UbDDI+B2+Chapter+1


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Kirsten
This chapter was hard to pick through, because I do not have a clear idea as to what UbD or DI are, but I did gather some key points that I feel will be useful when considering how I will teach and what methods I may utilize. I really like the idea of differentiated instruction, because I have been in classrooms throughout my education where there were varying abilities and had teachers who worked with the students and altered lesson plans, and I’ve had teachers who’ve not been so willing work with their students and investigate their needs. When students are working at an appropriate level, as the chapter describes, they’re more motivated to do the work because they don’t have the additional worry of either being overwhelmed or being bored out of their skulls. I also found the scenarios provided were helpful in understanding the points the authors were trying to present about the combining of UbD and DI. The examples of how Mr. Axelt would use his time or work with individual students sort of simulated an observation of a class and allowed me to “file away” certain ideas. While certain aspects of the two methods are still a little shady to me, I do understand that UbD focuses on the curriculum and how you present the subject and DI focuses on the students and how you make that curriculum digestible for each student.

Jennie
The point that I really liked in the first chapter was Axiom 7: ”UbD is a way of thinking, not a program.” It seems like all of the government’s ideas about education, for example No Child Left Behind, in the past ten years, it seems like everything is a program, that is supposed to be followed to the letter. When in reality, everything in education screams against a program. Every student is different. They all require some planning but even the best-laid plans have to change. No program can have account for all the holes and different situations that arise in the public school system. So you have to learn to adjust.

Ryan Snowman
This chapter outlines the ideas and logic behind Understanding by Design and Differentiated Instruction. The primary goal for combining UBD and DI is to make sure that students get the structure and guidance of effective curriculum design, but at the same time, making sure all learning needs are addressed. Understanding by Design is the curriculum piece to the teaching puzzle, emphasizing teaching students for understanding, whereas DI looks at teaching so students specific learning needs. I think it is important for students to be taught for understanding, instead of having the teachers “spoon feed” them the information. It also very important for teachers to realize that not all students learn the same way, and that as a teacher, I will have to adapt my teaching style to fit the needs of my students.

Brittany
The main goals of teaching are presented in chapter one of //Integrating: Differentiated Instruction + Understanding by Design//. How to most effectively convey the correct material to students is the main goal of teaching in a classroom. This goal can be achieved by learning the ways in which the students learn best and planning lessons around that information. A key to making this a success is breaking the class down into smaller groups by learning styles so that the teacher can focus on targeting each style effectively. This technique will impact my future classroom because I plan on using the ideas pertaining to teaching to smaller groups that are divided by learning styles. This way each student is getting the direction he/she needs in the most effective manner.

Cara
As the time drew nearer and nearer for me to begin practicum, I began to wonder how a teacher can teach the same material to a class of 20 students. The first chapter of this book introduced me to Understanding by Design and Differentiated Instruction and I already know that this book will follow me to my first classroom. The opening sentence of the last paragraph of chapter one really caught me; “Professionals in any field are distinguished by two characterizes: (1) They act on the most current knowledge that defines the field, and (2) they are client centered and adapt to meet the needs of individuals.“ (Tomlinson and McTighe 11) A teacher must know their subject and design a curriculum which is flexible to the needs of the students in the classroom.

Ryan
In chapter one of //Integrating// by Carol Ann Tomlinson and Jay McTighe I learned how important it is to use differentiated instruction and understanding by design in the classroom. Another aspect of this chapter I really enjoyed was how important it is to look back on assessments and see if anything needs to be changed. This knowledge will impact me by trying to learn more about understanding by design and differentiated instruction. Also this knowledge will impact me as a teacher by trying to incorporate the ideas of understanding by design and differentiated instruction into my future classroom. Also I would want to look back over my assessments and make sure they were a fair assessment of my students.

Scott
The diversity of the students in classrooms across America is changing in almost every way. As teachers we need to use both Understanding by Design and Differentiated Instruction in order to maximize learning. The chapter tells us students that teachers do not find it satisfying to simply serve up a curriculum without regards to who it is that they are teaching. In classrooms that promote effective learning teachers are sure to attend to the question of whom they teach, where they teach, what they teach, and how they teach. If any of these elements are forgotten then the quality learning is put into jeopardy. To summarize UbD simply, it is the elements of what we teach, what assessments we us, and what curriculum design model we use. UbD would be ineffective without DI, which relates to who we teach, where we teach, how we teach, and finding an effect process to make sure that everyone learns instruction. What I got out of this chapter is to constantly remind myself to be checking that I am fulfilling the elements to provide effective learning.

