UbD+Lesson+Reflection+Notes

Lesson Design Reflection

 * What makes this lesson an example of the instructional model you studied?**
 * Followed a template to define the big picture prior to mapping out the little picture.
 * Planning occurred in a "backward" way. The global is before specific.
 * This was a lesson plan that was already implemented but it was very difficult to implement.
 * I don't feel that my lesson is a good example of UbD.
 * We determined what was to be learned and understood first to lead to instruction.
 * Working backwards, starting with goal then working down to activities.
 * Identified what we wanted to assess and how and directed everything towards that.
 * All elements to fulfill each stage are included in the plan.
 * Sticks to a specific skill.
 * Followed template to define the big picture before breaking it into its individual components.


 * What made this lesson planning easy?**
 * Coming up with knowledge and skills - organization of template was helpful.
 * It wasn't easy at all, but I had to focus on what "really matters" in terms of student goals. It took the focus off of the activities and stressed what they should be learning.
 * It was not easy. It was very difficult to use.
 * The only thing that I found easy was the listing of the learning activities in the learning plan.
 * The template provided understanding to what would be consistent with other teachers and how I would implement what is meant for the students to understand.
 * The template asks specific questions which forces you to look at large picture and then break into specifics.
 * Easy to identify knowledge and skills that we want students to possess.
 * Forced me to think about and articulate every step.
 * Teaching/assessment activities are things I've already used.
 * Once we got through the enduring understandings and essentail questions completed knowledge/skills and learning plans easier.


 * What made this lesson planning difficult?**
 * Ambiguity of enduring understandings and essential questions. We need training on how to write these.
 * Differentiating between the different desired results in Stage 1.
 * Coming to the realization that some of what is currently being done isn't critical as was thought. Should I still do what I am doing? Is it as effective as I thought?
 * The essential question and overall terminology was not user-friendly.
 * It was very difficult for me to differentiate between the components of the model and truly understand what each one meant.
 * The enduring understandings and essential questions and various components seem vague and difficult to determine the differences. The process seems time consuming.
 * Understanding what should go under each category.
 * Hard to discern difference between goals, understandings, EQ's.
 * I'm hoping that this is for unit planning. This is very time-consuming if this needs to be done for fifty classes a week.
 * Trying to "fit" what I already do into the jargon (pieces) of this model (enduring understandings/essentail questions).
 * Difficult to identify big ideas and essential questions.
 * Too time consuming to write such a detailed lesson plan for each day.
 * Elementary level teachers would have an immense amount of lesson plan writing


 * How were you able to maintain your teaching personality and strengths within this model?**
 * Freedom to select learning activities and performance tasks.
 * That occurs in the Learning Plan - Stage 3.
 * With the learning activities.
 * This could be accomplished through the learning activities.
 * I think you can once Stage 1/Stage 2 have been determined.
 * The activity section allows for individuality in getting the students to understand the essential quesiton.
 * The actual lesson (how do I get to goals, EQ's, etc.) leaves lots of room for individuality, style, etc. all while having common language.
 * Stage 3 provides me with the best opportunity to teach creatively.
 * I could still see how my current activities are fine for meeting standards at my grade level.
 * Learning activities allow teacher to individualize lesson: types of graphic organizers, group vs. individual work, discussion vs. written response, use LFS materials.


 * Positives:**
 * Understand the idea of moving backwards through the curriculum- unclear about the day-to-day lesson plans
 * Has same elements of the curriculum planning course document that's being revised


 * Questions**:
 * When will time be made to work on this collaboratively by all?


 * Comments**:
 * It's hard to comment on the above topics since UbD is about the unit plan - not the lesson plan.
 * Taking basic learning and taking it to the inquiry method.
 * Asking questions versus making statements makes students more accountable.
 * This philosophy of "big ideas" and "essential questions" is more applicable to curriculum level committee work.
 * We like the philosophy of backward design, of planning with the end in mind.