Abstract
This Chapter really reviews thew book and brings everything in together to kind of create one cohesive concept.. It discusses some of the main goals of DI and UbD such as: determining acceprtable evidence regarding student learning, and the valuer of the evidence. The chapter gives real life examples to back up its point and outlines a unit in the health content area. This chapter also emphasisizes knowing your students' differences.
Reflection
As with most of the chapters this went right along with what we had already been learning. Audra really liked having the goals at the beginning to let her know whwere this was headed. I personally liked the layout with the health unit and the modifications given, even though i don't think it aligned to the Maine standards. Chelsae felt like the bullets and lists made the chapter a harder read than it needed to be. This chapter was overall a good summary.
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Monday, March 26, 2007
Chapter 8
Abstract:
Chapter 8 was about grading and how to report achievement in the classroom. It focuses on six different principles of grading such as what should and should not be considered, why it is not good to grade based on class averages and why achievement and other factors need to be separated when grading. It proposes a three part grading system including grading for achievement of goals, one for progress towards goals and one for work habits. The chapter also gives a brief overview of the backwards design plan and topics mentioned in previous topics.
Reflection:
Audra felt that this chapter posed a lot of interesting concepts and new ideas. She really connected with the principle of grading that suggests evaluating student achievement later in the learning cycle, once the students have become comfortable with the information that is being presented. She would really like to see that idea applied in actual classrooms to see if it promoted more motivation and success among students. Chelsae thought that chapter 8 was very similar to the reading she had done in Fair Isn't Always Equal. She thought that the idea of a three part grading system brought up a very interesting question - which grade out of the three determines whether or not the student passes the class? Chelsae also did not like how the chapter bashed competitive grading, citing that many students would do poorly in school if that competitive part of school was removed.
*Posted by Audra
Chapter 8 was about grading and how to report achievement in the classroom. It focuses on six different principles of grading such as what should and should not be considered, why it is not good to grade based on class averages and why achievement and other factors need to be separated when grading. It proposes a three part grading system including grading for achievement of goals, one for progress towards goals and one for work habits. The chapter also gives a brief overview of the backwards design plan and topics mentioned in previous topics.
Reflection:
Audra felt that this chapter posed a lot of interesting concepts and new ideas. She really connected with the principle of grading that suggests evaluating student achievement later in the learning cycle, once the students have become comfortable with the information that is being presented. She would really like to see that idea applied in actual classrooms to see if it promoted more motivation and success among students. Chelsae thought that chapter 8 was very similar to the reading she had done in Fair Isn't Always Equal. She thought that the idea of a three part grading system brought up a very interesting question - which grade out of the three determines whether or not the student passes the class? Chelsae also did not like how the chapter bashed competitive grading, citing that many students would do poorly in school if that competitive part of school was removed.
*Posted by Audra
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
chapter 6
Abstract
This chapter was all about how to teach and be responsible in and for your classroom. In this chapter we see the book pointing out that there are components of a classroom that can be manipulated to improve the effectiveness and efficiency in the classroom. Some of these components were space resources, student grouping, learning strategies, and more. Another main point that this chapter covers is learning to cluster the learning needs of learners so as not to become overwhelmed by student difficulties. The book says that it is recommended to consolidate all these problems by identifying key patterns in students issue. This chapter also covers flexible teaching in the classroom, so that students can feel comfortable, and so that these students will be more comfortable with there work and material.
Reflection
When we all read this chapter it seems that everyone in my group had the problem of not understanding a lot of the material because of the way the book writes it, and we also all agreed that the book was not concrete enough in this chapter. We all felt however that the part in the chapter about clustering was really helpful. The biggest reasons why I think we all felt this is because were a little overwhelmed with the fact that we would have to individualize each student. If we could in a classroom of 30 students then that would be the best thing, but nothing would ever get done. So the clustering I think was really helpful in the fact that we can give these students individual attention but we can get rid of some of the stress that goes along with that part of the classroom. Lastly, we all felt that being flexible was also a key element in the classroom because with the student of today we have to be flexible or they will not learn the information. Being flexible also will be able to give us a much happier classroom environment where student feel comfortable with the work, and also the amount of work.
