Planning Process
Backward Design
Teachers who use backwards design when planning for their courses start with the learning goals instead of the learning activities. Then they work backwards to determine the assessments and learning activities to reach those goals. Makes sense, right? But so many of us start with the activities or the novel or resource we want to use. Backwards design is a much more intentional way of planning and puts learning at the centre. Wiggins and McTighe (1998) in Understanding by Design outlined three stages of backwards design: (1) Identify desired results--what should students know, do, and understand? (2) Determine acceptable evidence--how will you and students know that they have achieved the desired results? What will you accept as evidence of learning and proficiency? and (3) Plan learning experiences and instruction--what resources, information, and strategies will you and students use...this is the how you will teach and how students will learn. Jennifer Gonzalez (one of my fave educators to follow on social media) from the Cult of Pedagogy has a fantastic blog post about Backwards Design: The Basics for an introduction on how to use this approach for planning. |
Gilly Salmon's Five Stage Model
Gilly Salmon is an educational consultant and expert in online and blended learning. Her Five Stage Model is very handy for planning online lessons, units, and courses, especially if you're a beginner. I first learned about Salmon's Five Stage Model in an OLTD course and I really liked the step by step approach used to ensure that students are onboarded appropriately and then set up for success throughout the online course all the way through to final assessments. Online socialization and establishing a community of learners is central to this model as students learn and co-create knowledge together through a series of e-tivities. |
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
I really believe that all teachers should be planning with the UDL framework in mind. One of the most powerful learning frameworks that gives every student an equal opportunity to succeed. This approach offers flexibility to meet individual needs and the guidelines give concrete suggestions for applying the UDL framework in teaching and learning. The principles behind the framework are to provide multiple means of engagement, representation, and action and expression. Teachers working with the UDL framework have a way to design instructional goals, assessments, methods, and materials that can be customized and adjusted to meet every learner's needs. Embracing UDL will change your teaching forever. |