A Focus on UbD and Backward Design

1. UNDERSTANDING BY DESIGN
Bridging the Gap Between
Curriculum and Authentic Learning

2. TRAINING NORMS
• Take care of your personal needs
• Participate actively
• Be mindful of time limits
• Monitor personal use of technology
• Be respectful of learning and the learner

3. TRAINING OBJECTIVES:
BEGINNING WITHTHE
END IN MIND
We will:
• explore the curriculum design process utilizing UbD and
Backward Design
• write essential questions
• develop an action plan using Backward Design
• discuss strategies for implementation
• explore the role of technology and curriculum
• review effective instruction

4. INTRODUCEYOURSELF
• On the Padlet, introduce
yourself by sharing your name,
content, grade level and school.
• Take a selfie and include 1word
that describes your view of
“curriculum”.
• Be prepared to share why you
chose this word.
http://padlet.com/achapman/
UbDIntros

5. GETTING STARTED

6. “LEARNING GIVES CREATIVITY,
CREATIVITY LEADSTOTHINKING,
THINKING PROVIDES
KNOWLEDGE,
KNOWLEDGE MAKESYOU
GREAT.”
!
― A.P.J.ABDUL KALAM

7. WHY UNDERSTANDING BY
DESIGN?
• Understanding by Design represents a way of thinking about
the design of curriculum, instruction, and assessment and pulls
together many ideas and processes that have been tested both
through research and classroom use. Used independently, these
ideas and processes are valuable. Used within the conceptual
framework of Understanding by Design, these ideas and
processes can result in a way of thinking about curriculum,
instruction, and assessment that can give rise to powerful
learning experiences that result in deeper understandings of
facts, concepts, generalizations and principles.
(McTighe & Wiggins, 2005)

8. BIG IDEAS OF UBD
• Backward Design: Plans need to be aligned to be
effective
• Understanding vs Big Idea: Create a transfer of the
learning to “make it stick”; students should be able
to apply the learning
• Meaningful learning: Make it relevant to engage
and excite the learner; differentiated

9. A CLOSER LOOK AT
BACKWARD DESIGN
• Why is it called Backward Design?
• What are the basic steps to the
backward design planning process?
• How can I design an assessment
before I teach a unit?

10. WHAT IS BACKWARD DESIGN
• Backward design focuses thinking on the desired results
of instruction, rather than beginning the planning process
with activities, materials, or textbook content.What the
learner should know, understand, and be able to do as a
result of instruction serves as the focal point for the
planning of curriculum, instruction, and assessment.
By starting with assessments, we can focus on alignment
of our goals and means, and help ensure teaching is
focused on the desired results.
(Wiggins & McTighe 2005)
(SSCEDTool Kit)

11. Stage1: Identify Desired Results
Stage 2: Determine Acceptable Evidence
Stage 3: Plan Learning Experiences and
Instruction
THE BACKWARD DESIGN APPROACH
CONSISTS OFTHREE GENERAL
STAGES:

12. STAGES OF BACKWARD DESIGN
(McTighe & Wiggins, 2004)

13. To what extent does the design focus
on the big ideas of targeted content?
STAGE1: IDENTIFY DESIRED RESULTS
(Wiggins & McTighe, 2005)

14. STAGE1: IDENTIFY DESIRED RESULTS
WORTH BEING
FAMILIAR WITH
IMPORTANTTO
KNOW AND DO
“ENDURING”
UNDERSTANDING
KNOWLEDGE THAT IS
WORTH BEING FAMILIAR
WITH
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO
KNOW AND DO
UNDERSTANDINGS THAT ARE
ENDURING

15. STAGE1: IDENTIFY DESIRED RESULTS
• What long-term transfer goals are targeted?
• What meanings should students make?
• What essential questions will students explore?
• What knowledge & skill will students acquire?
(Wiggins & McTighe, 2005, pp. 105-125)

