Understanding UbD

Here’s my take on Understanding by Design after attending Grant Wiggins’s beginner’s session: It’s hard!

Wiggins stated that the scenario that is all too prevalent today is “Teach, test, hope for the best.” He then went on to explain the theory behind backward design. You determine your goal—understanding. Then, you devise the assessment for it. Then, you design your lesson or curriculum for that. I was with him there, and it all makes good sense. But it gets hard when you attempt an exercise like the following:

I want them to learn __________ so that, in the long run, they will be able on their own to ____________.

Too often our answers were activities, not goals for understanding. Wiggins agrees that it is hard. He says he also hears quite often: “We don’t have time for this.” He doesn’t argue that point. “You will never have enough time. But with the time you have, how will you bring your students to the level of understanding you want them to have?”

I know I don’t have any ready answers for this question—how would you answer it?

Submitted by Carole Hayward, Director, ASCD Newsletters & Special Publications.

Comments

[Rusha Sams]

One of the techniques that has worked for me as I consult with teachers is this: design the assessment first based on the standard. When we look at the assessment closely, we begin to understand just what students need to know or be able to do. It's our job to provide instruction that will help them "on their own" solve the problems with skills we have taught.

The concept of understanding by design has changed the way I look at teaching: we must focus on the learning first, and then tailor our teaching to ensure student success.

[Shannon Cde Baca]

What most folks need in this thread are examples. I know that simple examples lead to a lower level of understanding but simple examples are easier than simply saying that this is difficult. For example in science...what would it look like at the 7th or 8th grade level for a standard on say elements, mixtures and compounds?