Chapter 3: What Really Matters In Learning? (Content)

Chapter 3 in "Integrating Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design" gives an overview of the most important element of teaching: content. The emphasis on content regarding teaching standards set by school boards and administrators with little regard to the need of individual students, makes educators wonder if differentiated instruction can be fit in to such a tight curriculum. The "overload" of content forces these educators to be careful about stepping outside the boundaries that the standards set for classrooms and curriculum. Some standards are too broad and some are too narrow, posing a huge problem for educators. This chapter helps explore the ways to accommodate all students and still meet the required standards. The idea of "backwards planning" is presented to conquer all of the problems that standards create. It was Steven Covey who reported that goal-oriented, planning people use "end of mind" thinking such as backwards planning to establish goals and essential questions. This backwards planning includes three useful stages which are: Identify desired results, Determine acceptable evidence, and Plan learning experiences and instruction. By developing goals and objectives first, the planning can be shaped around what the teacher and curriculum set to be achieved. Responsive teaching is a key piece of the success to backwards planning and connecting the standards and content to the needs of the students.

Most educators agree that standardized testing is not the most effective way to assess students understanding and learning. Because of the negative reactions towards standardized testing, the idea of backwards planning becomes really useful and helpful in classrooms. Most educators find this type of planning useful because of the emphasis we want to put on students' current needs. By starting with benefits for students, it is easier to shape lessons according to those needs and the end results we plan to acquire. The frustrations with standardized learning and testing are solved with tools such as the backwards planning model, allowing teachers to focus on the positive outcomes and include as much responsive teaching as we desire. The majority of our class of new teachers have fears of the Maine Learning Results and standards and wish to promote a more student based classroom.