Matthew Colby
Monday, February 12, 2007
Chapter 7
Abstract
This chapter was about uncovering the material as opposed to covering it. Students need meaningful learning experiences, otherwise things will not change to long term memory. It is important to dive into the material and really learn all the important ideas involved. By using the six facets it is possible to do this. This chapter also talked about the method of WHERETO and gave an explanation for what each letter meant. One point that was emphasized in this chapter was the H in WHERETO. It is critical to hook your students. If students think it is pointless to learn what is being taught, then they just won't learn it. However, if you can provide a good hook that really gives the students a reason to want to learn the material then you can gain the students full attention and they will learn a lot more. Make sure you have a direction for your lessons and tailor to the needs of all your students.
Reflection
Our group felt that this chapter was a good introduction to the WHERETO's we would have to complete in stage three, but we also think it could have been helpful to read before the other stages. We really liked and connected to the idea of uncovering versus covering. A couple of us have had teachers in the past who were overly concerned with finishing a book. They never slowed down even when everyone in the class was falling behind. By the end of the year we had covered the material, but we really hadn't uncovered it the way this chapter suggests that we should. It is very frustrating as a student to have to survive in classes like that. If you are lucky enough to pass the class then you are still moving on with far less knowledge then what you could have and should have had. I feel like if a student wants to learn and is very sincere in their plea for help because they are falling behind, then it should be the teachers duty to help the student understand better. Not to mention if you are teaching a class and every single student is complaining that they are falling behind and completely confused, then you should realize that something is wrong. It is normal that some students are a little behind in most classes, but it is not normal for all students to be.
*Posted by Chelsae
This chapter was about uncovering the material as opposed to covering it. Students need meaningful learning experiences, otherwise things will not change to long term memory. It is important to dive into the material and really learn all the important ideas involved. By using the six facets it is possible to do this. This chapter also talked about the method of WHERETO and gave an explanation for what each letter meant. One point that was emphasized in this chapter was the H in WHERETO. It is critical to hook your students. If students think it is pointless to learn what is being taught, then they just won't learn it. However, if you can provide a good hook that really gives the students a reason to want to learn the material then you can gain the students full attention and they will learn a lot more. Make sure you have a direction for your lessons and tailor to the needs of all your students.
Reflection
Our group felt that this chapter was a good introduction to the WHERETO's we would have to complete in stage three, but we also think it could have been helpful to read before the other stages. We really liked and connected to the idea of uncovering versus covering. A couple of us have had teachers in the past who were overly concerned with finishing a book. They never slowed down even when everyone in the class was falling behind. By the end of the year we had covered the material, but we really hadn't uncovered it the way this chapter suggests that we should. It is very frustrating as a student to have to survive in classes like that. If you are lucky enough to pass the class then you are still moving on with far less knowledge then what you could have and should have had. I feel like if a student wants to learn and is very sincere in their plea for help because they are falling behind, then it should be the teachers duty to help the student understand better. Not to mention if you are teaching a class and every single student is complaining that they are falling behind and completely confused, then you should realize that something is wrong. It is normal that some students are a little behind in most classes, but it is not normal for all students to be.
*Posted by Chelsae
Monday, February 5, 2007
Chapter 5
Abstract:
This chapter talked about assessment and how multiple forms of it are needed to successfully demonstrate understanding. It mentioned how assessment needs to look like a photo album, which is taken over time, and not a single photo, which only happens once. The chapter also talked about standardized tests and how it is not efficient in the long run to teach to the test. Standardized tests don't use all of the eight intelligences, which gives students who excel at those types of tests an unfair advantage. Chapter 5 also mentioned the importance of assessments providing timely and useful feedback. Another major point was that the assessments can and should differ as long as they are based on the same goals and types of knowledge.
Reflection:
Matt mentioned that there is a debate going on between whether or not to use standardized tests. Some educators would argue that standardized tests are biased and unfair while others would argue that they are necessary to report official grades. His point was that a grade is a grade, whether it was good or bad, and that educators and students need to respect that. Chelsae, on the other hand, wondered if she had been given the opportunity to take her tests with being able to read the questions out loud, if she would have performed better. She also thought that if she was having problems with assessment, then others must be having problems too. Chelsae also mentioned how she agreed with the book on how important it is for students to receive feedback on their work. Audra felt that the book reiterated much of what she had already read and learned about. Her favorite part of the chapter was its comparison to assessment being an entire photo album and not just a single photo. She also liked how the chapter elaborated more on the six facets of understanding, which helped to clear up any questions that she had.
