DI+UbD+Chapter+6+Block+1

[|Synthesis UbD/DI C6 B1]


 * **Names** || Abstract || Reflection ||
 * Archambault Michael || I liked some of the strategies in this chapter. I still think that there will be lessons and learning styles that will never align. I will try to incorporate multiple intelligences in every lesson I plan. It would be funny to see an 80 minute lesson that used every style and was pertinent. I’m not sure it could be done effectively. Chapter six is more regurgitation of things we have already read. I find myself skimming through the charts, because a lot of the information is redundant. I think that technology in the classroom and our lesson planning in practicum is exactly what this lesson is telling us to do, as far as how we teach. I think I learn much more when I am actually doing something real world, and not just reading the book. I suppose that this is the point? || I liked some of the strategies in this chapter. I still think that there will be lessons and learning styles that will never align. I will try to incorporate multiple intelligences in every lesson I plan. It would be funny to see an 80 minute lesson that used every style and was pertinent. I’m not sure it could be done effectively. Chapter six is more regurgitation of things we have already read. I find myself skimming through the charts, because a lot of the information is redundant. I think that technology in the classroom and our lesson planning in practicum is exactly what this lesson is telling us to do, as far as how we teach. I think I learn much more when I am actually doing something real world, and not just reading the book. I suppose that this is the point? ||
 * Audy Melissa || This chapter discussed “responsive teaching” in classrooms of learners who are at various levels of comprehension. It went over four basic beliefs that the authors feel should be considered in any curriculum planning. The first belief basically states that teachers must challenge students and teach them at high levels. It explains that even students of low comprehension levels benefit more from this method, as long as they are taught in a way in which they can understand and grasp a concept. The second belief says that although it is true that lower level learners need to learn “basics” they will benefit more if teachers make connections to everyday life with these basics—showing the relevance of learning such things. The third belief states that students need to have the opportunity to develop their own meanings with a healthy level of help from the teacher. The last belief says that students must know what the curriculum goals are, in order to accomplish them. The chapter goes on to describes ways in which a teacher can be flexible in order to accommodate students’ needs, providing charts with answers to questions that teachers may have about running their classrooms. || I found this chapter helpful in the way in answered common questions for teachers. The four beliefs stated really brought up things I had not heavily considered before. I found it interesting that the book suggests learners at low levels must also learn challenging information in order to feel engaged in their learning. I can see how this makes sense—often times when a class seems too easy, one finds him or herself wondering, “What is the point in learning this?” By learning things that connect to real life, students feel more motivated to acquire knowledge. Overall, this chapter made me realize how hard it must be to teach an academically diverse classroom. Meanwhile, it served as a good resource, answering many of the questions that came up as I was reading. ||
 * Boulter Elizabeth || By asking all sorts of potential questions a teacher might ask themselves, this chapter addresses the characteristics of a responsive teacher. It gives a few answers (suggestions really) about to questions about core beliefs, instructional strategies, and flexibility. A balance must be reached between student choices and teacher guidance, a student must understand the expectations before something begins, and flexible elements must be included like “quiet zones”, homework contracts, and using technology. Through these examples, the reader has read many scenarios or learner needs being addressed by non-traditional methods using flexibility. A teacher needs to use these options in all different way at different times in order to maintain a diverse yet effective classroom. || This chapter gave, once more, great ideas! It gave me confidence that I don’t have to do things the old style way…instead I can use new, innovative ways! I liked that it stated which learner need was being addressed and that I could link it to a solution or a method that was practical! It gave me a good idea of how to keep learner needs in mind and how not to get overwhelmed by them. ||
 * Brown Ryanne || In Chapter 6 of Integrating Understanding by Design and Differentiated Instruction the author focuses on the decision making in a classroom enriched by differentiation and backwards planning. This chapter goes into many details about teacher guidance and student meaning, and the importance of the restrictions on both. This promotes the idea of differentiation once more and encourages the balance of opportunity for students to make sense of content on their own, in hopes they will understand more thoroughly with this concept. The clarity of lesson plans and goals is equally as important. The chapter also gives insight on how to plan instruction for this type of deep understanding. The charts give the reader a visual of some different classroom elements to assist in all of these tasks and to address learners’ needs. || The ideas presented in this chapter are very thorough and useful. The way this book is written, makes it difficult sometimes to receive the actual point the author is getting to. However, it was clear that this chapter had a great address to learner needs and how to accompany them. The charts serve the visual audience and gave me some more clear ideas and examples of the points being made. I never realized the depth of the general questions for curricular planning transitioning to implementation. The planning seems a lot more complicated after reading this chapter than it had previously. ||
