Wiggins Chapter 1

When we talk about designing in education, many teachers can agree on the difficultness that it implies. To design is the basis of our profession but unfortunately, the most affected one. The reasons, the lack of ideas that tells you how to do it, which procedures to use or in what should we focus on. In the first chapter of understanding by design, Wiggins gives you the parameters to start this designing. The most important statement in this chapter is the fact that teachers should design backwards. For this reason, Chapter 1 gives you the guide to do it well.

One of the important points that Wiggins presents in his book is the error that teachers do when designing. Many teachers believe that while more entertaining is the activity, the more students learn. However, this perception is hardly correct. In fact, many of these activities are in need of a real purpose. Children can be connected completely with the activity for almost the whole class. Unfortunately, looking this “connection or engagement” forward, it is strictly up in the air. It means that it is nothing that brings the activity down to earth. Another common mistake is the misunderstanding of the “Coverage” concept. Teachers are used to talk about coverage indicating that they have seen a certain amount of lessons; however, it does not imply an understanding of anything.

Afterwards, we found the stages of backward design. The first stage is the identification of the target results. what implies all the knowledge that, you want your students will be able to do and performance. Next, we found the determination of acceptable evidence. Here is what teachers will accept to say if students achieve or understood what was taught. Finally, there is the planning of the learning experiences and instructions: the clearness, the understanding and precision of the question to use. The importance of these stages is that they allow you to structure a well backward design, thus, making easier the process of design.

It is important to highlight why backward design is a fact of discussion for teachers. Wiggins explain to us that it is necessary to do this process because it helps teachers to maximize students’ knowledge but more, it lets you to make learning more effective. Finally, it is essential to put under spot the fact that teachers need to focus more on the purpose of the unit and each activity, instead of the methodology itself. It is more worthy to pay attention to what you think is more significant students know more than the how.

Wiggins Capter 8

The chapter 8 of Understanding by Design written by Wiggins presents us ideas that should be considered as primarily when evaluating students’ performance. To use criteria means that students have to be evaluated according to their range of performance and not to expect that they can do something that is out of their abilities.

The first idea that we could see as necessary was the fact of using an appropriate criteria or rubrics when evaluating. It is important that students can feel confident, thus, performing anything appropriately. The great problem that wigging highlighted in the chapter was teachers paying attention to unnecessary aspects. To avoid this, it is essential that teachers pay interest in quality of something instead of quantity.

Using criteria where students can demonstrate that they really acquired the knowledge is our second idea. A rubric or a criterion that focus on application of understanding is more valuable and important. It indicates that students are prepared to go the next step in the cognitive development.

Finally, we got to the idea that it is important to create rubric base on the performance students had before. Therefore, teachers can see or have in mind the probably success of students. It is helpful for teachers because they can see how they increase their understanding. Even more, it helps you to see how well are you improving in your lessons.

Understanding by Design 2 edition

Along our career as student of English Pedagogy, we have found that the main teachers’ problem is in the area of design. Not because they do not know how to do it but, the lack of imagination to solve the problem that rise from this issue is the weakness that they cannot manage.

Wigging in his text Understanding by Design 2 edition, highlighted important ideas related to this issue. The first one is the fact of setting goals in class which help you to maintain a connection between the content and the assessment to obtain good performances in the learning outcomes. It is necessary that the teacher put emphasis in the appropriate interaction of these elements, thus, having a better achievement of the goals. However, the importance of this point is the decision that teachers have to take based on the learning that she/he is going to teach, thus appealing the right skill and understanding.

The next idea is what they called “standard movement” which refers to the students’ knowledge and the ability to apply it in different fields. However the reality is different enough and the well functioning of this aspect have not been possible. The reason, teachers do not realize, actually, do not want to understand that if they do not prioritize the content of their lesson students will not master their cognitive abilities.

Finally, we found important to point out the “Big ideas” what called my attention the most here is how important is try to arrive or appeal to the big ideas that students are building in their minds because it helps them to develop their ability to reflect. We strongly believe this is the way to encourage to our students that they can develop their critical thinking and the deductive ability.

"My Understanding"

After reading the text called “Understanding by Design” wrote by Grant Wiggins and Jay Mc Tighe, you can deduce that the main ideas of the text are really important to create a good education and even more principal factors when teachers planning or giving a lesson.

The first idea that we took from the text was the understanding versus understand, and how they are a complex problem for teachers.

Understanding is related with the acquisition of a general meaning of information that takes place in our minds and which enables you to achieve more information starting from this data basis. While understand is the fact of showing evidence of this understanding, being able to do something meaningful with it through different tools such as, practice, analysis, interpretation, etc.

The problem that these concepts represent for teachers is that they do not know or do not distinguish the difference between both concepts. Thus, reinforcing just one concept and leaving the other isolated in children’s minds.

Another important idea is the fact of using transfer as a principal learning mechanism. Through transfer children´s minds can go from this demarcated learning to other themes or issues. Thus, improving the ability’s mind to gather and connect information, thus, creating new knowledge.

Finally, the idea of create meaningful assessments for students. Which one measure more than the performance of students, but also the misconceive concepts that they can have.