Jordan
Differentiated Instruction is something to be practiced, not mastered, in the field of education. More important than anything, students need to be coached on how to identify the main ideas of the course as well as thinking in more meaningful ways. “Quality classrooms evolve around powerful knowledge that works for each student” (Tomlinson and McTighe 3), not a classroom that works around a teacher that dictates to students. This chapter has introduced not only the idea of Differentiated Instruction, but also how to develop a plan that discretely incorporates these methods. Far too often teachers become focused on “differentiating the instruction” and not focused enough on “ensuring effective learning” (Tomlinson and McTighe 3) for students. In my experience, Differentiated Instruction has been forced upon teachers as an experiment and not something that is willingly done. In my experience, it seems to be too much of a hassle for a teacher to change a lesson plan regularly and tend to be more apt to follow the textbook. Understanding By Design could greatly impact my classroom; it will help me develop various methods of teaching students mathematics effectively in an interesting and original way than students are not used to.


 * Reference: ** Tomlinson, Carol Ann, and Jay McTighe. //Integrating Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design//. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2006. Print.

Corinne
This chapter outlined the definition of Understanding by Design and Differentiated Instruction and what it means in the classroom. It outlines a way of teaching that allows for all different learning types, by emphasizing the individual students and how they are taught so that they gain the ability to succeed. This chapter made an impact on me by reminding me of past teachers and their methods. I remembered that the really good teachers were the ones who taught me how to not only learn the content, but also gave me tools and ways of thinking that allowed me to succeed later on and in other subject areas.

Rachel
Combining understanding by design and differentiated instruction in one curriculum is important because the models are “mutually supportive of one another (2).” My understanding is that understanding by design involves teaching a curriculum that follows the standards that have to be met. It involves the principles of what is taught and how it is taught and the actual curriculum. Differentiated instruction, on the other hand, follows the theory of multiple intelligences and focuses on who and where we teach. They support each other so well because they basically take the required standards and tailor them to meet different students’ learning styles. As a teacher, there will be standards and subject matter that I am required to meet and include in my curriculum. I cannot forget, though, that different students learn in different ways, so I need to present the material in an engaging way that meets various learning styles.

**Sarah**
Chapter One was an excellent introduction to a new method of thinking about teaching. I felt I have always known that teaching was a melding of curriculum and student circumstance, but this was the first time I’ve seen it in writing. The most important and most practical passage that stood out to me was on page two where the demands of teaching were broken down into four categories, the “who”, “where”, “what” and “how” of teaching. These are four things I have committed to continuously ask myself when planning a lesson and while teaching.

Tim
I began my reading of chapter one with no idea what Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design was and finished the section with a clearer picture of what both of these components of the classroom was. Until reading this chapter, I never really thought of the large diversity of learners I could have in my classroom at one time. The idea of creating a curriculum that is both challenging to my students but easily understandable for all appears to be a formidable task to accomplish. Axiom one gave me a good idea of how to integrate UbD and DI into the classroom. Mr. Axelt appears to have literally every type of learner imaginable in his History class but is still able to develop a lesson plan that will allow every student to learn. What I will take most from this chapter is understanding that my classroom won’t be comprised of 30 students who all learn at the same rate. Lesson plans have to be carefully devised to give every learner an equal opportunity to understand the subject matter.

Drew
This chapter touches on the importance of incorporating both UbD and DI together in the classroom. It stresses that it is essential to create a strong curriculum while making that curriculum applicable and useful to a wide variety of learners. I have personally never thought of what it is that keeps a class together. The essentials, according to the reading, are answering to these four questions: whom you teach, where you teach, what you teach, and how you teach it. The point is that you must maintain a healthy balance of each in order to keep the classroom working. If you let one fall, the rest come after it. I have never heard of the terms axioms or corollaries before reading it in this text. From what I take of it, axioms are the principle pieces of Understanding by Design, and the corollaries are the support for the axioms via differentiated instructions for different learners. I can see where this would all be applicable in the classroom. Schools offer a variety of different people with different abilities and handicaps. If you are not flexible, the students you are not meeting will struggle or fail. It’s really good food for thought in terms of my future classroom, especially if it is in an inclusive school.

Leah
Together Understanding by Design (UbD) and Differentiated Instruction (DI) provide a model for teachers the incorporate both a strong, versatile curriculum while using instruction that meets individual students needs. The model also keeps educators focused on four essential elements in a class room: whom they teach, where they teach, what they teach and how they teach. Axioms and corollaries enable an instructor to keep focused on the goal of a lesson plan. Like the Maine learning standards, with this model the goals are set clearly, so that when creating a lesson or unit the vital points will not be muddled. Axiom six in particular illustrated how Dr. Theresa’s class will integrate well with UbD and DI and how it is technology is a really important piece to tapping into different intelligences.

Mykayla
Understanding by design and differentiated instruction are newer terms in my vocabulary. I am still not clear about what understanding by design is. I comprehend that it is dealing with the curriculum. Teachers, like myself, can use this technique to analyze the lesson to see what our students are focusing on for the duration of time. Differentiated instruction is how to apply the lesson to every different learner in the classroom. The scenarios provided show great ways to combine the two techniques so that all of the students can achieve the deeper thinking sought after by the educator.