Understanding by Design
Wiggins and McTighe (2005) explain that the content and curriculum we produce should be constructed from the results we are intending our students to achieve, instead of from methods, books, and activities. My current master teacher has always taught us to "begin with the end in mind" when we are lesson planning because everything we plan for that lesson will be geared toward reaching our intended goal. Creating this blended learning course must rely on what the district wants students to achieve by the end of the school year for our state test. In our district, we are given the lessons, activities, and assessments that they deem necessary for student success. Although, as we all know each child, classroom, and teacher are different, so I believe the curriculum should be adjusted as needed. Wiggins and McTighe (2005) support this claim by stating we do not have the freedom to teach what we want, but we are instead given guidance from our state and district levels to set the standards of what our students should know. This guide helps educators take those standards and create a course that will work best for their teaching style, and their students' learning style.
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References:
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Fink, L. D. (2003). A self-directed guide to designing courses for significant learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design (expanded second ed.). Alexandria, Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.