16. STAGE1: DEVELOPING ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
An essential question is:
• is open ended; has no simple “right answer.”
• is meant to be investigated, argued, looked at from different points of
view.
• encourages active “meaning making” by the learner about important
ideas.
• raises other important questions.
• naturally arises in everyday life, and/or in “doing” the subject.
• constantly and appropriately recurs; it can fruitfully be asked and re-
asked over time.
(McTighe & Wiggins, 2013)

17. Essential Questions Not Essential Questions
• How do the arts shape, as well
as reflect, a culture?
• What common artistic symbols were
used by the Incas and the Mayans?
• What do effective problem
solvers do when they get stuck?
• What steps did you follow to get your
answer?
• How strong is the scientific
evidence?
• What is a variable in scientific
investigations?
• Is there ever a "just" war? • What key event sparked World War I?
• How can I sound more like a
native speaker?
• What are common Spanish
colloquialisms?
• Who is a true friend? • Who is Maggie's best friend in the
story?
WHAT MAKES A QUESTION ESSENTIAL?
(McTighe & Wiggins, 2013)

18. Question Is it
Essential?
1. In what year was the Battle of Hastings fought? Yes/No
2. How do effective writers hook and hold their
readers?
Yes/No
3. Is biology destiny? Yes/No
4. Onomatopoeia—what's up with that? Yes/No
5. What are examples of animals adapting to their
environment?
Yes/No
6. What are the limits of arithmetic? Yes/No
IS IT ESSENTIAL?
(McTighe & Wiggins, 2004, p. 4)

19. Question Is the
question
essential?
Commentary
1. In what year was
the Battle of
Hastings fought?
No This is a factual question with a single correct answer.
2. How do effective
writers hook and
hold their readers?
Yes This is a rich question for exploring the many facets of effective writing,
including different genres, audience/purpose connections, writer's voice, and
organizational structures.
3. Is biology
destiny?
Yes This is intended to be a thought-provoking, open question with many nuances
(so don't be fooled by the phrasing).
4. Onomatopoeia—
what's up with that?
No Although the format of the question may wake up a sleepy student, it doesn't
really open up worthy inquiry. At best, it can lead to a definition of a new term.
5. What are
examples of
animals adapting to
their environment?
No This is a useful question for helping students understand the concept of
adaptation in various manifestations; however, there are specific answers that
could be found in a book.
6. What are the
limits of arithmetic?
Yes This is an open question, widely applicable across mathematical topics across
the grades; the question helps students come to understand an abstract yet
important idea: mathematics involves tools and methods that have both
strengths and limitations.
(McTighe & Wiggins, 2004, p. 15)
ANSWERS

20. YOURTURN
With your content team, develop 5
essential questions pertaining to
established goals or selectedTEKS.

21. YOURTURN
Do your questions meet the following criteria?
Essential Questions are:
• Asked to stimulate ongoing thinking and inquiry
• Raise more questions
• Spark discussion and debate
• Asked and re-asked throughout the unit
• Demand justification and support
• "Answers" may change as understanding deepens
(McTighe & Wiggins, 2004)

22. BREAK FOR 10 MINUTES

23. SHARE OUT
How is developing essential questions different from
writing leading questions?
• I was surprised…
• I found that…
• I realized that…
• I learned...

24. To what extent do the assessments
provide fair, valid, reliable and sufficient
measures of the desired results?
STAGE 2: DETERMINE ACCEPTABLE
EVIDENCE
(McTighe & Wiggins, 2005, p. 146)

25. LET’S DISCUSS
• What are the purposes of assessment?
• What are ways to assess?
• How do we decide if an assessment is
aligned with the curriculum?
Post your group responses on this
collaborative google doc. Please feel free to
comment on other groups responses
!
http://tinyurl.com/pumldl6

26. • What performances and products
will reveal evidence of meaning-
making and transfer?
• What additional evidence will be
collected for other desired results?
STAGE 2: DETERMINE ACCEPTABLE
EVIDENCE
(McTighe & Wiggins, 2005, p. 146)

