Understanding by Design by

Understanding by Design by https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b Notes on the book en-us 2018-12-19 15:39:31 UTC 2026-01-11 07:29:04 UTC hello@padlet.com Definitions: shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/315903170 big idea - concept, theme, or issue that gives meaning and connection to discreet facts and skills
curriculum - specific blueprint for learning that is derived from desired results (content and performance standards)
assessment - the act of determining the extent to which the desired results are on the way to being achieved and to what extent they have been achieved
desired results - intended outcomes, achievement targets, performance standards; shift focus from input to output
to understand - to make connections and bind together our knowledge into something that makes sense; includes a performance ability

]]> 2018-12-19 15:41:08 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/315903170 Transfer shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/315907686

the ability to use what we know

apply knowledge and skills in realistic settings

shows a fluent and fluid grasp

]]> 2018-12-19 15:51:43 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/315907686 shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/315908739 2018-12-19 15:53:54 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/315908739 Backward Design shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/315909627

teachers are designers like architects and engineers

form follows function

teachers must be able to state the goal with clarity

lesson planning is analogous to travel planning

less focused on teaching and more focused on learning

answering the "why" and "so what" questions in concrete terms as the docus of curriculum is the essence of Understanding by Design

activity oriented design is "hands on" without "minds on"

coaching analogy on page 17 - equip players to perform/don't have to tell them every move

backwards design may feel unnatural

]]> 2018-12-19 15:55:12 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/315909627 Backward Design Basic Model shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/315911139

identify desired results

determine acceptable evidence (a variety of formal and informal)

plan learning experiences and instruction

]]> 2018-12-19 15:58:59 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/315911139 Twin Sins of Design (pg 2-3) shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/315914732 Activity based - hands on without minds on
Coverage Focused - must get through it all
NEITHER HAVE ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS

]]> 2018-12-19 16:06:43 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/315914732 Backward Design Template shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/315917333 Template pg 22
Example pg 24-26]]> 2018-12-19 16:12:43 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/315917333 UbD Standards shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/315919350

use as a reference point during design

for use in self-assessment and peer review of draft design

quality control of completed design

using standards to review curriculum is critical

figure 1.4 (pg 29-32) example of a teacher designing a unit with UbD standards

]]> 2018-12-19 16:17:29 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/315919350 Understanding by Design Standards shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/315920502 2018-12-19 16:19:58 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/315920502 CHAPTER TWO - Understanding Understanding shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/315921371 2018-12-19 16:21:56 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/315921371 Definitions shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/315922625 understanding - mental construct; an abstraction made by the human mind to make sense of many pieces of knowledge
understanding (noun) - the resultant grasp of an un-obvious idea ]]> 2018-12-19 16:25:07 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/315922625 shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/315923232 "to know which fact to use when requires more than another fact"]]> 2018-12-19 16:26:37 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/315923232 Understanding... shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/315923593

is about transfer

good example of transfer "offensive space" (pg 40)

"inert ideas" are dangerous; we should introduce main ideas that are few and important and then throw them into every combination possible

the challenge for students is not to "plug in" knowledge, but to modify, adjust, and adapt to situations

transfer is figuring out what knowledge and skills matter HERE and adapting what we know

designign around big ideas makes learning more efficient and effective (example on page 45 about why)

"we cannot COVER concepts and expect them to be understood; we have to UNCOVER their value" (pg 46)

children cannot be said to have understood their own answer if they can only answer it if phrased just so

evidence of understanding = assessments that evoke transferability

understanding is the difference between borrowed expert opinion and an internalized, flexible idea

misunderstanding is the mapping of a working idea in a plausible situation; evidence of misunderstanding is critically important.

]]> 2018-12-19 16:27:35 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/315923593 It is a test of understanding if students do some of the following... (pg 41) shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/315933322

the statement of the problem must be modified in some way before it can be attacked

the statement of the problem must be put in the form of some model the student can bring the generalizations previously learned to bear on it

the statement of the problem requires the student to search through memory for relevant generalizations

]]> 2018-12-19 16:51:50 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/315933322 Depth of Understanding Example shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/315935757 math test example on pgs 42-43 is great for why depth of understanding is important at all levels]]> 2018-12-19 16:57:37 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/315935757 Questions to consider... shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316183721 Stage One: What should students come away understanding?
Stage Two: What will count as evidence toward that understanding?]]> 2018-12-20 15:14:47 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316183721 Stage Two Questions: shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316184091

Where should we look for evidence?

What should we look for specifically in student performance, regardless of the particular approach, for us to judge the degree to which the student understands?

