Large Group Directions
This activity contains a series of articles, with accompanying guiding questions that address various aspects of the three stages of backward design. For large groups, two approaches to using these articles may be appropriate:
1. At the conclusion of viewing the video content, participants can jigsaw the articles, forming expert groups for each article with a fol-low-up summary to the large group: What does the article suggest about key elements of the backward design process?
2. The articles can also be used as a follow-up activity to enhance whole-group professional development. Individuals or teams, for example, might review each article and be prepared to offer sum-marizing conclusions for the large group at their next training session.
Small Study Group Directions
The rich variety of articles with accompanying guiding questions included in this strand offer an ideal set of resources for small study groups. For example, each article could be used as a catalyst for a small study group seminar.
Small study group participants can all read the same article or rely on individuals to serve as group facilitators for discussion of individual articles. Use the Article Summaries to decide who will read which article, then use the Overall Guiding Questions to focus the discussion.
Independent Study Directions
The articles with accompanying guiding questions in this section offer a varied range of resources for independent study and self-refl ection on the three stages of backward design. In addition to the guiding ques-tions included for each reading, individuals reading these articles might
Small Study Group
Activities Understanding by Design in the Classroom
Article Summaries
“The Most Important Data” by Leslye S. Abrutyn
By targeting an area for improvement and gathering informa-tion directly from students, this district sets a clear direcinforma-tion for teaching and learning.
“Linking Formative Assessment to Scaffolding” by Lorrie A. Shepard Learning theory supports four effective strategies common to both formative assessment and scaffolding.
“Looking at Student Work” by Georgea M. Langer and Amy B. Colton Collaborative analysis of student learning can be the lifeblood of school improvement.
“Helping Students Understand Assessment” by Jan Chappuis
Formative assessments promote learning when they help stu-dents answer three questions: Where am I going? Where am I now? and How can I close the gap?
“My Year as a High School Student” by Deborah Waldron
A stint in students’ shoes helped a science teacher examine her own practice.
“Seven Practices for Effective Learning” by Jay McTighe and Ken O’Connor
Teachers in all content areas can use these seven assessment and grading practices to enhance learning and teaching.
“A Time and a Place for Authentic Learning” by Joseph S. Renzulli, Marcia Gentry, and Sally M. Reis
Challenge students to solve everyday problems in meaningful contexts, and the learning will take care of itself.
“The Engaged Classroom” by Sam M. Intrator
Nothing defl ates a teacher more than bored students. Here’s how teachers can get teens energized about learning.
Independent StudySmall Study Group
M ov i n g F o r wa rd w i t h U n d e r s t a n d i n g by D e s i g n
Overall Guiding Questions
Use the following questions to refl ect on the article you’ve read.
1. What does the article suggest about the connections and relation-ships between and among Stages 1, 2, and 3 of the backward design process?
2. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the ideas and recom-mendations in the article?
3. How might you make use of the suggestions and ideas presented in the article to enhance your professional activities and work with staff and students?
Ac t i v i t i e s U n d e r s t a n d i n g by D e s i g n i n t h e C l a s s ro o m
Large GroupSmall Study GroupIndependent Study
By targeting an area for improvement and gathering information directly from students, this district sets a clear direction for teaching and learning.
The good news for educators is that more data than ever are available to help us improve student achievement. The bad news is that we are often overwhelmed with so much data that we hardly know where to begin. We’re unclear about which data to use, who should use it, and how to use it effectively.
In Penn-Delco School District, we have very good news about data. We use a one-day process to gather authentic, rich data that has not only propelled student achievement to new levels but also transformed our schools into collaborative communities focused on results.
Located in a suburban area outside Philadel-phia, Penn-Delco serves approximately 3,400 students in its four elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. In the late 1990s, while attending a regional meeting, a small group of our administrators viewed a video demonstrating a walk-through process developed by Lauren Resnick from the Institute for Learning at the University of Pittsburgh. A walk-through is an organized school or class-room tour focused on teaching and learning.
The walk-through process developed by Resn-ick focuses on looking at student work and talking with students to determine what they can express about their learning. We realized that this strategy could hold the key to school improvement.
How We Gather Data
In our district, the walk-through process begins each August when a committee of teachers
at each school reviews the data from a vari-ety of assessments—the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA), the TerraNova standardized achievement test, and district assessments—to identify areas that need improvement. Each school chooses one such area to tackle and develops specifi c questions to ask students.
In the fall, each school conducts the fi rst walk-through of the year. Administrators, teach-ers, and invited community members walk through the school, interviewing every student about his or her learning. The process var-ies from school to school. In most cases, the school sets up desks in the hallway and pulls students out of their classrooms individually to be interviewed. A typical interview lasts about fi ve minutes. All students can be interviewed within a few hours if the school can sign up and train enough interviewers.
The teacher committee collects the data sheets and meets to analyze student responses and to target priority areas for improvement.
Usually the committee meets the same day and tallies the data in an hour or two, either manu-ally or by computer. At the next faculty meet-ing, the committee provides the teaching staff with the results and its recommendations. The school now has a focus for the year, and teach-ers begin in earnest to work on the committee’s recommendations. The following spring, each school conducts a second walk-through to determine how much growth the school has made in the focus area.
Identifying Questions, Getting Answers Over the years, our schools have targeted many topics for investigation. Math problem solv-ing, for example, is vital and lends itself well