UbDDI+Chapter+6+Block+2

> Chapter VI of Tomlinson and McTighe’s //Integrating Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design// shifts from the ideas of curriculum planning discussed in previous chapters to the [|delivery] and [|application] of such. Here we see the greatest connection between “understanding by design” and “differentiated instruction” (83). There are four interconnected questions posed to be considered in order to understand curriculum delivery, being: > // a) //// Who are the students I will teach? // > // b) //// What matters most for students to learn here **(curriculum)**? // > // c) //// How must I teach to ensure that each student grows systematically toward attainment of the goal and moves beyond it when indicated **(instruction)**? // > // d) //// How will I know who is successful and who is not yet successful with particular goals **(assessment)**? // > (Tomlinson/McTighe 85) > The chapter continues on to describe the next steps involved in delivering curriculum in a differentiated classroom. It is important for a teacher to **plan** their agenda ahead of time so that they are prepared when in the classroom, but also leave room for **improvisation**. Being capable of improvisation is important when adjusting an assignment or teaching method to cater for each individual students need. Tomlinson and McTighe enlighten as to how a teacher who works at this is “something like a Jazz musician” (89). Teachers recognize the importance of planned and improvised instruction to transmit the underlying message of the subject matter in the same way that a Jazz musician understands the fine blend of planned and improvised notes. > Later, the chapter focuses on “**instructional planning**” which includes, but is not necessarily limited to, **“addressing variance[s] in student proficiencies… responding to students’ interests, and others to differentiating the efficiency of learning” (96).** It is important that teachers are prepared to accommodate for all students and their learning deficiencies and efficiencies. >  One aspect of this chapter that was noted by a lot of people in the blog responses was how, while it is important for **teachers to guide students** to understandings, it is also necessary that teachers don’t make all of the **connections.** Allowing students to uncover information themselves provides for a more **personal** and memorable experience. > > > toc
 * 1) **//Synthesized Integrating Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design: Chapter VI//** by Richie

Kelsea Trefethen
As I started reading this chapter all the questions mentioned in the beginning were really overwhelming for me. This book and the others continue to bring up important topics I had never considered before. My feeling of being overwhelmed is evened out with my excitement for the course though. Essentially, this chapter opened my eyes to the different ways I can balance my classroom and maintain order while using the UbD theory. The book stressed that goals and criteria should be crystal clear. Students should know what is expected of them in order to succeed in the class. Not only should students know what the goal of the course is they should know why it is important. Learning is not nearly as powerful unless there is meaning behind it. This chapter mentioned that teachers should not force meaning upon the students; students must develop their own opinion as to why the material is important. In a differentiated classroom the teacher often has multiple things going on at once, because of this, it is crucial for the teacher to be organized. It is also important for students to have some level of responsibility in the classroom to ensure the various activities and assignments run smoothly Figure 6.5 was extremely helpful in brainstorming ways to avoid confusion and disorder in the classroom. One idea I liked that the chart gave was to keep a personal folder for each student. This would be an effective way to both turn in and pass back assignments. As well as store class work and handouts. Students could get there folders on their way in and drop them off on their way out.

Johnny Buys
Chapter 6: Responsive Teaching with UBD in Academically Diverse Classrooms Tomlinson and McTighe identify core beliefs about creating curriculum for diverse student populations. First, they argue, “Virtually all students should consistently experience curricula rooted in important ideas of a discipline that requires them to make meaning of information and think at high levels” (84). Teachers need to recognize that high performing as well as low performing benefit from curriculum that is contextual and challenging. Creating this stimulation of the mind is one of the most important things a teacher can do to reach out to all students. Secondly, Tomlinson and McTighe state, “students need opportunities to learn the ‘basics’ and opportunities to apply them in meaningful ways” (85). Teacher need to make sure students recognize that the fundamentals they are teaching “serve a larger purpose” (85). These fundamentals are important “as a means of refining and extending key skills” (85). The authors also propose, “There is a need for balance between student construction of meaning and teacher guidance” (85). This statement reflects Tomlinson and McTighe’s focus on “uncovering meaning” as opposed to coverage of content (85). When students voluntarily seek and create meaning, the teacher has effectively fostered an environment for understanding. Finally, the authors argue that, “Students need to know the learning goals of a unit of lesson and criteria for successfully demonstrating proficiency with the goals” (86). Tomlinson and McTighe suggest that using backward design as a model is important in relaying learning goals toward students beginning with presenting essential questions, previewing culminating performances, and explicitly connecting learning activities with the essential questions and learning goals (87-88). Tomlinson and McTighe also argue that classrooms need to be flexible in learning patters, environment, and other elements in order to manipulate help for achieving “the desired ends” (90). It is important for teachers to understand that as learning is dynamic so must the methods and environment involved be.

