Thinking of Backward Design

While reading the pieces for this week I had really been sucked into the one I read first which was the one dealing with backward design. While the text mentions that this is a  concept that has existed for a while now, I am completely dumbfounded as to why I feel like I have barely ever had it practiced on me. The idea of truly establishing a goal and assessment before planning how to get there in education seems so simply logical. Looking back on my own lesson planning I have seen myself start out with an idea of what I would like the purpose of my lesson to be, but start thinking of how I would like to introduce the topic and teach it, before clearing up my exact purpose. I would also leave the assessment as the last thing I'd work on which after reading this article and the comparison of teaching something to having driving directions, seems moronic.

This text is filled with a wealth of knowledge on a pattern of thinking I have never thought of. I personally find this piece to be so valuable. The way it is organized is also extremely useful, the two visuals especially. With the map of stages of backward design and then the circles for establishing priorities, I am excited to use these when planning my next lesson. These two figures give specific instructions for the process of establishing the base of a lesson plan, something that I have seemed to fumble and really struggle with.

Along with the chapter in our text book and the module for UbD, I see a common theme about focusing on small parts that need to be learned in order to understand the lessons. Working toward students' learning the smaller main elements in order to understand the whole ideas. This ties to the idea that there is so much content to cover and that not all of it needs to be as intensely covered as certain other things. The priority organizer is definitely a great tool for this and the list of interesting books that are given in the textbook will definitely help me develop great lessons and units in the future.

This website has a nice outline of backward design. http://www.arps.org/users/ms/coaches/backward%20design%20101.htm