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Edu695-Reflective Discourse

This document discusses how teachers should plan lessons based on student outcomes and engagement. It emphasizes the importance of understanding students and designing lessons around backward design principles. The goal is for students to develop critical thinking skills and understand concepts on a deep level. Assessments should also be designed to determine if students have achieved the learning targets.

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66 views

Edu695-Reflective Discourse

This document discusses how teachers should plan lessons based on student outcomes and engagement. It emphasizes the importance of understanding students and designing lessons around backward design principles. The goal is for students to develop critical thinking skills and understand concepts on a deep level. Assessments should also be designed to determine if students have achieved the learning targets.

Uploaded by

api-232953941
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I will learn.

~Benjamin Franklin This quote sums up the direction of education today. This sentiment is the inspiration that drove me to become a teacher. Despite the fact that Benjamin Franklin was born over 300 years ago, only in recent years have educators shifted from direct instruction and lecturing to actively engaging students in their own learning process. As a teacher I must plan my lessons around student outcomes and pave the way through differentiation and student engagement. Learning about ones students in the key to designing curricula that will motivate them to be involved and inspire them to excel. The first thought to consider when planning a lesson is what students will know at the end of the lesson. Before deciding how to implement a lesson, I determine what knowledge and skill proficiencies students need to have at the end of the lesson or unit of study. Learning targets set by the school district and Common Core State Standards are used to establish both the student outcomes and paths taken to bring students through a successful learning experience. I apply the concepts laid out in Understanding by Design, (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005), also known as backward design. It is crucial to plan and execute lessons with purpose and intent. In order to develop students critical thinking skills, it is important to bring pupils to deep understanding of the material, where they can explain concepts in their own words to interpret, compare and contrast different ideologies. By starting the lesson planning process with the end in mind, students are better able to grasp the objectives of the lesson. By actively engaging students in the learning process, we are employing motivational strategies. We all learn better when we understand the end goal. If we want students to develop into caring, empathetic and involved citizens, we must provide varying perspectives and the ability to synthesize what they learn in the classroom with what they experience in their lives. These are known as 21st Century Skills. Understanding motivational theories helps teachers to reach students of all abilities and learning styles. For some, building intrinsic values for success will be the key, while other students might need extrinsic rewards and acknowledgement to be motivated to learn. Understanding the developmental needs and abilities of students helps teachers be more effective and raises student achievement. Assessments are the evidence of learning. Just as a variety of teaching strategies should be employed, a variety of assessments should be utilized to determine whether or not students have reached specified learning targets. Teachers must be as involved in designing fair and useful assessment tools as they are in designing engaging lessons that meet learning standards. My experiences over the course of my graduate studies at U.N.E have afforded me growth and knowledge. My courses were all relevant and the assignments have

broadened my scope and deepened my understanding of many facets of being a highly effective teacher. I now have a library of reference material that will carry me through many years of teaching. Most importantly, my instructors provided constructive and positive feedback, as well as encouragement when I felt overwhelmed. The support of my cohort, and supporting my peers, is evidence of a great PLC at work. I have benefited greatly from the group discussions in the five online classes that were part of my program. As a newly minted teacher I ready to lead my own classroom with confidence and enthusiasm.

Sources: McTighe, J., Wiggins, G., (2005). Understanding by Design (2 and Curriculum Development.
nd

ed.). Virginia: Association for Supervision

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