as the guideline for the future of education. It talks about a need for a model that develops the mind along with an information base being the foundation for Understand by Design (UbD) and diverse needs of learners being the basis for Differentiated Instruction (DI) methods. The next part of this chapter states the need for the two theories to be applied alongside each other. The rest of the chapter goes into contextual application of the two meeting by giving principles of UbD and showing how they work with DI to create a good classroom environment that offers pathways to success for all students. Also in this section of the chapter it gives a scenario for each of the two meeting. ||
 * Columbia Laura || Chapter 1 of //Integrating Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design// (Tomlinson and McTighe 2006) entitled "UBD and DI: An Essential Partnership," gives a basic design of the two models. Understanding by Design meets the need of having a strong base curriculum that encourages the thinking of the student. Its main goal is focusing on what we teach and how we assess it. On the other hand, Differentiated Instruction focuses more on the basics of teaching, such as who, where and how we teach. What we teach also varies for the individual student to meet their needs. These two models work together to form a deeper learning for the individual student. There are also a few different standards that these models go by. Concerning the quality of curriculum, it is important that the curriculum develops a deeper understanding for the student. Another valued point is that the evidence of what the students has learned is shown when it is used in a real life context. It is also important to have a clear understanding and purpose for all assignments and work. Though a curriculum may be planned out well, it might be necessary to make adjustments based on the students needs and goals. Another important point is for students to have the ability to self assess and also explore different opportunities for learning. It is extremely important to incorporate different types of technology into lesson plans and have students critique and share what they have learned by using technology in the learning process. Lastly, it is very important that Understanding by Design is more of an idea than a program. It can be flexible and is encouraged to be adapted to meet the needs of the students. || This chapter is very beneficial because it explains the relationship between the two designs. I am hoping to have a very diverse classroom, whether it is in Maine or in an inner city. I really like how clear the purpose of Understanding by Design is, that its main goal is to have solid, but flexible curriculum. Differentiated Instruction seems very personal and caring to me. Its goal is to have steps in the learning process that are flexible for each student. That seems to make a lot of sense to me. Instead of having a rigid program that is just this way or that, there is room for different individuals. This really encouraged me as a teacher because it focuses on the learning and the student, not just grades and numbers. I especially appreciated the section that stated that the students learning should be demonstrated through real life contexts. I remember countless times in my education career when I could not even image when this information would be used in the future. Yet, by using the information the student just learned in a real life situation that they will encounter in the future, it will help them see the significance and usefulness of the information they just learned. I also feel it is very necessary to adjust the curriculum to fit the student where they are. One of the points stated was that it is necessary for there to be reviews of curriculum and assessments. Not necessarily grades, but just seeing where the student is and how the curriculum is reaching them. I feel that a lot of the blame is put on the student when they are not getting good grades or grasping the material. Yet, it is often not their fault. By regularly checking up with assessments and talking with students, it provides a type of quality control for the curriculum. Lastly, I feel that is very necessary to look at these two designs as working together, not one way or the other. By using these two ideas, it will help me as a teacher reach my students better and more efficiently. ||
 * Coombs Kayla || Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design work hand-in-hand within the classroom, and together they provide structure and direction for establishing curriculum and instruction. In successful and effective classrooms, teachers are always working to attend to four important elements, which are: whom they are teaching, where they are teaching, what they are teaching, and how they are teaching. Understanding by Design narrows its focus to what teachers are teaching and how they are teaching, and figuring out which ways are working best for student understanding. Differentiated Instruction focuses particularly on whom teachers are teaching, where they are teaching, and how they are doing so. The goal of Differentiated Instruction is to make certain that teachers are focusing on methods that ensure effective learning for varied students. Understanding by Design plays an important role in making certain that educators identify and teach necessary and fundamental knowledge and skills, and the role of Differentiated Instruction is to ensure that every individual has every possible chance to benefit from valuable experiences with the knowledge and skills. || From this chapter I realized what the roles are of Understanding by Design and Differentiated Instruction. By using Understanding by Design and Differentiated Instruction within the classroom, one can ensure quality curriculum and instruction. Students can benefit from this in the sense that their understanding is deepened and their knowledge is increased. Teachers can gather a better sense of how to support their students and ensure that they are provided with the opportunities to learn despite their varied needs as individuals. This chapter is useful in that it demonstrates how Understanding by Design and Differentiated Instruction work together to reach goals that they have in common. For example, from one scenario Mr. Axelt has his students develop a charter for a group that has various indications of members’ rights and responsibilities. To account for different student preferences, he allows them to pick their own groups. For their research, he provides for differences in student reading abilities by allowing extra help for those who need it, like specific resource books and other materials. The principles of Understanding by Design are evident in the effective curriculum development that helps to avoid the problems of textbook coverage and classroom activities in which no obvious reasons and priorities are evident. Differentiated Instruction is demonstrated by ensuring that all learners can benefit from instruction that clearly shows the purpose and priorities of the content. The classroom scenarios in this section help the reader see how Understanding by Design and Differentiated Instruction are used together and how they create a successful classroom. ||