 * DePue Margaux || Chapter six deals primarily with responsive teaching and an educator’s ability to take a curriculum plan off of the page and put it into action to help all learners. There are four main concepts dealing with a curriculum aimed at helping a diverse student population. The first is that all students should be taught to think at high levels, not just the more “advanced” students. Secondly, students must learn the basics of what is being taught before they can move on. Next, educators should find the balance between students finding meaning in what is being taught and how much guidance a teacher should give them in their learning. Finally, students should always be aware of what the goals in the units or lessons are to achieve the highest level of understanding. Teachers can do this by listing the goals of the unit or lesson, showing types of assessments and models of student work to give them a better idea of what is expected, and having students reflect on their work. The chapter also prompts readers to ask themselves how to effectively use resources and tools such as time, space and availability of resources such as books and other teachers to ensure maximum understanding. The chapter also discusses clustering, or ways to meet the needs of all students without giving each student too much individual attention. Anticipatory planning is suggested, meaning that when you see a student or certain group of students with the same learning problem that you have seen before, use the same effective techniques as before to meet their needs. It also emphasizes universal design and the importance of responsive teaching. || This chapter was incredibly helpful in the sense that it answered many of the questions that I had. I have had many concerns about how to do things such as manage time and resources, and I think that this chapter was very beneficial and helped me find solutions to these issues. I was so glad to see all of the suggestions and tables it gave for these issues and I am sure that I will keep reviewing them. The "music" metaphor that the Tomlinson used about always keeping the "melody" (the curriculum goals) in mind was a crucial thing for me to consider, since I tend to lose focus of the main idea and get caught up in the details of a task or lesson. The information on clustering was also very helpful to me. ||
 * Dunne Kaisha || This chapter goes into what a responsive teacher is and how to be one in a diverse classroom. This chapter goes over the essential questions one should themselves as they go through the stages of designing a unit. Planning instruction for a differentiated classroom needs careful attention to the differences of each student. There was a lot in here about grouping students, whether it was based on their interests or having a power group. Also having the students find a place that works for the like "quiet zones" was some advice for the classroom. Finding the melody of teaching and getting into your groove with things to soon getting a hang on everything was also a major topic of this chapter and very helpful advice. || I found this chapter to be very interesting and helpful to get me going before the final steps of stage 2 and the upcoming steps of stage 3. I think this was a good look into what one could have as a classroom and looking into what your "melody". The figures were very helpful in this chapter and I enjoyed the 'sample ways to address the patterns' in figure 6.3. I found it to be a good way to see and look at what we're doing with our stages/unit and reinforces what we're doing in class with some expansion. How to make time for expansion. ||
 * Hudson Kimberly || This chapter deals with responsive teaching in respect to diverse classrooms. There are four different beliefs that make an effective classroom. The first is that students should be constantly immersed in a curriculum that is rooted in important ideas. This then requires students to think at higher levels. The second is that students need opportunities to learn the “basics” and have opportunities to apply them in meaningful ways. The third is that a balance needs to be formed between the student’s construction of meaning and teacher guidance. The last one is that students need to know the learning goals of a unit and criteria that the teacher is expecting of them during that unit. There are several ways to go about this. The first is stage one in the backward learning model. This requires the teacher to share the content standards and the desired outcomes at the very beginning of the unit. The teacher should also list the important knowledge and skills. Stage 2 can be used to show the students what kinds of assessments are going to be used during the unit. || I found this chapter to be very interesting because it actually applies what we are doing in Dr. Grace’s class. This whole time we have been doing this, and I know that it is beneficial for the future, but now I see why. I really wish that some of my teachers did this when I was in school. It would have made some of the harder classes a little easier. I know that my subject area is going to be hard for a lot of students, not a lot of people are good or even enjoy science, but if I tell them what I am going to do and how I am going to grade, maybe it will be easier. I always hated not knowing what to expect. ||