This chapter talked about assessment and how multiple forms of it are needed to successfully demonstrate understanding. It mentioned how assessment needs to look like a photo album, which is taken over time, and not a single photo, which only happens once. The chapter also talked about standardized tests and how it is not efficient in the long run to teach to the test. Standardized tests don't use all of the eight intelligences, which gives students who excel at those types of tests an unfair advantage. Chapter 5 also mentioned the importance of assessments providing timely and useful feedback. Another major point was that the assessments can and should differ as long as they are based on the same goals and types of knowledge.
Reflection:
Matt mentioned that there is a debate going on between whether or not to use standardized tests. Some educators would argue that standardized tests are biased and unfair while others would argue that they are necessary to report official grades. His point was that a grade is a grade, whether it was good or bad, and that educators and students need to respect that. Chelsae, on the other hand, wondered if she had been given the opportunity to take her tests with being able to read the questions out loud, if she would have performed better. She also thought that if she was having problems with assessment, then others must be having problems too. Chelsae also mentioned how she agreed with the book on how important it is for students to receive feedback on their work. Audra felt that the book reiterated much of what she had already read and learned about. Her favorite part of the chapter was its comparison to assessment being an entire photo album and not just a single photo. She also liked how the chapter elaborated more on the six facets of understanding, which helped to clear up any questions that she had.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Chapter 4
Abstract
For chapter 4 our book goes into detail about the skills and attitudes teachers should have if they are going to teach in a differentiated classroom. For this our book describes for us nine skills that are present among teachers that help all learners, and it also discusses the importance of allowing students to know what the big ideas are for each unit that is taught in a classroom. Some of the qualities discussed in the chapter were taking responsibility for the success of your students, using a clarity of teaching methods in your classrooms, and letting student be involved in the daily routines of the classroom. Essentially teachers in a differentiated classroom are flexible with their planning they try to engage their students, and they take the time to get to know their students, all this that are need to be successful in this type of classroom.
Reflection
This chapter seemed to be good because for us it allowed us a chance to gain skills and knowledge that we all could use in our classrooms one day; even if we do not end up using the differentiated classroom model. With the scenarios given and the sub-topic introduction we all were able to get a better grasp on the information at hand. For one of us, this material may even be helpful outside the classroom in dealing with certain other aspects in life, including work. With everyone of us knowing that we all need special attention in some way we are able to look at this chapter and understand that these skills and advice is something that we really need to hang onto if we are all going to become successful teachers someday.
Chapter 3
Abstract
This chapter dealt with standards, content, and implementing the planning of the backwars design. This chapter discussed that standards are either to vague or too strict to teach to. The chapter also suggests that backward planning hurdles to of the major obstacles that exist in teaching, which are planning too many "fluff" activities, and trying to cover too much material too fast at higher levels. The "BIG idea" was also dicussed in this chapter. Basically we as educators need to pull out the ideas that are really important and focus on those. We need to set goals on what our students need to know by the end of the unit, then figure out how we want to assess their learning, and then come up with the lesson plans.
Reflection
This chapter was great because it focused on not teaching everything under the sun and really allowed the people in my group the confidence that in using this model they can avoid teaching too much material. Audra felt that she was able to connect with the "sins" that were mentioned in the chapter, and felt like this could help her avoid re-creating some bad teaching experiences she has had to sit through in the past. This is a very useful chapter in regards to planning and focusing on the learnign of our students.
This chapter dealt with standards, content, and implementing the planning of the backwars design. This chapter discussed that standards are either to vague or too strict to teach to. The chapter also suggests that backward planning hurdles to of the major obstacles that exist in teaching, which are planning too many "fluff" activities, and trying to cover too much material too fast at higher levels. The "BIG idea" was also dicussed in this chapter. Basically we as educators need to pull out the ideas that are really important and focus on those. We need to set goals on what our students need to know by the end of the unit, then figure out how we want to assess their learning, and then come up with the lesson plans.
Reflection
This chapter was great because it focused on not teaching everything under the sun and really allowed the people in my group the confidence that in using this model they can avoid teaching too much material. Audra felt that she was able to connect with the "sins" that were mentioned in the chapter, and felt like this could help her avoid re-creating some bad teaching experiences she has had to sit through in the past. This is a very useful chapter in regards to planning and focusing on the learnign of our students.
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