 * Cummons Michael || The first chapter of the book begins to explain Understanding by Design and Differentiated Instruction. Understanding by design has to do with curriculum that is given to the student. Differentiated Instruction has to do with who the teacher is teaching and the environment that the teacher's students are in. In this chapter the reader learns that Understanding by Design and Differentiated instruction must be combined in order to affectively teach learner. This chapter gives Axioms. The first axiom says that a teacher's lesson needs to deepen the students' learning and understanding of the material. Each student is important, meaning that every student must be reached and have the opportunity to learn. The next axiom explains the differences that students learn at different rates and that teachers need to be able to accommodate their classroom for this difference. Axiom three focuses on the different learners that the teacher will come across in the classroom, such as, struggling learners, students who learned the information quickly, and middle of the road learners. All three of these types of learners must be able to come away from the lesson learning and understanding the curriculum. Axiom four, in chapter I, points out that curriculum is always due for change. A teacher must be aware of this and be prepared to change the curriculum to fit the students' needs. || Chapter one was very interesting because it pointed out that good teaching requires two things: the curriculum that is given to the student (Understanding by Design), and who the teacher is teaching to, or environment (Differentiated Instruction). This chapter gives educators a great way to go about making curriculum and helping all students learn. Teachers must look at what the actual point of the curriculum is. What purpose does the curriculum serve? Is it reaching/ working for every student? Looking at the environment of the learners is very important, as well. This chapter helped me generate some good questions: What kind of home life does each child have. What culture do they come from? What does each student do with his or her free time? Also, looking at the community where the class comes from is very important. How does this community feel in general regarding education? This chapter says that students learn at different rates and that each student needs to be accommodated for in the curriculum. This makes sense. I remember being in math classes where I just could not keep up. Instead of learning, I just squeezed by, barely passing tests, while not learning. Helping all learning styles in the classroom should not be over looked. This chapter makes a point that curriculum must be looked at, assessed, and changed. This makes sense, as curriculum is never perfect. Curriculum should be changed when it is restricting the learning of any student in the classroom. ||
 * Damboise Kelley ||  ||
 * Kelley Kathleen || Chapter one of //Integrating Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design// focused on the importance of incorporating both models into the curriculum and classroom life. It discusses UbD and how it is based on what we as teachers will teach and what we need to look at in terms of assessments or goals. DI is based around the who, what, and how of teaching. Both of the models were designed to work together so that they could be used together. The book continues with examples of principles for UbD and the way the way that DI would help guide them to accomplish the said principles. Different scenarios were used to give examples of how it could be used in a classroom. || Over all, I thought that this section was pretty interesting and really gave some insight into what differentiated instruction and integrating by design really was. Through reading this chapter and looking at different scenarios, I can see how important each model is to the success of the student and classroom. I can also see how important it is that they be used together. The different scenarios also helped me grasp what was meant by the corollaries and axioms. On page 9, an example was used that really made me think of ways that I could integrate the models into my own classroom. It was axiom five where students were struggling vocabulary were given a vocabulary list to learn about the history. Then one of each method was combined with other methods and were told to combine ideas and enter thoughts into a journal. It clearly showed that the teacher was thinking about the who, what, and how of teaching and also addressed the need of the student to succeed. ||
 * Knowles Christina || In this chapter the reader is told what Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design are. This is extremely helpful because the whole book ties into these education strategies. DI and UbD focus on this fact and base themselves on helping students individually rather than as a whole. The chapter tells us how to use UbD and Di in the classroom and helps us understand it further. || The part of the chapter that I felt was interesting was the examples of how a teacher can apply the strategies in the classroom. I also liked that this chapter talked about students with different ways of learning and different backgrounds; we are told that each student will bring his life into the classroom and because of this each student is going to need attention in different areas. ||
