This kind of planning could be regarded as revolutionary by many teachers. As opposed to having a forward planning, the authors Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe propose a backward planning in which there is a dramatic shift towards thinking about the desired results. In other words, we carry out our planning with the aim in mind.
Despite the little time teachers have so as to implement a rather complex planning such as the Ubd template by Wiggins, it could enormously helpful to do it. It grants us the guidance and orientation to avoid the pointless coverage of contents and disconnected and isolated activities which frankly do not lead us to any satisfactory results.
Additionally, Wiggins points out the importance of the big ideas which I find extremely relevant to the planning teachers carry out every year. When planning a course, for example, we might stick to a text-based approach in the sense that decisions may be made based on the selections of readings. We might even end up very satisfied because we were able to cover all the skills required for the course in question. However, we have to pose ourselves the following questions:
Is this selection of texts going to be memorable for my students?
Does it include enduring understandings capable of causing knowledge transfer in them?
It called my attention, as well, the situation labeled by Wiggins as Goldilocks Problem. Inevitably, if the goals are too broad and ambitious, at some point, understandings and assessment will be confusing for students and even for the teacher. To illustrate this, let me give you an example taken from my professional experience. Once I expected my students to be able to recognize and discuss the key aspects from the English Dynasties as from the Anglo-Saxons to the Victorians. Consequently, at the end of the year this objective turned out to be overwhelming for both students and teacher, and worst of all, the historical review ended up being forgettable.
Luckily, by using the Ubd template by Grant Wiggins teachers can incorporate essential questions, transferable big ideas, established goals, key knowledge and skills as far as the desired results are concerned.
It could be intellectually challenging to start working with a planning model like this one. But it is high time we adhered to it.
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‘In other words, we carry out our planning with the aim in mind’.
ResponderEliminarThe quote above is of course a statement that sounds as revolutionary or out of what one may normally expect regarding methodological or assessment issues, that it cannot be left without any comment.
It is an intellectual challenge to start thinking, reflecting and working with a planning model like the one Wiggins et al propose. And this really implies start thinking about our own daily teaching as well.
Big ideas, as Wiggins says, are conceptual tools which have the power to reach the students’ minds and to reach transfer tasks, performance demands for the learners.
Despite the atractiveness of the terms, and irrespective of time constraints or any contextual impediments, it might be of help , at least start thinking about how to develop this big ideas and core tasks as well as using the Ubd template you have reffered to.
If you are afraid of crossing the river because the bridge may fall down, of course you may never know what is beyond the bridge.
Expanding our horizons is always benefitial.
Hi Roberto,
ResponderEliminarYes, the template can be of great help, we sometimes include too much information in our plannings that even for us it turns out a nightmare.
I think that besides helping students it will also help us by making our job more focused on what really matters.
Thanks!
Vicky
Hi Roberto,
ResponderEliminaryou're absolutely right when you mention the importance of selecting the right contents to teach, which must be included in our lessons under this concep of big ideas, in order to make them consistent and applicable enough. Otherwise, as you mentioned, they will become forgettable and we don't want to spend more time teaching our students things they'll forget in a few days or weeks. Good point!
As you said, planning forward but from backwards seems to be the key. Difficult ask, don’t you think? Since most of teachers were not so well trained in that and there are still important gaps to fill in this field. To reflect on the goals in order to clearly set them and core the needed tasks to do so can lead us to aim the teaching – learning process. Moreover, to base these goals on Big Ideas can solve some of the problems we face when planning and teaching. “Luckily, by using the Ubd template by Grant Wiggins teachers can incorporate essential questions, transferable big ideas, established goals, key knowledge and skills as far as the desired results are concerned”.
ResponderEliminarbig ideas must also include the right unforgettable contents to teach, how tiring is to teach te same to the same students twice?, if we have done it properly the first time we should not waste time by doing it again, identify your goals to identify the right contents, just them will take you through the right way.
ResponderEliminar