Teaching with the goal in mind

     As the summer term winds down, we have been considering Backward Design curriculum and the upcoming standardized tests for the Common Core State Standards. In Backward Design, the teacher approaches planning the academic year or academic unit by first considering the goals of the curriculum. Teachers begin with the end in mind and work "backwards" to establish the road map to get the students from where they are currently to that desired end goal. This requires that assessments be made that would appropriately assess the desired learning outcomes next. Finally, the actual lesson and activities which will scaffold students' learning are planned last. This design method is meant to ensure that students (and teachers) have a clear idea of where they're headed, which would ideally make the learning process more effective and efficient.

Accessed from: http://kencito54.wordpress.com/author/kencito54/page/2/

Recently at our summer school placement, I had the opportunity to employ this design while planning a simple lesson for helping a student develop their metacognitive skills for reading, analyzing and solving math texts. I felt clunky and sloppy in the actual implementation of the lesson, but I expected this and probably should have expected the frequency at which that inner voice said, "What do you ask her next? Do I direct her or ask her her predictions?" The skills for directing and scaffolding a student's learning will come with time, but I am grateful to be introduced to the concept of Backward Design now, so that I can begin to think about the large picture and develop strategies for working my way back to the lesson. While working with my very patient student, it helped so much to have an understanding in place of what I wanted the student to learn and how I would assess her at the end of the process in order to have evidence of her learning.

    I am experiencing this MAC program as a process of enlightenment (not exactly the same thing as the 18th century movement, but definitely a remolding of the mind). What I mean by this is that the teacher curtain is being pulled back and my lens into the classroom is shifting from the student perspective to that of the teacher's. It is exciting to move from the somewhat passive role of the student's viewpoint of the daily classroom lesson and activities. I knew that my teachers had a plan and a direction for where we were headed in the given two-week unit. I didn't spend much time considering their perspective, but if asked, I likely would have guessed that they planned their lessons a few days in advance, putting it together. This may have been true for one teacher or another, certainly, but stepping back I wonder if my teachers utilized their teaching moves effectively enough that I never noticed them, as they fostered my learning. 

    An example of this curtain-pull during our Ed Tech class was a group activity where two groups of two had to each assemble half of a picture puzzle. They didn't know what the other team had and couldn't look. The only way to solve the puzzle was through the two groups communicating verbally about what they saw in front of them. Ultimately, they solved the puzzle together by developing a common language around the puzzle, which moved gradually from specific details they observed in the picture pieces to an abstract coordinate system. An exciting activity that we were then invited to look more deeply into by considering the teacher's reasoning behind this choice of activity. Continuing with the gaming theme from last week, this activity seemed to promote team work, communication, problem solving, etc. in the context of a "gaming" inspired classroom. We were then invited to consider how we could use this activity in our own disciplines. By generating our own ideas for the game's utility in our own classrooms, helped me to take on the teacher's lens and interpret this activity from the viewpoint of the desired outcomes, not the student desk....

       Throughout this summer term, I feel that I am coming to a deeper understanding of the phrase:

Teaching is a science and an art.

Accessed from: flashmobsintheclassroom.blogspot.com

That's all for the summer term! It's hard to believe the work I've accomplished and the relationships I have had the privilege of establishing with fellow MACers and our professors. Look forward to more blogging from me in the fall!