]]> 2018-12-20 15:15:46 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316184091 Standard vs. Performance Indicator shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316184605 standard = goal
performance indicator = possible assessment evidence (pg 47)]]> 2018-12-20 15:17:08 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316184605 "When attentive students don't 'get it' what we thought was clear was not really so. shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316186036 2018-12-20 15:20:45 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316186036 Harvard Video Series "Minds of Their Own" shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316186424 2018-12-20 15:21:54 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316186424 Common Misunderstandings...pg. 54 shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316186789 EEK! Multiplication shouldn't be taught as repeated addition. That's why fractions are hard. When you multiply them the number gets smaller, so it doesn't fit the repeated addition idea.
(not sure how I feel about this...it gives me pause...)]]> 2018-12-20 15:22:40 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316186789 Intro and Chapter One shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316187705 2018-12-20 15:24:48 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316187705 CHAPTER THREE - GAINING CLARITY ON OUR GOALS shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316193675 This chapter is mostly appropriate for curriculum writing and some knowledge of how the curriculum is developed (i.e. how the different components connect to one another)]]> 2018-12-20 15:39:34 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316193675 "The desired results of stage one dictate the nature of the assessment in stage two and suggest the types of instruction and learning experiences planned in stage 3." shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316200055 2018-12-20 15:56:13 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316200055 Definitions shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316200698 established goals (aka goals) - formal, long-term goals, such as state content standards, district program goals, departmental objectives, and exit-level outcomes - the desired results that establish priorities for instruction and assessment; note: "habits of mind" are also included, such as tolerance of ambiguity, etc.
essential questions - highlight the big ideas that are central to the design, ideas that the work will require the students to address.
understandings - the desired results of any inquiries and a reflection on any activity we seek to engineer as designers
knowledge - summarizes the relatively straightforward facts and concepts that are to be gained from the learning and teaching activities
skill - refers not only to discreet techniques, but also to complex procedures and methods; focus on techniques, approaches, and processes
big ideas - establish learning priorities; the linchpin that keeps the wheel in place on the axle; not necessarily vast or basic, rather it's the core of the subject (see chart on page 67); both central to coherent connections in a field and a conceptual anchor for making facts more understandable and useful
core task - the most important performance demands in any field
challenges - involve realistic situations, where the context of the task is as faithful as possible to real-world opportunities and difficulties.]]> 2018-12-20 15:58:07 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316200698 Regarding Essential Questions... shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316211562

seriously pursuing the question rather than answering it is the desired result

helps designers avoid coverage and pursue inquiry

]]> 2018-12-20 16:28:32 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316211562 Random Ideas... shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316212393 Gives teachers some "thing" that says, "I am an engineer, designer, architect, etc."]]> 2018-12-20 16:30:48 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316212393 shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316213857 2018-12-20 16:35:06 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316213857 "Mastery of content is not the AIM of instruction but a MEANS." shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316219583 2018-12-20 16:50:16 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316219583 Understandings vs. Knowledge shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316220118 understandings have to be inferred from well=designed and well-facilitated experiences
WHEREAS
knowledge can be learned from readings or lectures]]> 2018-12-20 16:51:45 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316220118 Unpacking Standards shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316222385

Why? Standards are usually either 1) too much content with not enough time, 2) too big and broad or too specific "factlets," 3) too nebulous so that people all interpret them differently

unpacking them can group complex processes and tasks into big ideas so that we can manage large amounts of content by structuring under big ideas and core tasks

big ideas are transferable, so they help connect discrete topics and skills

learning in a conceptual framework increases transfer (pg 65)

]]> 2018-12-20 16:57:57 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316222385 Big ideas are... (pg 69) shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316227880

broad and abstract

represented by one or two words

universal in application

timeless - carry through the ages

represented by different examples that share common attributes

ALSO...

provide a conceptual lens
provide breadth of meaning by connecting and organizing many facts, skills, and experiences
pointing to ideas at the heart of expert understanding
requiring "uncoverage" because the meaning or value is rarely obvious
have greater transfer value

]]> 2018-12-20 17:13:07 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316227880 Big Ideas in Practice... shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316229391

concept

theme

ongoing debate and point of view

paradox

theory

underlying assumption

recurring question

understanding or principle

]]> 2018-12-20 17:17:20 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316229391 Clarifying Content Priorities graphic on page 71 shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316247911 2018-12-20 18:14:03 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316247911 "Big ideas are abstractions, and the design challenge is to bring those abstractions to life and to make them seem vital" (pg 76). shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316249160 2018-12-20 18:17:48 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316249160 The difference between response to text and understanding of text - very interesting... (pg 78) shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316252383 2018-12-20 18:27:20 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316252383 See transfer demand rubric on page 79-80 shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316252908 2018-12-20 18:28:56 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316252908 Chapter Four: The Six Facets of Understanding shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316276459

can explain - sophisticated and apt theories and illustrations, which provide knowledgeable and justified accounts of events, actions, and idea

can interpret - interpretations, narratives, and translations that provide meaning

can apply - ability to use knowledge effectively in new situations and diverse, realistic contexts

have perspective - critical and insightful point of view

can empathize - the ability to get inside another person's feelings and worldview

have self-knowledge - the wisdom to know one's ignorance and how one's patterns of thought and action inform as well as prejudice understanding