Christina L Quach
Chapter 6 discusses the importance of basing instruction around students’ learning differences. One thing that I thought was important in the text was that teachers need to remember the importance of guiding students to understanding. Tomlinson and McTighe say, “Differentiation reminds us that different individuals will construct meaning from their differing experiences, abilities, and interests— and along different timetables and with different support systems. We also understand the teacher’s essential role in helping students construct meaning (85).”The chapter also discussed some benefits of using backwards design with differentiated instruction to plan instruction in a way that incorporates a new routine of instructional strategies so that when the lesson must change because of unknown variables, it will not be considered a hassle.

I agree with the authors when they discussed the importance of incorporating students’ learning styles and using backwards design. This way, students have a clear view of what is ahead of them and if they are fast learners they can get ahead in their work or help others. I wish that my high school teachers had taken the time to do this because I do not remember much from high school. My college classes have all been like this and it is easy to see how every assignment pieces together.

There were many parts of this chapter that will be helpful when I am a teacher. One thing that stuck out was using differentiated instruction when it comes to the amount of time that students need to learn. Some need more time to absorb the information while others may learn much quicker (90). Other important piece from the chapter that is important to all teachers is that information will be gathered along the way. Every class provides resources full of information to look back on and learn from.

Leanne Fasulo
The sixth chapter of //UBD/DI// wrote about teaching universal by design in diverse classrooms. For students to get the most out of the classroom the work that they do should have some sort of meaning behind it. Having meaning based work would cause students to be interested in their work, and be able to think at advanced levels. A classroom that is differentiated is deeply rich and gives students the opportunity to have a high quality curriculum. It is important to note that students should be the ones making the connections, and teachers should not impose the meanings on them. This allows students to uncover the meanings for themselves and makes it a more personal experience. Students are all very different and come from different backgrounds. From this the students will all make very diverse connections to their coursework if the teacher gives them the chance. To make the classroom a better place teachers need to be organized and clear. A student in order to be the most successful should know what is expected of them; “there should be no mystery for students about either intended learning outcomes or what success in achieving those outcomes will look like” (86). A good way to do this is to share with the students the standards that are outlined for them at beginning of a unit. A teacher could also post and review essential questions, and list important knowledge and skills that they should learn. Another idea is when starting a project show the student a sample so that they can start to come up with their own creative ideas, and know what you expect of them.

Brittany Blackman
Chapter six is about incorporating meaning and flexibility into the lessons. One important thing the chapter mentioned was avoiding a ladder-climbing outlook for students. This means that, just because the students don’t fully understand all of the pre-requisites does not mean that they cannot begin to apply it. They used the perfect example of a two-year old that starts to talk, even though they don’t know all of the words or rules of grammar.

I think flexibility on homework is important. I have thought a lot about what I would want my homework policy to be. What I thought would be best (in a high school setting) is to get children used to the idea that homework is for them and them alone. I want to assign the problems that are answered in the back, and if they have a hard time on one we can go over it in class. There is a twist though. For students that need extra practice or help on their grade can do the ones that aren’t in the back of the book as well. This way they get extra practice, and can get extra credit. I would only put the grade in if it helped their grade, so they couldn’t just “wing it” and turn it in for points. They would have to actually make sure they knew what they are doing (probably by doing the assigned homework and checking their answers first). I think this way the students that really understand it don’t just have “busy work”, and the students that need extra help can get it.

Kalib Moore
According to chapter 6 of UbD/DI, a teacher has to take in a lot of consideration when planning a unit and lessons. (Tomlinson & McTighe 84) Though I was aware of this, I had no idea of all the different options I //could// take into consideration when planning a curriculum. A key factor Tomlinson and McTighe point out on page 84 is that "Virtually all students' should consistently experience curricula rooted in the important ideas of a discipline that requires them to make meaning of information and think at high levels." I do not think it is fair for teachers to strictly follow one curriculum in which students of different levels will be unable to challenge themselves at the right ability. Students that find the curriculum easy will get easy A's all the way through school, whereas the students who struggle with the curriculum are going to continue to struggle or even in some cases drop out. As a future teacher, I plan on adapting my curriculum that best fits my students' needs. I want them to feel that they are able to challenge themselves and still feel comfortable learning the material. Chapter 6 presents many different ways of altering learning environments in a way that is beneficial for students. An example found in chapter 6 was found on page 97 in Figure 6-3 under the category "Need for reading support. Allowing option of reading partners/ buddies when introducing new text." (Tomlinson & McTighe, 97) I knew fellow classmates who used reading buddies back in elementary school and it almost always seemed beneficial. They were able to help each other with the pronunciation of words and different sentence structures. This will definitely be something that I will use in my future classroom.

Cyril Lunt
Instead of reading UbD //before// I read MI (I'm in the school of thought that you should always save the best for last), so I decided to change it up. However, whereas having ice cream before your salad spoils your apatite, reading MI before UbD actually reinforced what I read in MI, and made UbD more accessible. Case in point: chapter six of Understanding by Design: //Responsive Teaching with UBD in Academically Diverse Classrooms//.

