What is UbD™?

Understanding by Design® (UbD™) is a framework for improving student achievement. Emphasizing the teacher's critical role as a designer of student learning, UbD™ works within the standards-driven curriculum to help teachers clarify learning goals, devise revealing assessments of student understanding, and craft effective and engaging learning activities. Developed by nationally recognized educators Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, and published by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), Understanding by Design® is based on the following key ideas: A primary goal of education should be the development and deepening of student understanding. Students reveal their understanding most effectively when they are provided with complex, authentic opportunities to explain, interpret, apply, shift perspective, empathize, and self-assess. In practice, Understanding by Design® offers: The potential of UbD™ for curricular improvement has struck a chord in American education.

A.2 How does this work? - Ed Tech Challenge Question: How do I start? Answer: You've already started! Just keep clicking the green arrow at the bottom of the page. Question: Do I have to follow a timeline? Answer: You can take this course at your own pace. Question: Can I have an overview of what I will be creating this year? Answer: Your first task will be to transfer all your text and presentation documents into Google Apps and create a paperless classroom so that you can collaborate more efficiently with students and coworkers. Question: How will my progress be tracked? Answer: Your demonstration of learning will be represented by your Ed Tech Challenge Portfolio. Question: Is this course tied to any standards? Question: Will I get credit for this course? Answer: TBD. Learn more about the software we chose for this course.

Model Curriculum - Curriculum and Instruction Focus of K2 This video of the kindergarten classroom in a Boston Public School provides a look at curriculum and instruction using Focus on K2 (kindergarten), which was created by Boston Public Schools' Early Childhood Department. A grant called Focus on Early Literacy allowed teachers, instructional assistants, principals and specialists in several districts in Massachusetts to participate in professional development and implement one 8-week unit from Boston's Focus on K2 curriculum in the spring of 2015. Coming Soon! The ESL MCUs take a functional approach to language teaching and are organized around WIDA’s Key Uses of Academic Language. As part of a Race to the Top Grant, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) has developed over 100 Model Curriculum Units (MCUs.) These MCUs were created by teams of teachers from across the Commonwealth with guidance and support from ESE curriculum and content specialist. MCUs for grades PK-12 in Testimonials

A New Way to Learn Traditional Computer Based Learning (CBL) methods typically rely on one-way transmission of information. These methods are seen as extensions of classroom learning and thus viewed by children as restrictive. Consequently, results from such CBL initiatives have, at best, been mixed. In Contrast, Hole-in-the-wall Learning Stations seek to create a new paradigm in the learning process by providing unrestricted computer access to groups of children in an open playground setting. We believe that such an open setting will use child’s natural curiosity to stimulate learning. The essential features are: - The learning station is set up in an outdoor playground setting which children can access at any time. The playground setting offers a host of other advantages. - The learning station fosters collaborative learning among groups of children instead of following the usual school model of rote based learning (unidirectional). - The Learning Stations are used for various real life projects.

UbDQuikvue1005.pdf JaysMasterHandoutfor%20CAIM%202014.pdf Cornerstone%20Assessments(1).pdf McTighe%20-%20Cornerstone%20Tasks%207.13.12.pdf McTighe on Cornerstone Tasks.pdf NGSS High School Evidence Statements Printer-friendly version The high school NGSS Evidence Statements are now available for download at the bottom of this page. The evidence statements provide detail on what students should know and be able to do in order to satisfy each performance expectation (PE) at the end of instruction. Given that each PE is three-dimensional, the statements describe how students can use the practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas together to demonstrate proficiency on the PEs by the end of instruction. The evidence statements are intended to identify clear, measurable components that, if met, fully satisfy each PE described within the NGSS. The evidence statements were developed by educators and scientists, including many members of the NGSS writing team.