 * Mourkas Margaret || Chapter one is all about teaching to your students, not to the test. While the test is still important, the students understanding the information on the test is even more important. Today researchers have discovered that there is a very diversity among students learning techniques, and that teachers are having a hard time accommodating everyone. Chapter one also talks about how the teacher cannot teach the same way all the time. They have to be willing to switch their teaching style up a little here and there so that the teacher can accommodate the students in need. Within the chapter the book focused a lot on axioms and corollaries. Axioms are fundamental principles of Understanding by Design and corollaries demonstrate the way in which differentiated Instruction works to ensure that each student will have access to and support for success with the axioms. The chapter gave many different axioms and their corollaries within a sample classroom with a sample teacher. || I thought this chapter was interesting because I thought the different scenarios really helped me understand about teaching to the students, not the test. Even in the era of No Child Left behind and the Maine Learning Results, people still want to see student learn new information and have fun at school. Some of my favorite teachers were the teachers that tried to make sure everyone of their students was learning or at least trying to learn. It was teachers like these that made school fun for me because they seemed like they cared about my success not just their success according to my test results. My understanding of axioms and corollaries is that the axiom is the broad idea and the corollaries are the break down of the axiom. Common themes so far is that pre-testing, giving different options on projects, and applying to one’s personal life are major ways to help get to know a student and to help spark their interest in the class. ||
 * O'Neil Christopher ||  ||
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 * Richardson Cassandra || Understanding by design and differentiated instruction are intertwining principles that rely on each other in order to be fully effective. Teachers must be flexible in the way they teach their content material, and in doing so, they must be aware of the students they are teaching and what kind of environment their classroom provides for the type of learning they wish to occur. Student understanding and the level of ability are at the top of the list of elements teachers should consider when developing a successful curriculum. Instances where the material students are learning is able to be used in ‘real life’ situations, assessment methods that befit both the content and the students’ abilities, and instructor support are also incredibly important || Each of these elements to consider, such as the ability and prior understanding, ability to apply to modern and ‘real’ situations, and developing several different assessment methods, all seem incredibly crucial to making or breaking an entire career. I mean that in the sense that if these aren’t considered or are overlooked for some reason when attempting to construct a successful unit, the quality of student response and overall effectiveness in teaching will be lower. As a pre-service teacher-to-be, this very situation is what scares me the most, because I don’t want to prevent anyone from learning to the very fullest extent due to an oversight on my part. ||
 * Trundy Monique || In chapter one Tomlinson and McTighe go over the basics of Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design. Seven axioms and corollaries were provided accompanied by scenarios to link DI and DbD. Axiom one explained that the “primary goal of quality curriculum design is to develop and deepen student understanding,” as well as ensuring that all students can benefit from the curriculum, (pg. 4). Axiom two discussed different ways to produce evidence of student understanding. Axiom three stressed that //all// learners should be able to reaching a deeper level of understanding. Axiom four reminds that curriculum may be changed depending on individual learners as well as the class. Axiom five stresses the importance of allowing students to “explore interpret, apply, shift perspectives, empathize, and self-assess,” (pg. 8). Axiom six discusses how students and teachers alike benefit from using technologies, collaboration, and routines. Axiom seven explained DbD as a way of thinking verses being a program. ||  ||
 * Webb Christopher || The first chapter of this book briefly describes the two models, Understanding by Design and Differentiated Instruction, and explains the basis for why they are so compatible with one another. Most of the chapter is divided into a set of axioms and corollaries which the author has created in order for us to get a better understanding of how the two models are compatible. There are a total of seven axioms the author defines and a set of corollaries for each, as well as a scenario describing how each axiom could be implemented. || This chapter was very helpful because it explained some of the terminology that has been used around us lately in a lot of our classes and no one really understood what was being discussed at the time. After reading this chapter I have a better understanding about what UbD and DI are and why they are complementary models for instruction. The scenarios the author uses to describe each axiom are excellent and a great idea because they show us how each one can be applied in real life. || This chapter helps to give a base of understanding of the functions of UBD and DI and has helped me see how these practices can be helpful in the classroom. I feel that the different examples of classroom scenarios with Mr. Axelt’s class were very effective in showing how UBD and DI are put into practice. The chapter’s end also helped me get a grasp for UBD and DI by explaining that they are a way of thinking, not a “recipe” for a structured curriculum. I also found it powerful to understand that to be an effective teacher you must always keep in mind who and where you are teaching. ||
 * West Simon ||  ||
 * This chapter tells of how UBD and DI are at this time some of the major points in educational conversations. This type of curriculum design is being implemented for its logical and practical appeal in the classroom. The chapter states that UBD and DI are becoming increasingly important because classrooms are becoming increasingly diverse in all sorts, such as, culture, economic back ground, race, and disabilities. The chapter states that UBD and DI is important in that it helps to insure that all students from different experiences, language barriers, and interests will be able to develop deeper understandings of the material. The chapter goes on to provide different scenarios in a classroom to show how the theories of UBD and DI can be implemented in the classroom. ||
 * This chapter tells of how UBD and DI are at this time some of the major points in educational conversations. This type of curriculum design is being implemented for its logical and practical appeal in the classroom. The chapter states that UBD and DI are becoming increasingly important because classrooms are becoming increasingly diverse in all sorts, such as, culture, economic back ground, race, and disabilities. The chapter states that UBD and DI is important in that it helps to insure that all students from different experiences, language barriers, and interests will be able to develop deeper understandings of the material. The chapter goes on to provide different scenarios in a classroom to show how the theories of UBD and DI can be implemented in the classroom. ||