27. • What activities, experiences, and lessons will lead to
achievement of the desired results and success at
the assessments?
• How will the learning plan help students of
Acquisition, Meaning Making, andTransfer?
• How will the unit be sequenced and differentiated
to optimize achievement for all learners?
STAGE 3: PLAN LEARNING EXPERIENCES
AND INSTRUCTION
(McTighe & Wiggins, 2005, pp. 197-222)

28. WHERETO
Acronym for considering and
self-assessing the key elements
and logic of a learning plan:
(McTighe & Wiggins, 2005)

29. Where: ensuring that the
student sees the big picture
WHERETO

30. !
Hook: engaging the student in thought-
provoking experiences, challenges and
questions at the heart of the unit
WHERETO

31. !
Equip & Experience: providing the student
with the tools, resources, skill, and
information needed to achieve the desired
understandings; and successfully accomplish
the performance tasks
WHERETO

32. Rethink: enhance understanding by shifting
perspective, considering different theories,
challenging prior assumptions, introducing
new evidence and ideas, etc.
WHERETO

33. Evaluate: ensuring that students get
diagnostic and formative feedback, and
opportunities to self-assess and self-adjust
WHERETO

34. !
Tailor: Personalize the learning
through differentiated instruction,
assignments and assessments without
sacrificing validity or rigor
WHERETO

35. Organize: Sequence the work to
suit the understanding goals
WHERETO

36. TIMETO PUT
TOGETHER
THE PIECES
Developing an
Action Plan using
Backwards Design

37. (McTighe & Wiggins, 2004)

38. CONTENTTEAM WORKTIME

39. REFLECTION
How is this different from how you
currently design? What did you discover by
designing in this way?
Post your Backward Design reflection on
Today’s Meet: https://todaysmeet.com/
BackwardsDesignReflection

40. BREAK FOR 10 MINUTES

41. 6 FACETS OF
UNDERSTANDING
• Can Explain
• Can Interpret
• Can Apply
• Has Perspective
• Can Empathize
• Has Self-Knowledge
(McTighe & Wiggins, 2004, p. 23)

42. OLDVS. NEW BLOOM’STAXONOMY
OF COGNITIVE DOMAIN
- Knowledge vs Remembering
- Comprehension vs Understanding
- Application vs Applying
- Analysis vs Analyzing
- Synthesis vs Evaluating
- Evaluation vs Creating
(Robinson, 2009, pp. 25-27)

43. HOW DO STUDENTS LEARN
BEST?

44. MAKING LEARNING
MEANINGFUL

45. WHY TECHNOLOGY?
Enhancement
Transformational

46. OUR LEARNERS NEED ATHINKING
CURRICULUMTHAT IS RELEVANT TO
THEM
“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those
who cannot read and write, but those who cannot
learn, unlearn, and relearn.” - AlvinToffler
• Competition - with themselves
• Cooperation - with others
• Collaboration - learning is social

47. TECHNOLOGY AS ATOOL
FOR DIFFERENTIATION
Teachers, students, and districts benefit by
“working smarter” and using technology
and other vehicles to collaboratively
design, share, and critique units of study.
(Tomlinson & McTighe, 2006, p. 11)

48. THETRUTH ABOUTTECHNOLOGY
INTHE CLASSROOM
• Technology enables them to reinforce and expand on
content (74%),
• to motivate students to learn (74%),
• and to respond to a variety of learning styles (73%).
• Seven in 10 teachers (69%) surveyed said educational
technology allows them to “do much more than ever
before” for their students.
(PBS, 2013)

49. REFLECTION
• What role does technology play in the
development of a viable and relevant
curriculum?
• Why should we be intentional in planning
for learning with and through technology?
• How does this “fit” in the backward
design process?
TWEET your reflection to
#UbDwithTECH

50. THE LEARNING
ENVIRONMENT

51. MAKING ITTRANSLATE: EFFECTIVE
INSTRUCTIONAL SKILLS
• The teacher in the classroom makes the
difference.
• Teacher behaviors have a direct link to student
achievement
• Classroom instruction and climate have nearly as
much impact on learning as student aptitude.
(Marzano, 2009)

52. EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION
“In effective classrooms, teachers consistently attend
to at least four elements:
1. whom they teach (students),
2. where they teach (learning environment),
3. what they teach (content), and
4. how they teach (instruction).
If teachers lose sight of any one of the elements and
cease investing effort in it, the whole fabric of their
work is damaged and the quality of learning impaired.”
(McTighe & Wiggins, 2005, p. 2)

53. LONG STORY SHORT…
THE TEACHER
MATTERS!!!

54. MOVING FORWARD
• As an effective instructional leader, you will work with
your team to implement UbD to support student learning
and achievement.
• Quality control: CCAPS, Benchmarks, Instructional Rounds,
Backward Design planning process, quarterly curriculum
reviews
• Support: PLCs, Instructional Walkthroughs, Feedback,Vertical
Teams

55. IN CLOSING: UBD BIG IDEAS
1. The primary goal of quality curriculum design is to
develop and deepen student understanding.
2. Evidence of student understanding is revealed when
students apply (transfer) knowledge in authentic contexts.
3. Effective curriculum development following the principles
of backward design helps avoid the twin problems of
textbook coverage and activity-oriented teaching in which
no clear priorities and purposes are apparent.
4. Regular reviews of curriculum and assessment designs,
based on design standards, provide quality control and
inform needed adjustments.
(Tomlinson & McTighe, 2006, pp. 1-11)

56. IN CLOSING: UBD BIG IDEAS, CONT.
5. Teachers provide opportunities for students to
explore, interpret, apply, shift perspectives, empathize,
and self-assess.These six facets provide conceptual
lenses through which student understanding is
assessed.
6. Teachers, students, and districts benefit by “working
smarter” and using technology and other vehicles to
collaboratively design, share, and critique units of study.
7. UbD is not a program, but a way of thinking, not a
program. with the goal of promoting better student
understanding. (Tomlinson & McTighe, 2006, pp. 1-11)

57. REFERENCES
Marzano, R. J. (2009). Designing & teaching learning goals & objectives. Bloomington, IN:
Marzano Research Laboratory.
Marzano, R. J., Pickering, D. J., & Pollock, J. E. (2001). Classroom instruction that works:
Research-based strategies for
increasing student achievement.Alexandria,VA:Association
for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
McTighe, J., & Wiggins, G. P. (2013). Essential questions: opening doors to student
understanding. :Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
McTighe, J., & Wiggins, G. (2004). Understanding by Design: Professional Development
Workbook.ASCD:Alexandria, Virginia USA.
PBS Survey FindsTeachers Are Embracing Digital Resources to Propel Learning : PBS.
(2013, February 4). Retrieved July 23, 2014, from http://www.pbs.org/about/news/archive/
2013/teacher-tech-survey/
Robinson, C. (2009,April). Using ASQ’s body of knowledge to answer common questions.
Journal for Quality and Participation, 25-27.

58. REFERENCES, CONT.
SSCEDTool Kit. (n. d.). Understanding by design. Retrieved July 28, 2014, from https://elearn.uta.edu/
bbcswebdav/pid-3191952-dt-content-rid-23931259_2/courses/2145-CURRICULUM-
DESIGN-53902-011/UbD.pdf
Tomlinson, C.A., & McTighe, J. (2006). Integrating differentiated instruction and understanding by design:
Connecting content and kids.Alexadria,VA:Association
for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design (2nd edition).Alexandria, VA:Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Youtube.com. (nd). Learning to change, changing to learn. Retrieved on Sept. 8, 2010, from http://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tahTKdEUAPk
Youtube.com. (nd). Pay attention. Retrieved on July. 28, 2014, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=aEFKfXiCbLw&feature=related
Youtube.com. (nd).Three steps for 21st century learning. Retrieved on Sept. 8, 2010, from http://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPQlu5Vxm28
Youtube.com. (nd).Why is Creativity Important in Education? Sir Ken RobinsonVideo Series from Adobe
Education. Retrieved July 17, 2014, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywIhJ2goiGE