]]> 2018-12-20 19:36:33 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316276459 shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316276843 In teaching for transfer, complete and mature understanding ideally involves the full development of all six kinds of understanding]]> 2018-12-20 19:37:53 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/316276843 Notes on Chapter Four shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317140151 This chapter seems very "micro" compared to the ideas in chapter 3 - may not warrant much time when combined with the next chapter (that I haven't read yet)]]> 2019-01-03 01:06:13 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317140151 Chapter Five: Essential Questions shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317343980 2019-01-03 22:02:55 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317343980 Essential Questions... shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317344020

Focus on big ideas

shapes content into engaging, thought-provoking work

not answerable with finality in a brief sentence

used to effectively frame content goals

"essential questions" have four meanings

important questions that recur throughout life
core ideas and inquiries within a discipline
helps students effectively inquire and make sense of complicated ideas, knowledge, and know-how
will most engage a specific and diverse set of learners

]]> 2019-01-03 22:03:26 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317344020 shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317344085 "Uncoverage" is a priority - not a fill or option if time is left over (page 106)]]> 2019-01-03 22:04:16 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317344085 shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317344146 Good questions elicit interesting and alternative views, focus on reasoning instead of right and wrong]]> 2019-01-03 22:04:54 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317344146 Caution! shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317344336 "A punchy question might provoke lively discussion but not point to big ideas and goals."]]> 2019-01-03 22:07:10 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317344336 Is it clear to students that their job is inquiry? shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317344401 2019-01-03 22:07:46 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317344401 Is it an essential question shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317344452 six factors on page 110]]> 2019-01-03 22:08:20 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317344452 Topical vs. Overarching (see fig 5.1 page 115) shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317344514

topical essential questions are more specific:

"What do ceremonial masks reveal about the Inca culture?"
using only topical questions does not ensure transfer

overarching essential questions are more general:

useful for framing courses K-12
"In what ways does art reflect, as well as shape, culture?"

]]> 2019-01-03 22:09:07 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317344514 Intent shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317344911

Essential questions can be open or guiding.

Open questions challenge students to think more deeply about recurring or unsettled issues

Guiding questions guide toward a deeper understanding of a big idea

See chart on page 116

]]> 2019-01-03 22:13:36 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317344911 Good examples on connections between topical and overarching questions shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317345074 See page 119]]> 2019-01-03 22:15:46 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317345074 "An unending dose of straightforward coverage and the sense that school is about "right answers" can easily make it seem as if the experts do not have questions, only the foolish and ignorant do." shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317345172 page 122]]> 2019-01-03 22:16:42 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317345172 Chapter Six: Understandings shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317701952 2019-01-06 21:43:41 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317701952 Understandings shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317702002

sentence

makes claims about big ideas

proposes abstract or transferable ideas

have to be worked through and validated, not just stated as fact

understandings are inferences drawn from facts

should be enduring - endured over time and across cultures because it has been proven to be important and useful; helps students make sense of content and enables transfer

]]> 2019-01-06 21:44:00 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317702002 Six Features of Understandings shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317702069 See pages 128-130]]> 2019-01-06 21:44:46 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317702069 A Generalization is shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317702122

broad and abstract

universal in application

generally timeless - carry through the ages

represented by different examples

]]> 2019-01-06 21:45:30 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317702122 Overarching Understandings vs. Topical Understandings shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317702194 Overarching

links to big ideas
points beyond particulars of a topic or unit
the "so what?"

Topical

particular understandings cultivated on specific topics

]]> 2019-01-06 21:46:32 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317702194 Understandings in Skill Areas shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317702456 example on page 133

]]> 2019-01-06 21:49:38 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317702456 shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317702581 "No statement is inherently a fact or an understanding. It depends on who the learners are and what their experience has been.]]> 2019-01-06 21:51:38 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317702581 shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317702625 Introduce vocabulary when it will most clarify experience and ideas]]> 2019-01-06 21:52:21 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317702625 Think of understandings as a blueprint shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317702680 2019-01-06 21:53:18 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317702680 shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317702695 Verbal knowledge is not the point. Evidence of understandings is the point.]]> 2019-01-06 21:53:35 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317702695 Summary of Chapter is good shickman11 https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317702741 page145]]> 2019-01-06 21:54:00 UTC https://padlet.com/shickman11/encktphsa65b/wish/317702741