So, this chapter was mostly about using UbD and DI in the classroom to be able to teach to the entire classroom. Sound familiar? That's what the chapters we had to read about in MI was about. While this doesn't mean that I like UbD + DI any more (if my relationship with the book was made into a movie, it'd be one of those French small production, black-and-white art films, where I'm standing in the background, and the book is sitting in the foreground, smoking a cigarette. //It's deep, man//). The chapter also brings up backwards design as well, which is always appreciated. To be fair, that always seems to be the //only// new thing it brings to the table.

I don't know. I've always found UbD and DI to be rather redundant. While I could say the same about MI, the major difference is that //I like the MI book more than the UbD and DI book.// I'm not going to lie, it's pretty boring. What UbD and DI says, MI says it better. Again, the only difference is the introduction of backwards planning.

Tyler Oren
Chapter six of //Integrating Understanding by Design and Differentiated Instruction// begins with the authors Tomlinson and McTighe reiterating the intrinsic connection of understanding by design and differential instruction. As diverse classrooms are the topics of these next two chapters the authors dive in and begin to stress the importance of a consistent curriculum rooted in discipline that simultaneously makes them think at a higher level. The authors also emphasize the importance of a strong balance between teacher guidance and independent student construction, guide them to understand the content standards and goals, and criteria for demonstrating their understanding, but give them the freedom in between to flourish.  Tomlinson and McTighe suggest when beginning a new unit that teachers should keep content standards fresh in student’s minds so that they can demonstrate their understanding more effectively when the time comes. Give students examples of previous student’s work so that they can get a strong understanding of quality demonstration, however it is important to give them a range of example so that they do not feel constrained to working within the parameters of a single specific project that may not fit their own content specifically. Tomlinson and McTighe also give examples to higher level lesson planning to encourage teachers who are unfamiliar or inexperienced with lesson planning. They describe a higher level lesson plan as, as teacher mainly asking themselves what their students know, what they understand, and what they can do, and conversely what they do not understand, know, or do.

Kyle Kuvaja
Chapter six of UbD/DI discusses the importance of adapting a curriculum to meet the learning needs of the students in the class and steps that can be taken to accomplish this. Tomlinson and McTighe begin by introducing studies that looked at how many of the students in school that are seen as “low performers” and their ability to thrive in a curriculum that is focused on a big picture understanding rather than facts and minor details (84). The studies also report that the students who were succeeding with the first curriculum, benefitted even more from a curriculum based on meaning. While learning basics is important, unless the teacher is able to connect these to the bigger picture then teaching the basics will be ineffective. Students, in general, should be familiar with the direction of the class. If the students have an understanding of the goals of the class then the educator can connect all the lessons in a meaningful way. Being able to reach students in a differentiated classroom involves the ability to be flexible. Different learning styles depend on this flexibility of teachers, since teachers cannot be expected to have been prepared in the planning stages. Adaption is an important skill as a teacher. The greatest impact this chapter will have on me is the understanding that the “low performers” in school can succeed in school if the classroom environment adapts to their learning style and if they realize that there is a reason for all of the covered material in class. I feel that this will not be a major problem because many of these students depended on me to help them in high school. It is my hope to develop my curriculum differently with the big picture in mind.

Evgeni Bouzakine
In chapter six, Timlinson and McTighe place the importance of responsive teaching in diverse classrooms. Basically teachers should be able to adjust their teaching style to the classrooms needs. Page eighty seven, shows a nice chart that shows strategies that support various teacher roles. The chart has many instructional strategies. Other than the teacher knowing what the students need to be successful in the classroom, the students need to the goals of a unit. Students need to know the basics before moving on to higher thinking. But in order to move on, it is important to present the information in a meaningful way. Along with making it more meaningful, it is important to make the goals very clear. Any amount of frustration can shut down a student. As a student I had teachers who had vague learning objectives for assignment. They must have made them up as they went along. I could remember sitting there and not knowing what to do with the assignment, wondering how to even start the presentation I was given as an assignment. I will have clear objectives, so students can go ahead with the assignment. I would show an example to give the students a head start.

Richie Johnson
 Chapter VI of Tomlinson and McTighe’s //Integrating Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design// shifts from the ideas of curriculum planning discussed in previous chapters to the delivery of such. Here we see the greatest connection between “understanding by design” and “differentiated instruction” (83).

The chapter continues on to describe the next steps involved in delivering curriculum in a differentiated classroom. It is important for a teacher to **plan** their agenda ahead of time so that they are prepared when in the classroom, but also leave room for **improvisation**. Being capable of improvisation is important when adjusting an assignment or teaching method to cater for each individual students need. Tomlinson and McTighe enlighten as to how a teacher who works at this is “something like a Jazz musician” (89). Teachers recognize the importance of planned and improvised instruction to transmit the underlying message of the subject matter in the same way that a Jazz musician understands the fine blend of planned and improvised notes.

Later, the chapter focuses on “**instructional planning**” which includes, but is not necessarily limited to, “addressing variance[s] in student proficiencies… responding to students’ interests, and others to differentiating the efficiency of learning” (96). It is important that teachers are prepared to accommodate for all students and their learning deficiencies and efficiencies.