Chapter 1

Abstract:
Chapter 1 explains the major differences between Understanding by Design and Differentiated Instruction. UbD focuses on what is taught and how to assess knowledge while DI focuses on whom, where and how we teach. The book further elaborates that both methods are needed because they complement one another. It is in chapter 1 that we being to understand that even the best planned curriculum is not effective if the components of the individual students are not taken into account, i.e., not all students have the same familial or cultural background, the same learning styles and the same rate of maturity. The chapter also provides several good examples of a teacher making adjustments to accommodate his students.


Reflection:
For Erik and I, it was hard to relate to the reading in chapter 1. There wasn't much for class discussion before we started the reading, making it harder to grasp. While we understood a fair portion of the material covered in the chapter, the actuality of how to implement the information in a classroom setting is still not fully understood. As Matt pointed out, one main problem with the chapter was its proclivity of the author to label the students and place them into superficial categories. Having seen teachers who plow through the material not noticing students falling behind to teachers who would slow down the work of the class to accommodate a select few students, Chelsae realized that the most effective teachers, for the most part, were the ones who did the things in the manner that the chapter suggested.


*Posted by Audra