 * Korn Shauna || This chapter was about how to use Understanding by Design in the classroom that is very diverse in learning and what are “given” concepts to follow. The main concepts or what is expected out of all students are really four main things. The first is that students should be expected to think at high levels and to be able to connect why they are learning what they are learning. The second is that students should be allowed to learn the beginning steps of what they are learning and should be allowed to apply these steps to make them have meaning. The third is that teachers need to make sure they are not just giving out the answers or holding them back either, but that the students are being encourage to learn and helped when it is needed. This way students are not just copying things down, but actually applying themselves to figure things out. The fourth is that students need to know what is expected of them beforehand. This allows the students to look over the material and prepare themselves for what will be coming at them and also allows them to see what they may have a problem with. It lets them know as well that this is what they will be expected to learn. || I think that these four things are extremely helpful when running a classroom that has a diverse nature, because it allows the teacher to step back look at each student and say ok these are the four things that you are going to do for me and myself for you, even if the students do it at different levels. I know that a lot of my teachers just went through lessons and then went around to help each person individually. This was great for the students that actually understood how to do it a little bit, but for me I was lost way at the beginning. I feel that if they had taken a little more time on concept number three I wouldn’t have been so lost. Most of the time I would just have one question that would have gotten me right back on track. I feel that as teacher you should follow these concepts and guidelines, because they are completely connected to the students and how much they are going to learn and receive from your class. ||
 * LaRose Rebecca || This chapter was all about how to be responsive as a teacher. It addresses all of the things that teachers might question about themselves at some point, I.e. philosophy,and instruction. The chapter points out that teachers and students need to come together in a cohesive fashion in order to make the classroom productive. The chapter gave many examples as to how to implement small things like homework contracts that involve both student and teacher. Teachers need to realize the student's potential in order to give them some leeway in the classroom in order to give them some choices. || I felt as though this chapter was hazy in some areas. I think that this chapter had great ideas though. I think that there should definitely be a balance between the student and the teacher. When that is the case students have more of an investment in their education and feel that it is more important. ||
 * Murphy Amber || This chapter gave four beliefs to creating an effective classroom. These consisted of one students should experience material that they can make meaningful connections with and it forces them to think at higher levels. Two Students must be given the chance to learn basic material and must be given a chance to apply them in meaningful ways. Three There needs to be a steady balance with students construction of meaning and the teachers guidance. Finally Students need to know the goals of the units and lessons. This finally belief is very important and there are three stages to it. The first stage believes that teachers must share the desired outcome with students and inform them of essential questions and skills which must be learned. Stage two give students the methods of assessment so they can properly prepare and model previous work from other students so they can witness good quality work. Stage three states that it is important to allow the students opportunity to reflect on the unit and their work and point out connections with the learning and your desired results. || This chapter pointed out three important stages in the backwards design model. I really agreed with these three stages and I feel that it is important for students to know ways of assessment, essential questions, and what you expect of them. I support these three stages and believe that it is essential for teachers to let students know everything and that nothing in the classroom should come as a surprise. ||
 * Nieuwkerk Hannah || There is always a big difference between making the perfect lesson plan and actually teaching it. Teachers can have the best ideas and great lesson plans but students will always manage to throw a monkey wrench into it. A good teacher can roll with the punches, but they can also anticipate how a class is going to go and plan ahead for it. Despite the fact that everything will not go as planned, it is important that each student has plenty of opportunities to learn the main ideas (that they will retain) and then build upon them. Teachers have to keep in mind that there will be times when one teaching strategy will work for the whole class and then there are other times when it takes several strategies to get the point across; and remember that usually if you have to use a differently strategy for one student, it is probably benefitting several other students, too. And finally, for those teachers out there that have been teaching for several decades, it will be difficult to change to differentiated teaching, and sometimes very frustrating, but it is so much better for the students and as a teacher, they will feel like they have accomplished more and more every day. || I really liked all the examples that the book gave, it will certainly be valuable to look back at this chapter as I begin teaching. I appreciate the fact the authors are willing to admit that there is going to be a huge difference between making up the lesson plans and actually teaching them. Things are going to be so much crazier than on paper when you are writing the lesson plan out. It is a good idea to advise that, just so when we go out into the field and try to teach an eighty minute lesson and come back so disappointed because it didn’t pan out like we wanted. The end of the chapter was encouraging to older teachers because it has to be hard to get thrown into all this technology and try to use it every day in lessons. Yes, it will take time and practice, but it is well worth it. ||
 * Scheffler Erich || This chapter was basically about ways teachers can effectively reach every student in a differentiated classroom. It was about how teachers can reach all of the different kinds of students in classroom that is differentiated. It gave strategies on how to do this. One way is to let every student experience a class that has a curriculum that is deep, and full of information, and one that makes them work hard and think. Also, a teacher should be there to show students “the basics” of things, almost like a coach coaches proper techniques and then lets the athlete perform on his own, a teacher should teach like that. And then the chapter says that there should be a proper balance between when a student makes his own opinion on something and when a teacher tells a student a certain opinion is right. Teachers should guide students, and ultimately let the student form his own opinion. Finally the book says students should clearly know what the goals of a certain lesson are. The book then says teachers should use all of the elements that a classroom provides to their disposal. The book then says to use teaching strategies such as tiering. || All in all, I felt like this chapter was mostly things that I have already read in other books. Yes, it was helpful, but it didn’t really teach me anything new. I feel as though I’ve already read things like this both earlier in this book, and in the Fair Isn’t Always Equal book. I agree with what the chapter is saying, that classrooms should be differentiated and tailored to meet each student’s need. It was pretty helpful that the book provided ways to effectively reach every student, but I just feel like the strategies they gave have already been said. ||
 * Simoneau Andrea || This chapter explores how to be a responsive teacher while practicing UbD in your classroom, and outlines many questions that teachers must continually ask themselves to remain with the students' needs in mind. It talks about how to incorporate differentiation in a UbD classroom. It offers ways to utilize classroom elements (space and time notably) in flexible ways that address several learner needs at once, several teaching and learning strategies, resource uses, and other things that utilize UbD and incorporate differentiation. All of the tasks are geared toward students asking the "how" and "why" of the content, which is of course the purpose of UbD. It even offers ways to read patterns of student learning, and therefore meet hte needs of many as opposed to trying to tailor the lesson to 20 or more individuals. || This chapter repeats a lot of what we've already covered in several other classes, but more in depth. The previous chapters covered these subjects broadly, and this chapter outlines specifically what you need to do to incorporate UbD and differentiation together in your classroom. I am going to earmark this chapter and use it when I am stuck on how to teach my kids meaningfully and in a way that satisfies their learning needs. ||
 * Stevens Newcomb || In this chapter, it was clearly illustrated that curriculums should be made to bend in case students are not learning as well as they should. Students who have not learned “the basics” can actually succeed as long as the curriculum is flexible enough to accommodate the needs of those students: this also works for students that are advanced. The relationship between students and their curriculum is crucial because a thorough curriculum allows this flexibility needed to help the best and the worst students succeed. It is also important to utilize class time in order to make sure that students are learning: this is crucial to all students. A thorough and versatile curriculum is a powerful tool for every teacher. || I agree with what this chapter presented: I believe in versatility. I actually think that the basics are often overlooked in many subjects. The basics, if taught, however, need to be relevant because students can shut down if they do not see the point. In this respect, teachers are turning into coaches rather than banks of information. Now teachers need to assess and actually teach students according to their weaknesses in order to make educational progress. I am excited for this change because I tend to teach like a coach. ||